Legal stuff: I don't own these characters (except the ones I make up myself), they
belong to AIC and Pioneer corp. And I'm not making a nickel off of this story either.
Authors notes: I've really happy with the reception this fic has gotten so far. I love
getting feedback so keep those reviews coming. WARNING: This chapter contains content
that may not be suitable for younger viewers.
Among the stars
Chapter 3: Night and day
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***
Out in space
***
The majestic cabbit ship Ryo-ohki sailed through the heavens with grace, she was gifted
with power, speed, and had one of the most skilled pilots in the galaxy to guide her.
Yet she had one serious problem, she had a severe hankering for some carrots at the
moment. And at the moment she was making that yearning quite clear to her master,
Ryoko. Alright Ryo-ohki! Quit your moaning, we'll be landing on Fladucia soon, and you'll
get plenty of carrots then.
Ryoko looked over at Tenchi, who was busy watching a documentary about a revolution
that occured on the planet Ingrima several thousand years ago. Doesn't Tenchi ever
get bored watching that stuff? If he just relaxed a bit the two of us could REALLY have
some fun. Ryoko mused dreamily.
"Wow, did you know that over a third of the population of Ingrima died during the
Keshmire revolt? That's really something." Tenchi stated while munching on some snack
crackers.
Ryoko let out a yawn, "Yeah, that's something alright."
Ryoko sat up straight in her chair as Ryo-ohki communicated with her, "Tenchi, get your
stuff ready, we're going to be landing on Fladucia now."
Tenchi nodded once and went off to pack a bag for their stay. Ryoko had told him that
Fladucia was well known for its fine resorts and casino's. The thought of Ryoko gambling
made Tenchi shudder, I better keep a close eye on her. She's liable to gamble
everything we've got away. deciding not to dwell too much on it, Tenchi started stuffing
clothes in his bag. He stopped for a moment to think about what kinds of fashions their
people might wear, I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb, maybe we should pick up
some clothes when we get there. When he was finished he arrived back on the bridge
to find Ryoko there with a small suitcase in hand.
"Hey Ryoko, do you think we should maybe go shopping for some clothes when we first
land? I don't want to look like a tourist." he inquired.
Ryoko put her hand on her chin and looked him up and down for a moment, "Nah, you
look fine Tenchi."
Tenchi walked towards the viewing screen and took a look at the planet they'd be
staying on for awhile. It appeared a bit smaller than the Earth, and it had blueish-green
oceans, wispy violet colored clouds and several very large and mountainous land forms
on it. He was jolted out of his revere when the ship began to shake as it entered the
atmosphere.
He marvled at the beauty of the delicate violet clouds they passed through, and he
noted with interest the sky seemed almost like the color of rust. Finally his attention was
turned towards the large landing area they were going towards. There were hundreds
of vessels parked there, ships were flying in and out, and the ground was teeming with
life.
Once they got off the ship Tenchi was even more amazed by how crowded the place
was. It made even the busiest Earth airport seem puny in comparison. There were aliens
of all shapes and sizes jamming the space port, and Tenchi didn't have a clue which way
to go. Ryoko grabbed his hand and started pulling him through the crowds, with Ryo-ohki
perched atop her shoulder, "If you stand around gawking like that someone's liable to
steal your luggage." Ryoko yelled in his ear, though the crowd noise was so great he
barely heard her.
Finally escaping the hustle and bustle of the space port they came out in the streets of
an enormous city, with flying cars that zoomed through the air and flashy neon lighting
that set the city ablaze with its glow. There were skyscrapers that soared into the sky,
almost to the clouds it seemed. The architecture was different from Earth, with many
more curved structures. I bet dad would love to check out the blueprints for these
buildings.
He looked down and noticed Ryoko still holding his hand as they walked down the
street, instinctivly he pulled his hand away, eliciting a dissapointed glance from Ryoko.
"We should probably go book a hotel room now Ryoko, I don't want to be carrying these
suitcases for much longer." he said with a hint of weariness in his voice. She readily
agreed and they went off searching for a suitable place to stay.
After walking through the packed streets for what seemed like forever, they finally came
across what looked to be a fairly expensive hotel. "Ooh Tenchi come on let's stay here.
This looks like a real nice place." she stated excitedly. Tenchi didn't like the idea of
spending too much for a place to sleep, but his arms were beginning to get sore carrying
his luggage, so he gave in to Ryoko's pleading.
Coming through the large arched doorway lined with dark blue carpet, they came across
a counter which appeared to be made out of a fine alabaster. At the counter there was a
very pale skinned woman with short bright green hair. Tenchi walked over to her with a
warm smile on his face, "Hi, we'd like to rent two rooms please, for..." he glanced over at
Ryoko who put up four fingers, "four days." he finished. The woman at the counter
began typing at a console, "I'm sorry sir, we only have one room available at the
moment, the honeymoon suite." Tenchi inwardly groaned at his misfortune while Ryoko
was beaming with a smile. "We'll take it!" she exclaimed.
"B-but there's only one room!" Tenchi stammered out.
"I know." Ryoko whispered lustily in his ear.
"Very well madam, now what name shall I put these reservations down for?" the
receptionist asked politely. Tenchi opened his mouth to speak, but Ryoko quickly
interrupted, "Mr and Mrs Masaki." she stated with a smile.
"What?! No no, we aren't Mr and Mrs Masaki, we're just traveling together is all." Tenchi
quickly said.
Ryoko put a finger to his lips, "Now now dear, no need to be embarrassed." she turned
towards the receptionist, "We just got married not too long ago, and he's still very shy
about this sort of thing in public. See he just couldn't keep his hands off me in the car so
we had to get a place to...'rest', you know how it is." she let out a giggle as she finished
while the woman at the counter gave her a knowing smile. Meanwhile Tenchi was
stuttering incoherently, embarrassed beyond belief and shaking his head. He was about
to stammer out some sort of protest to Ryoko's comments but the receptionist spoke
up, "Here's your key madam, may you both have a...'restful' stay at the Ramadi hotel."
Ryoko gave the receptionist a wink before grabbing Tenchi by the arm and dragging him
upstairs towards their room.
Ryoko was laughing as they arrived at their room, while Tenchi gave her a disapproving
look. "Ryoko, I don't like you giving people the impression that we're a couple." he said
sternly
Ryoko merely shrugged her shoulders, "What difference does it make? Nobody out here
will care one way or the other. Besides, we're practicly a couple as it is."
Tenchi decided to just ignore her last comment and opened the door to their room. It
was quite spacious and well furnished. The dark red carpeting matched well with the
muave colored drapes and sheets. There was a small wood table with two chairs, and
the bed was king sized with two large, plush pillows on it. Ryo-ohki bounded off of
Ryoko's shoulder and bounced around the room, sniffing various places of the room
trying to famaliarize herself with it. Tenchi set his suitcases down and walked around the
room, getting a feel for it while Ryoko lept onto the bed and began jumping up and down
on it.
Tenchi gave Ryoko a quizzical look, "Ryoko, what are you doing?"
She stopped bouncing and gave him a sly smile, "I'm testing to see if this bed will be
able to handle the strain we'll be putting on it."
Tenchi was too worn out to offer a complaint to her comment, so he chose to examine
their bathroom. While it certainly wasn't as luxurious as the womens bath back at the
Masaki house, it was a far sight better looking than the mens bath. His attention was
diverted when Ryoko called out to him, "Hey Tenchi, I'm too tired to go out tonight. Why
don't we just order some food up to our room?" Tenchi suspected that Ryoko just
wanted to keep him in the bedroom all night long, however, he was fairly tired himself,
so he agreed with her.
Ryoko watched with amusement as Tenchi struggled to figure out how to work the
intercom like device that was set up in their room. He had pushed some 3 buttons now
and after each time would speak into the device, but he was repeatedly met with nothing
but silence. He was growing more and more aggrivated by the moment, and it took all of
Ryoko's willpower to keep herself from bursting out into laughter. Finally deciding to give
him a break, she walked over and pushed the right button for Tenchi. He scratched the
back of his head and muttered a quiet 'thank you'. He then examined the menu card that
was placed in the room.
"Hi, room service? Yes I'd like to order some food up my room please...room 426. I'd like
an order of..." It was then Tenchi made a startling realization, he had no idea what these
items on the menu consisted of, Congulian Pie? What the heck is that? he gave Ryoko
a sheepish smile and handed the menu over to her. She shook her head with a smile and
took over the intercom.
"Just send up two orders of the Mentalian speciality, with some Sheski and two glasses
of Perfim." Ryo-ohki jumped onto Ryoko's shoulder and began to meow insistantly, and
recognition dawned on Ryoko's face, "Oh, and send up a basket of Durkins" she quickly
added. She turned over to Tenchi who had a puzzled look on his face, "They're pretty
much like carrots."
Tenchi was a bit concerned about what sort of alien foods they'd be eating, he didn't
want some steaming lump of goo for dinner, "So, um, what is this...Mentalian speciality
like?"
"Well, basicly it's a glazed meat that's set atop some fried vegetables." she said simply.
Tenchi was relieved, he was worried it would end up being something really strange,
"What does the meat taste like?"
Ryoko looked up at the ceiling as she thought for a moment before looking back down at
him again, "Chicken."
"Figures..." Tenchi mumbled.
***
Later on...
***
Tenchi leaned back in his seat and let out a loud yawn. Much to Tenchi's delight, their
dinner earlier was exquisite. The meat was done to perfection, with a light glaze on it
that reminded him of a teriyake sauce. The vegetables matched perfectly with the meat,
and the Sheski turned out to be a dipping sauce that really brought out all the flavors of
the meal. The Perfim was a sort of wine, which Tenchi politely turned down a glass of,
and of course Ryoko quickly drank both glasses herself. He had been living off of frozen
meals onboard Ryo-ohki for the last few days, and it felt good to finally be able to have a
decent meal again, he was now thankful Ryoko suggested they stay in this hotel.
After dinner they both relaxed and watched some television. Ryoko was sitting up
against the backboard of the bed with Ryo-ohki nestled on her lap, peacefully sleeping.
They had surprisingly found a movie they both could agree to watch. When it finished,
Ryoko turned the set off, and gently placed Ryo-ohki on the table in the room. "You know
I think it's time we got to bed ourselves." Tenchi tiredly commented. If he was more alert
he would have realized what type of idea Ryoko would get after hearing that.
She had a smile on her face as she looked at Tenchi, "You're absolutely right. I'll go get
changed for bed." she said as she went into the bathroom. Tenchi nodded his head with
half-closed eyes.
Any tiredness Tenchi had felt before vanished in an instant when he saw Ryoko come
out of the bathroom. She was wearing a very short black lace nightie that clung tightly to
her every curve. As she sauntered over towards him, he could see that the nightie was
at least a size too small for her, as her breasts were almost bursting out of it. His
nose was giving indications that a nosebleed was approaching.
She gave him an inviting smile, "Do you like it? I bought it for you, and I was saving it for
a special night like this."
Tenchi's brain was going haywire, as hormones and rational thought battled for control.
His eyes were wide open and his mouth went dry as he tried to form coherent words.
"It's...it's...nice." he stammered out.
She then slithered onto the bed, beckoning him to come over with her finger, "Come on
Tenchi, time for bed." she said playfully.
Realization slammed into Tenchi as his brain began to register that there was only one
bed, and on that bed was a very scantily clad Ryoko. He finally beat down his hormones
and began to think clearly again, "Ryoko, you sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the
floor, I'll just take one of those pillows." he stated firmly.
Ryoko let out of a frustrated grunt as she realized Tenchi wasn't going to give in. Then
she gave him a playful smile, "You're going to have to deal with me if you want one of
these pillows." she said as she grabbed both pillows.
Tenchi gave her a stern look, "Ryoko, I'm not in the mood for games. Come on, give me a
pillow alright?"
Ryoko shook her head, "Sorry, unless you wanna share a bed with me, you'll have to
fight me to get a pillow." she said with a grin.
Tenchi stared at her a moment, hoping his stern look would make her back down. But
after awhile she started to laugh, and he saw it wasn't working. Thinking he could catch
her off guard, he quickly stepped forward and tried to snatch a pillow from her grasp,
only to find he had missed as Ryoko had quickly lept onto the dresser in the room. She
had her eyes closed and shook her head back and forth, "Too slow Tenchi dear." she
taunted.
Tenchi gave her a very irratated glare, "Ryoko, I'm tired, just give me a pillow."
"Come and catch me if you can." she replied while laughing.
And so Tenchi made another attempt to grab a pillow, and again missing. For the next 10
minutes he had chased her around the room, each time he thought he caught her she'd
end up phasing away and appearing behind him, laughing and taunting him. She was
standing near the foot of the bed laughing when Tenchi suddenly jumped head on at her,
knocking her onto the bed with him on top of her. She gave a startled yelp when he
slammed into her, but managed to regain her bearings and hold the pillows up over her
head while Tenchi was still on top of her reaching up trying to pull one away from her.
"Isn't this more comfortable than sleeping on the floor?" she breathed hotly into his ear.
Tenchi blinked a few times trying to figure out what she meant when he looked down
and noticed he was laying on top of her. He saw desire blazing in her feline eyes as she
gazed up at him, and his previously defeated hormonal urges began to make a roaring
comeback as he felt her warm body beneath his. In an instant he rolled off of her
and onto the floor, "Nevermind, I don't need a pillow." he nervously spoke.
Ryoko groaned in frustration as she once again saw another opportunity slip through
her fingers. She laid there for a few minutes before taking one of the pillows and tossing
it at Tenchi, who mumbled a 'Thanks' and then turned out the lamp. She rolled over to
the side of the bed which faced Tenchi and watched him for a moment as he tried to fall
asleep. "Goodnight Tenchi." she said softly. A moment passed before Tenchi spoke,
"Goodnight Ryoko." he replied warmly. Ryoko fell asleep that night cherishing the memory
of feeling Tenchi laying on top of her, that moment of intimate closeness dancing through
her mind as she slipped into the land of dreams.
***
Back on Earth
***
In a crowded mega-mall in downtown Tokyo, a galaxy police officer and a first princess of
Jurai were stuck waiting in line for the cash register. As luck would have it they happened
to go shopping on the same day as one of the biggest sales of the year. Currently Ayeka
was stuck behind a rather large and smelly man who was wearing a T-Shirt that had
"I'm a love machine" written on it. Ayeka cursed her misfortune at having to be stuck
behind such an unsightly person.
For the last few days Mihoshi and Ayeka had been digging out an area to plant in and
trying to figure out what sort of things to put in their garden. Their little venture had
gone off on a sour note when Mihoshi accidentally poured a bag of concrete powder on
the dirt instead of fertilizer. Ayeka had to admit however, that despite Mihoshi's absent
minded mannerisms, she really had a knack for planning out a layout for a garden. And
while Ayeka did tire of her incessant chatter, she was grateful for her company. Mihoshi
was a good help in keeping her mind off Tenchi's absence.
"Oh! Ayeka, can we buy these chips please?" Mihoshi pleaded.
Ayeka hung her head for a moment, "Very well Mihoshi, go ahead and buy them." she
responded wearily.
Mihoshi immediately tore the bag open and began muching on the chips, "Hey Ayeka,
why don't we go out to a Karaoke bar tonight? It's not really very fun going alone..."
Ayeka detected the downcast tone in which Mihoshi spoke. All this time I've been
thinking about myself and how I should try to keep my spirits up when Mihoshi has
been depressed over Kiyone's absence. I should really do something to help her out...
"Alright Mihoshi, I'll go with you, I'm sure it will be...interesting." she said uncertainly.
I shouldn't worry so much, I mean what's the worse that could happen?
***
On the planet Fladucia
***
A cool breeze swept across the tree covered hills as Tenchi stood at the edge of a
ravine, drinking in the beauty of the scenery. The leaves on the trees were blossoming in
a variety of colors, and wildflowers were sprouting up everywhere along the ground. He
took a few deep breaths of the mountain air, savoring the serene atmosphere. He could
hear the rustling of the leaves on the ground as Ryoko came up behind him.
"Ready?" there was a touch of anticipation in her voice
He turned around and nodded with a calm expression on his face. He then reached into
his pack and tossed her a wooden bokken which she caught with ease. She studied it for
a moment, trying to get a good feel for it. Tenchi had told Ryoko that the only power
off-limits in this sparring match was her energy projectiles, anything else was fair game.
He noticed how alive she seemed as she readied herself for their sparring session. She
was decked out in her usual battle attire, and though her expression held but a slight
grin, her eyes spoke volumes about her excitement. Tenchi began his pre-battle
breathing excersizes and tried to clear any distractions from his mind. He stared at her
with a blank expression, betraying no emotion, something which his grandfather taught
him.
Ryoko had watched enough of Tenchi's sparring matches to know what to expect. She
knew Tenchi was waiting for her to get impatient or wait till she became unprepared.
However she had readied herself well for this match and was not about to give Tenchi
the upper-hand right away.
After many long, silent moments, Tenchi charged forward with lightning speed, holding
his bokken even with his midsection. Tenchi knew that the legs were usually the most
undefended part of the body, so he ducked low and made a swing at her knees, but
Ryoko easily blocked his blow. She then lept overtop Tenchi and swung around to
bring her bokken on Tenchi's head, however he rolled forwards after she jumped and
was well out of her range. Twirling around to face her again he saw her rocketing
towards him. She made a series of furious and erratic swings at Tenchi. He gritted his
teeth in concentration as he deftly parried her blows, he suspected she was intentionally
trying to confuse him with her uncoordinated strikes.
Indeed that was exactly what Ryoko was doing. She had studied the Jurian sword
technique and thought she could exploit it's heavy emphasis on strict technical details to
her advantage by countering it with a free flowing, unpredictable style. However much to
her displeasure Tenchi seemed to have caught on and was using superb defensive
tactics. Switching gears she phased back away from him and stood still, choosing to let
him make an attack on her.
Tenchi caught his breath as Ryoko stood there waiting for an attack. He knew he was
outmatched when it came to raw power, but he had the better technique and could
outsmart her. Deciding to try out a devious trick his grandfather played on him, Tenchi
charged forwards towards Ryoko, only to pretend to trip and stumble on a rock. As he
predicted, Ryoko charged forward and brought her bokken to the side of Tenchi's
head...only to find Tenchi had blocked her blow and proceeded to spin towards her and
made a thrust at her chest. Caught off guard she phased away, high above Tenchi.
Looks like I'm going to have to pull all the stops out.
Tenchi spun all around and looked above him, his body tensed awaiting her attack. A
memory of something his grandfather told him came back to him, A true samurai uses
all of his senses... He focused intensily on all the sounds around him, suddenly catching
the faint sound of Ryoko phasing in behind him. He swirled around and blocked her
overhead chop. He grinned when he saw her surprised expression, and decided to press
his new advantage by executing a series of tight, orderly sword routines which had
Ryoko back peddling.
Deciding she couldn't keep up with Tenchi at the moment, she back flipped away and
tried to regain her bearings. When she looked at Tenchi's brown eyes, it dawned on her
just how much fun she was having. She had always loved the thrill of battle, and now
she was sharing that thrill with the man she loved more than anything else. However
she was getting slightly irritated that she couldn't seem to beat him. She gave him a
devious grin, Ok Tenchi, let's see you handle this.
Tenchi waited for Ryoko's assault, and watched as she blurred out of existence. Once
again focusing on his hearing, he heard her phase behind him. And once again he spun
around to parry her attack, yet this time she wasn't there. Twirling around again he
caught a glimpse of her phasing away. She's toying with me. he realized. Tenchi
wasn't sure what recourse to take to deal with her strategy, so he chose to try and ride
it out.
After phasing away several more times, she finally made her attack. She put as much
force as she could on a furious slash at his midsection. Tenchi spun around to block her,
but her bokken shattered his in half. She let out a triumphant shout but was shocked to
see Tenchi leap backwards and pick up the other half of his weapon. She was so sure of
her victory that when Tenchi rushed at her with a bokken half in each hand, she was
totally surprised. She made a weak slash at Tenchi's legs only to have her bokken
batted aside by the half of Tenchi's weapon in his left hand while his right hand stuck the
other half up to her throat.
He had a triumphant grin on his face as he stood up straight, "That was really good,
Ryoko, you almost had me there." he spoke while breathing heavily.
Ryoko still wore a shocked look on her face as she tried to comprehend how she just
lost, she then shook her head and leveled a stern glare at him, "You got lucky."
Tenchi just chuckled a bit and sat down on the ground, still catching his breath. Ryoko
tossed her bokken on the ground and slumped down next to Tenchi, "So, do you wanna
head back to the city?" she asked.
He shook his head while gazing at the majestic hills, "No, I think I'll stay out here for
awhile."
Ryoko shrugged her shoulders, "Fine by me." she said while lying down on the ground
next to him.
Tenchi reached into his pack, took out a sketch pad and pencil and began drawing a
scene of the hills spread out before him. "I gotta say Ryoko, this place is really..." he
looked over and found she was sound asleep. A gentle smile played across his lips as he
watched her peacefully resting among the gently swaying wildflowers, and he turned to
a blank page in his sketch book and began a new drawing...
***
Earth
***
"If this ever gets out to the Jurai public, I'll be the laughing stock of the royal family."
Ayeka groaned.
Mihoshi patted Ayeka on the back, "Oh cheer up Ayeka, this isn't that bad."
Ayeka looked over incredulously at Mihoshi, "Not that bad? WE'RE IN JAIL!" Ayeka put
her head in her hands and began to think back to how they got there in the first place.
It all started a few hours earlier, when Ayeka and Mihoshi had gone out to a Karaoke bar
in the city. Ayeka was pleased that the establishment seemed like a fairly clean and
respectable looking place. They seated themselves at a front row table and ordered a
small drink. However when Mihoshi began to start talking about the various aspects of
her favorite television show, that small drink became a large one. And when Ayeka heard
the overly amateurish singers on stage making mockeries of the songs they sang, that
large drink ended up being a whole bottle.
It wasn't long before Mihoshi and Ayeka were completely blitzed. Ayeka had never really
seen Mihoshi get really drunk before, so this was a new experience. Mihoshi was alot
more open, and her mood swings more erratic. One minute she'd be crying over one
thing, and then laughing her head off the next minute. The two of them shared some
teary eyed, heart felt moments as well. After they finished another bottle, they both
agreed that the current singers that night were woefully inept and they needed to show
the crowd what real singing was.
They both stumbled on stage and decided to sing a duet together. They picked Celine
Dione's "My heart will go on." Neither one ever practiced the song, and in their current
intoxicated state, it went without saying they did a horrid job singing it. When they
finished, they were met with silence from the crowd. They thought they were so good
that the crowd was speechless. One drunk woman in the crowd began to heckle them,
and Ayeka was furious about her rude behavior, so she decided to, "teach her some
manners."
She wasn't exactly sure who slapped who first, but it only took a moment before a large
section of the bar was embroiled in a fight. The memories of the fight were pretty hazy,
but Ayeka was fairly confident that she didn't use her Jurai powers, they'd have alot of
explaining to do if she started summoning power logs. Of course the police and bar
security came and broke up the fight, and promptly hauled both her and Mihoshi to the
police station. And for the last few hours they had been waiting for Nobuyuki to come
bail them out. Strange thing was, Washu apparently was going to pay for their bail, and
neither one could figure out why she was being so generous.
Sorting through the various fuzzy memories, Ayeka couldn't help but focus on one
conversation she had with Mihoshi earlier when they were drunk. Ayeka was telling
Mihoshi about how it was her dream to one day rule Jurai side by side with Tenchi, and
Mihoshi had asked a simple, yet for Ayeka, profound question, "What about Tenchi's
dreams for the future?"
Ayeka was speechless, for it dawned on her that she never thought about what Tenchi's
hopes for his future may be. What if he didn't want to ever rule Jurai? He did turn down
the throne after defeating Kagato, maybe he'd never wish to rule? And where would that
leave her? She loved Jurai and her people, and she always dreamed of helping bring
prosperity and peace to her beloved planet when she was Queen. She had always
assumed that once Tenchi fell in love with her, that he'd be happy to take over Jurai, but
now she wondered about that, she didn't want to force Tenchi into a lifestyle he didn't
want.
And the more Ayeka thought about it, the more worried she became. All indications were
that Tenchi just wants to live a quiet life with his family, not to be leader of the largest
empire in the galaxy. If Tenchi chose her, but didn't want the throne, would she abdicate
her title to be with Tenchi? The very thought of being forced to choose between her love
for Jurai and her love for Tenchi made Ayeka distraught. Clutching her aching head,
Ayeka decided this was best thought about with a clear head.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" Washu mockingly asked.
Mihoshi promptly flung herself at the bars and began thanking Wahsu for saving them.
"Miss, erm, little Washu, I wish to thank you for so generously paying our bail, I am
indebted to you." Ayeka politely said.
Washu waved her hand, "Don't worry about, now let's get you two out of here, it really
smells in this place."
During the ride home Ayeka was beyond embarrassed as Mihoshi began to recite the
sordid details of their escapades to Nobuyuki and Washu. Not a moment too soon they
arrived at the house, and Mihoshi and Ayeka both went off to their bedrooms to sleep off
the effects of the alcohol.
After watching them trudge up the stairs, a huge grin formed on Washu's face as she
went back into her lab. She sat down and summoned her holo-top, after pressing a few
keys, an image of Ayeka and Mihoshi behind bars came up on screen. She punched a few
more keys and picked up a sort of cell phone, "Hello, Jurai Enquiror? Yes I'd like to submit
a story..."
***
Fladucia
***
Tenchi was leaning up against the wall next to the bathroom door, "Come on Ryoko,
hurry up and finish your bath, we gotta check out of this place soon."
Through the door he could hear her muffled reply, "You can come in and wash my back if
you want."
Tenchi shook his head and went over to make sure they had remembered to pack
everything. For the last 3 days on Fladucia they had went around the city and
countryside visiting the various places of interest. Ryoko of course wanted to check out
some casino's, Boy what a mistake that was. Tenchi recalled.
***
2 days earlier
***
"No." he said firmly.
"Oh please oh please oh please Tenchiiiiii." she pleaded while giving him her best puppy
dog eyes. Upon seeing this he let out a defeated sigh, "Alright Ryoko, just this one
casino. And you'll only have a small amount of money to gamble with."
Ryoko let out a squeal of joy and gave Tenchi a quick hug before dragging him into the
building with Ryo-ohki bouncing along behind them. Tenchi was amazed at how the place
looked on the inside. For as far as he could see there were all sorts of tables and
machines set up, lights were flashing all over the place, it was overwhelming to the
country boy from Japan.
Ryoko rubbed her hands with anticipation as she stalked around, checking out the
various games being played. Finally coming across a high stakes card game called Devils
Delight, an evil grin formed across her face. She knelt down and picked up Ryo-ohki,
Ok Ryo-ohki, you know what to do. she telepathicly told her. Ryo-ohki meowed in reply
and scurried off, eventually bounding up onto the beams above everyone. When Ryoko
got the affirmative that Ryo-ohki was in position, she put on her best poker face and sat
down at the table.
Elsewhere in the casino, Tenchi was growing frustrated as he wandered the halls
searching for Ryoko. He had a sinking feeling she was going to get into some sort of
trouble. After walking through what ended up being a fire exit, his ears picked up on
something, "I got the cash here in this briefcase, you got the stuff?"
Tenchi looked around and saw two people talking to eachother, one had a briefcase and
the other had a large bag. "Yeah I got it right here." the man with the bag replied.
Tenchi saw the two men exchange their items, and it dawned on Tenchi that this was
some sort of drug deal. Right after realizing this, he saw that the two men turned to the
side and saw him, "HEY! Who the hell are you?" one of them shouted. Tenchi saw the
both men reach into their suits, and upon seeing this, he immediately grabbed for
Tenchi-Ken to help defend himself...only to remember he left it at the hotel. Gulping, he
saw only one option left, RUN!
He reached for the doorknob only to find it had fallen off. Thinking fast he dove behind a
dumpster just as they started shooting. Luck was on Tenchi's side as a drunk man
happened to open the door to the fire exit from the inside. Utilizing his speed, Tenchi
raced over and grabbed the drunks hand and pulled him inside before the door closed.
Tenchi ran through the casino, trying desperately to find Ryoko so they could get out of
there. He was at his wits end when he heard her familiar hearty laughter. Scouting
around he saw her at a card table, with a rather large amount of chips in front of her. He
raced over to her, "Ryoko, come on we gotta get out of here!" he hurriedly told her.
She brushed him off with the wave of her hand, "In a little while Tenchi, I'm just getting
started here."
"Ryoko, some drug dealers with guns are after me, we gotta leave!" he whispered
urgently in her ear.
Ryoko was about the inquire as to what happened but Tenchi grabbed ahold of her arm
and began to drag her away from the table. "Wait! My chips!" she shouted as she
hurried back and poured her chips in a bag before going with Tenchi, "Let me just cash
these in and then we'll go." she said.
"Fine, just hurry up." he replied impatiently.
Ryo-ohki hopped up on Tenchi's shoulder, and in his current state of anxiety almost gave
him a heart attack. He was catching his breath trying to calm down when he spotted
Ryoko striding back with a bag full of money. They were just about to leave when the
casino security stopped them at the door.
"Excuse me miss, you'll have to come with us. You too sir." one of the officers said.
Ryoko knew she was busted and grumbled a few obscenities under her breath. Tenchi
gave her a puzzled look as they were lead into the casino security department.
***
To the present...
***
We were lucky they allowed us to leave with just a permanent ban on coming back. I
figured we'd be facing some criminal charges. Tenchi was broken from his thoughts
when Ryoko finally came out of the bathroom, wearing her usual blue and gold striped
dress.
When she saw him she gave him an annoyed look, "Come on Tenchi, you gonna stand
around all day or are we going to get going?" Tenchi rolled his eyes and grabbed his
bags.
When they arrived in the lobby to check out, the same green haired woman who was
there when they checked in was at the counter. The receptionist gave them a warm
smile as Ryoko handed her their room key, "I hope you both enjoyed your stay at the
Ramadi hotel." Ryoko leaned in over the counter, "We certainly did enjoy ourselves,
he's insatiable!" she playfully said. Tenchi was crimson faced as she pulled him out of the
hotel and they went aboard Ryo'ohki.
***
Out in space
***
Tenchi and Ryoko sat on the bridge of the ship, taking one last look at Fladucia. Tenchi
quickly rummaged through his pack, pulled out a camera and took a few snapshots, "I'm
sure everyone back home will enjoy these pictures." he commented.
Ryoko nodded her agreed as she walked over and put her hand on Tenchi's shoulder,
"You better get used to those frozen dinners. It's going to be about a week before we
arrive at our next destination." Ryoko noted.
"Yeah that's one thing I'm going to miss about Fladucia, the food." he wistfully replied.
He stood up and walked torwards his bedroom, "I'm going to go take a nap, I haven't
been sleeping too well on the floor of that hotel."
Ryoko watched him leave and sat back down again. She leaned back in her chair and
closed her eyes, It'll be a week till we get to relax on the beaches of Terafin, it's been
years since I was there. The last time I was there...
***
Flashback
***
A younger Ryoko sat at a table in the corner of a dimly lit bar. The place was lit with small
flourescent bulbs, and almost half of them were broke. The place reeked of various
alcoholic beverages and bodily oders, and there was loud, pulsating music constantly
filling the air. Criminals mainly hung out at these bars, and this was one of the reasons
Ryoko was there, because she was among her kind. She knew she was safe from the
authorities here, practicly everyone who owned and frequented this bar had some sort
of criminal record, so she wouldn't have to worry about being turned in.
Even though she was only around 14, she was already drinking at these bars. She drank
down the stinging liquid, slammed the glass down at the table, and quickly signaled the
barkeep for another round. Her faithful cabbit companion was on the floor drinking some
water out of a bowl.
It had been a rough day, she was almost busted by the GP earlier and spent most of the
day doing her best to evade them. She may not have been a class A-1 criminal yet, but
she was gaining a reputation in the sector for her daring bank robberies.
"Care for some company?" a deep voice asked.
She quickly turned around to see who was bothering her. He was a young man, maybe
early 20's, with long chestnut hair tied back in a ponytail. The place was too dark to get
a read on his eye color. He was average height yet had a fairly strong build, she had to
admit he was pretty handsome.
Without waiting for an answer he sat down on the chair opposite hers. "A little
presumptious aren't you? I didn't even say if I wanted you around." she asked in a curt
manner.
He leaned forward and smirked, "When I see something I like, I go for it."
Just then her drink arrived at the table, the man seated opposite her stopped the
barkeep, "Bring me one of those too will ya?"
Ryoko raised her eyebrow at the man, he had some nerve, "So what do you want
anyway?" she gruffly asked.
He just leaned back in his chair and smiled, "I was just surprised to see a pretty girl like
you sitting all alone."
She was caught off guard by his compliment, she wasn't used to good looking men
coming up to her and calling her pretty. She was just starting to become a woman, and
everyone else just treated her like a little kid. Her thoughts were broken when he
spoke, "My name is Gento, and it's a pleasure to meet you Ryoko."
Ryoko gave him a puzzled look, "How did you..."
He quickly interrupted her, "I saw it on the news. I heard about that bank you hit in
Chefulia, that was pretty impressive."
For the first time since coming into the bar, she smiled, "Thanks." was her simple reply.
Over the next hour the two of them drank and talked, they traded stories about the
places they've stolen from and various spaceship mechanics. It felt good to Ryoko to
have someone to talk to for once. For years, she had been alone, with Ryo-ohki being the
only companion she had. While during her earlier years she relished her independence,
she now had started to grow lonely. Ever since puberty hit, her mind had began to
wander. As embarrassed as she was to admit it, she would often watch romance movies.
She'd wonder if she'd ever get to experience something like the love the movies depicted,
and sometimes dream of some prince charming who would sweep her off her feet.
She wasn't sure she even liked Gento. He was more than a pirate, he was also a
murderer. He bragged about killing anyone who stood in his way, and even said he once
tortured a man. She stole from banks for the thrill of it, but she never killed anyone, nor
did she ever want to. He seemed to take pride in his violent way. Despite this, she
still wanted some company, so she kept on talking to him.
Eventually after finishing one of his drinks he leaned forward over the table, "How about
we ditch this place. I could show you my new ship, it's an RSX-3000, brand new."
Ryoko set her drink down and looked away, "I don't know...I should probably be leaving
with Ryo-ohki." she said uncertainly.
"Come on, I thought maybe you'd like to check out the engine system. You can leave
right after taking a look at my ship." he responded.
Her mildly intoxicated state didn't contribute to her thinking clearly, she relented and
went with him to his ship with Ryo-ohki bouncing along behind them.
Once onboard his vessel, Ryoko immediately began checking out the various console
systems and the engine. Gento didn't say much but followed her around. When she'd
look at him to ask him a question about the ship, she'd find him staring intently at her,
which made her uneasy.
Eventually Ryo-ohki began to telepathicly tell Ryoko that she was getting tired, "Well
Gento, I gotta get going, my cabbit is getting tired." As she was starting to walk towards
the exit, Gento stepped in her way, "You're not going anywhere, because the fun's just
beginning." he stated in a serious manner.
Ryoko just laughed a little and tried to walk past him, only to be forcefully grabbed by
the arm, "I said...you're not going anywhere." he repeated insistantly. Ryoko was
started to get scared now, and she tried to pry her arm free of his grasp, "Come on, let
me go!" she demanded. He leaned in towards her face, "You know you want it you
little whore." he whispered in her ear.
She paled when she heard this and redoubled her efforts to escape, and he responded
by punching her in the face, sending her slamming into a wall. Ryo-ohki became furious
that someone was hurting her master, so she lunged at Gento, only to be slapped away.
Ryoko got up off the floor and ran over to Ryo-ohki and picked her up, relieved to find out
she was alright. When she looked up she saw Gento starting to unbutton his shirt. Her
eyes widened in fear and she ran towards the door as fast as she could, but he grabbed
at her again, this time tearing the top part of her dress. He kicked her against the wall
and gazed lustily at Ryoko, who's upper body was now only clad in a bra. The fear he
saw in her eyes only fueled his desire.
Ryoko quickly stood up when she saw him advancing towards her again, "STAY BACK!"
she shrieked, her voice cracking with emotion, and raised her hands with her palms
facing him. He just chuckled and calmly strode over to her, yet he didn't walk two steps
before Ryoko fired an energy blast at him, blasting a hole through his chest.
He was thrown to the ground by the blast, and Ryoko knew he was dead. Her whole
body was shaking as she stared at the lifeless body before her. She had never killed
anyone before, now that was all changed. She became sick to her stomach looking at his
corpse, so she quickly picked up Ryo-ohki and ran as fast as she could out of the craft,
and immediately had Ryo'ohki transform into a spaceship to get as far away from there
as they could.
Ryoko hugged her knees to her chest as she stared blankly at the stars outside the ship,
cursing herself for ever letting down her guard. She swore never again to trust anyone.
She would fortify those emotional barriers she had been building for so many years. She
didn't need any friends or family or lovers, she would continue her life alone, because she
couldn't get hurt that way.
***
Present day
***
So much has changed. she realized. All those promises made long ago became dust in
the wind when she met Tenchi. When she woke up that fateful day gazing up at his dark
brown eyes, her emotional walls began to crumble. For in those eyes she saw only
concern for her well being, not lust, or malice, but caring. The idea that someone cared
about her safety touched her in a profound manner. He was the opposite of all the scum
she encountered in those dark bars, he was good and decent.
Opening her eyes, she looked around the silent bridge of Ryo'ohki, and could almost feel
the shadows of her past threatening to overwhelm her. Even though the love of her life
was sleeping a nearby room, those memories of a life long ago were ressurecting that
cold lonely feeling she dreaded. Retreating to her room, she attempted to drown the pain
of her past with a bottle of saki as she had done so many times before.
End of chapter 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, that was a nice, cheery end to that chapter, eh? I'm already hard at work on
chapter 4 (sorry, no teasers!), so stay tuned. Don't forget to review this chapter though.
belong to AIC and Pioneer corp. And I'm not making a nickel off of this story either.
Authors notes: I've really happy with the reception this fic has gotten so far. I love
getting feedback so keep those reviews coming. WARNING: This chapter contains content
that may not be suitable for younger viewers.
Among the stars
Chapter 3: Night and day
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***
Out in space
***
The majestic cabbit ship Ryo-ohki sailed through the heavens with grace, she was gifted
with power, speed, and had one of the most skilled pilots in the galaxy to guide her.
Yet she had one serious problem, she had a severe hankering for some carrots at the
moment. And at the moment she was making that yearning quite clear to her master,
Ryoko. Alright Ryo-ohki! Quit your moaning, we'll be landing on Fladucia soon, and you'll
get plenty of carrots then.
Ryoko looked over at Tenchi, who was busy watching a documentary about a revolution
that occured on the planet Ingrima several thousand years ago. Doesn't Tenchi ever
get bored watching that stuff? If he just relaxed a bit the two of us could REALLY have
some fun. Ryoko mused dreamily.
"Wow, did you know that over a third of the population of Ingrima died during the
Keshmire revolt? That's really something." Tenchi stated while munching on some snack
crackers.
Ryoko let out a yawn, "Yeah, that's something alright."
Ryoko sat up straight in her chair as Ryo-ohki communicated with her, "Tenchi, get your
stuff ready, we're going to be landing on Fladucia now."
Tenchi nodded once and went off to pack a bag for their stay. Ryoko had told him that
Fladucia was well known for its fine resorts and casino's. The thought of Ryoko gambling
made Tenchi shudder, I better keep a close eye on her. She's liable to gamble
everything we've got away. deciding not to dwell too much on it, Tenchi started stuffing
clothes in his bag. He stopped for a moment to think about what kinds of fashions their
people might wear, I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb, maybe we should pick up
some clothes when we get there. When he was finished he arrived back on the bridge
to find Ryoko there with a small suitcase in hand.
"Hey Ryoko, do you think we should maybe go shopping for some clothes when we first
land? I don't want to look like a tourist." he inquired.
Ryoko put her hand on her chin and looked him up and down for a moment, "Nah, you
look fine Tenchi."
Tenchi walked towards the viewing screen and took a look at the planet they'd be
staying on for awhile. It appeared a bit smaller than the Earth, and it had blueish-green
oceans, wispy violet colored clouds and several very large and mountainous land forms
on it. He was jolted out of his revere when the ship began to shake as it entered the
atmosphere.
He marvled at the beauty of the delicate violet clouds they passed through, and he
noted with interest the sky seemed almost like the color of rust. Finally his attention was
turned towards the large landing area they were going towards. There were hundreds
of vessels parked there, ships were flying in and out, and the ground was teeming with
life.
Once they got off the ship Tenchi was even more amazed by how crowded the place
was. It made even the busiest Earth airport seem puny in comparison. There were aliens
of all shapes and sizes jamming the space port, and Tenchi didn't have a clue which way
to go. Ryoko grabbed his hand and started pulling him through the crowds, with Ryo-ohki
perched atop her shoulder, "If you stand around gawking like that someone's liable to
steal your luggage." Ryoko yelled in his ear, though the crowd noise was so great he
barely heard her.
Finally escaping the hustle and bustle of the space port they came out in the streets of
an enormous city, with flying cars that zoomed through the air and flashy neon lighting
that set the city ablaze with its glow. There were skyscrapers that soared into the sky,
almost to the clouds it seemed. The architecture was different from Earth, with many
more curved structures. I bet dad would love to check out the blueprints for these
buildings.
He looked down and noticed Ryoko still holding his hand as they walked down the
street, instinctivly he pulled his hand away, eliciting a dissapointed glance from Ryoko.
"We should probably go book a hotel room now Ryoko, I don't want to be carrying these
suitcases for much longer." he said with a hint of weariness in his voice. She readily
agreed and they went off searching for a suitable place to stay.
After walking through the packed streets for what seemed like forever, they finally came
across what looked to be a fairly expensive hotel. "Ooh Tenchi come on let's stay here.
This looks like a real nice place." she stated excitedly. Tenchi didn't like the idea of
spending too much for a place to sleep, but his arms were beginning to get sore carrying
his luggage, so he gave in to Ryoko's pleading.
Coming through the large arched doorway lined with dark blue carpet, they came across
a counter which appeared to be made out of a fine alabaster. At the counter there was a
very pale skinned woman with short bright green hair. Tenchi walked over to her with a
warm smile on his face, "Hi, we'd like to rent two rooms please, for..." he glanced over at
Ryoko who put up four fingers, "four days." he finished. The woman at the counter
began typing at a console, "I'm sorry sir, we only have one room available at the
moment, the honeymoon suite." Tenchi inwardly groaned at his misfortune while Ryoko
was beaming with a smile. "We'll take it!" she exclaimed.
"B-but there's only one room!" Tenchi stammered out.
"I know." Ryoko whispered lustily in his ear.
"Very well madam, now what name shall I put these reservations down for?" the
receptionist asked politely. Tenchi opened his mouth to speak, but Ryoko quickly
interrupted, "Mr and Mrs Masaki." she stated with a smile.
"What?! No no, we aren't Mr and Mrs Masaki, we're just traveling together is all." Tenchi
quickly said.
Ryoko put a finger to his lips, "Now now dear, no need to be embarrassed." she turned
towards the receptionist, "We just got married not too long ago, and he's still very shy
about this sort of thing in public. See he just couldn't keep his hands off me in the car so
we had to get a place to...'rest', you know how it is." she let out a giggle as she finished
while the woman at the counter gave her a knowing smile. Meanwhile Tenchi was
stuttering incoherently, embarrassed beyond belief and shaking his head. He was about
to stammer out some sort of protest to Ryoko's comments but the receptionist spoke
up, "Here's your key madam, may you both have a...'restful' stay at the Ramadi hotel."
Ryoko gave the receptionist a wink before grabbing Tenchi by the arm and dragging him
upstairs towards their room.
Ryoko was laughing as they arrived at their room, while Tenchi gave her a disapproving
look. "Ryoko, I don't like you giving people the impression that we're a couple." he said
sternly
Ryoko merely shrugged her shoulders, "What difference does it make? Nobody out here
will care one way or the other. Besides, we're practicly a couple as it is."
Tenchi decided to just ignore her last comment and opened the door to their room. It
was quite spacious and well furnished. The dark red carpeting matched well with the
muave colored drapes and sheets. There was a small wood table with two chairs, and
the bed was king sized with two large, plush pillows on it. Ryo-ohki bounded off of
Ryoko's shoulder and bounced around the room, sniffing various places of the room
trying to famaliarize herself with it. Tenchi set his suitcases down and walked around the
room, getting a feel for it while Ryoko lept onto the bed and began jumping up and down
on it.
Tenchi gave Ryoko a quizzical look, "Ryoko, what are you doing?"
She stopped bouncing and gave him a sly smile, "I'm testing to see if this bed will be
able to handle the strain we'll be putting on it."
Tenchi was too worn out to offer a complaint to her comment, so he chose to examine
their bathroom. While it certainly wasn't as luxurious as the womens bath back at the
Masaki house, it was a far sight better looking than the mens bath. His attention was
diverted when Ryoko called out to him, "Hey Tenchi, I'm too tired to go out tonight. Why
don't we just order some food up to our room?" Tenchi suspected that Ryoko just
wanted to keep him in the bedroom all night long, however, he was fairly tired himself,
so he agreed with her.
Ryoko watched with amusement as Tenchi struggled to figure out how to work the
intercom like device that was set up in their room. He had pushed some 3 buttons now
and after each time would speak into the device, but he was repeatedly met with nothing
but silence. He was growing more and more aggrivated by the moment, and it took all of
Ryoko's willpower to keep herself from bursting out into laughter. Finally deciding to give
him a break, she walked over and pushed the right button for Tenchi. He scratched the
back of his head and muttered a quiet 'thank you'. He then examined the menu card that
was placed in the room.
"Hi, room service? Yes I'd like to order some food up my room please...room 426. I'd like
an order of..." It was then Tenchi made a startling realization, he had no idea what these
items on the menu consisted of, Congulian Pie? What the heck is that? he gave Ryoko
a sheepish smile and handed the menu over to her. She shook her head with a smile and
took over the intercom.
"Just send up two orders of the Mentalian speciality, with some Sheski and two glasses
of Perfim." Ryo-ohki jumped onto Ryoko's shoulder and began to meow insistantly, and
recognition dawned on Ryoko's face, "Oh, and send up a basket of Durkins" she quickly
added. She turned over to Tenchi who had a puzzled look on his face, "They're pretty
much like carrots."
Tenchi was a bit concerned about what sort of alien foods they'd be eating, he didn't
want some steaming lump of goo for dinner, "So, um, what is this...Mentalian speciality
like?"
"Well, basicly it's a glazed meat that's set atop some fried vegetables." she said simply.
Tenchi was relieved, he was worried it would end up being something really strange,
"What does the meat taste like?"
Ryoko looked up at the ceiling as she thought for a moment before looking back down at
him again, "Chicken."
"Figures..." Tenchi mumbled.
***
Later on...
***
Tenchi leaned back in his seat and let out a loud yawn. Much to Tenchi's delight, their
dinner earlier was exquisite. The meat was done to perfection, with a light glaze on it
that reminded him of a teriyake sauce. The vegetables matched perfectly with the meat,
and the Sheski turned out to be a dipping sauce that really brought out all the flavors of
the meal. The Perfim was a sort of wine, which Tenchi politely turned down a glass of,
and of course Ryoko quickly drank both glasses herself. He had been living off of frozen
meals onboard Ryo-ohki for the last few days, and it felt good to finally be able to have a
decent meal again, he was now thankful Ryoko suggested they stay in this hotel.
After dinner they both relaxed and watched some television. Ryoko was sitting up
against the backboard of the bed with Ryo-ohki nestled on her lap, peacefully sleeping.
They had surprisingly found a movie they both could agree to watch. When it finished,
Ryoko turned the set off, and gently placed Ryo-ohki on the table in the room. "You know
I think it's time we got to bed ourselves." Tenchi tiredly commented. If he was more alert
he would have realized what type of idea Ryoko would get after hearing that.
She had a smile on her face as she looked at Tenchi, "You're absolutely right. I'll go get
changed for bed." she said as she went into the bathroom. Tenchi nodded his head with
half-closed eyes.
Any tiredness Tenchi had felt before vanished in an instant when he saw Ryoko come
out of the bathroom. She was wearing a very short black lace nightie that clung tightly to
her every curve. As she sauntered over towards him, he could see that the nightie was
at least a size too small for her, as her breasts were almost bursting out of it. His
nose was giving indications that a nosebleed was approaching.
She gave him an inviting smile, "Do you like it? I bought it for you, and I was saving it for
a special night like this."
Tenchi's brain was going haywire, as hormones and rational thought battled for control.
His eyes were wide open and his mouth went dry as he tried to form coherent words.
"It's...it's...nice." he stammered out.
She then slithered onto the bed, beckoning him to come over with her finger, "Come on
Tenchi, time for bed." she said playfully.
Realization slammed into Tenchi as his brain began to register that there was only one
bed, and on that bed was a very scantily clad Ryoko. He finally beat down his hormones
and began to think clearly again, "Ryoko, you sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the
floor, I'll just take one of those pillows." he stated firmly.
Ryoko let out of a frustrated grunt as she realized Tenchi wasn't going to give in. Then
she gave him a playful smile, "You're going to have to deal with me if you want one of
these pillows." she said as she grabbed both pillows.
Tenchi gave her a stern look, "Ryoko, I'm not in the mood for games. Come on, give me a
pillow alright?"
Ryoko shook her head, "Sorry, unless you wanna share a bed with me, you'll have to
fight me to get a pillow." she said with a grin.
Tenchi stared at her a moment, hoping his stern look would make her back down. But
after awhile she started to laugh, and he saw it wasn't working. Thinking he could catch
her off guard, he quickly stepped forward and tried to snatch a pillow from her grasp,
only to find he had missed as Ryoko had quickly lept onto the dresser in the room. She
had her eyes closed and shook her head back and forth, "Too slow Tenchi dear." she
taunted.
Tenchi gave her a very irratated glare, "Ryoko, I'm tired, just give me a pillow."
"Come and catch me if you can." she replied while laughing.
And so Tenchi made another attempt to grab a pillow, and again missing. For the next 10
minutes he had chased her around the room, each time he thought he caught her she'd
end up phasing away and appearing behind him, laughing and taunting him. She was
standing near the foot of the bed laughing when Tenchi suddenly jumped head on at her,
knocking her onto the bed with him on top of her. She gave a startled yelp when he
slammed into her, but managed to regain her bearings and hold the pillows up over her
head while Tenchi was still on top of her reaching up trying to pull one away from her.
"Isn't this more comfortable than sleeping on the floor?" she breathed hotly into his ear.
Tenchi blinked a few times trying to figure out what she meant when he looked down
and noticed he was laying on top of her. He saw desire blazing in her feline eyes as she
gazed up at him, and his previously defeated hormonal urges began to make a roaring
comeback as he felt her warm body beneath his. In an instant he rolled off of her
and onto the floor, "Nevermind, I don't need a pillow." he nervously spoke.
Ryoko groaned in frustration as she once again saw another opportunity slip through
her fingers. She laid there for a few minutes before taking one of the pillows and tossing
it at Tenchi, who mumbled a 'Thanks' and then turned out the lamp. She rolled over to
the side of the bed which faced Tenchi and watched him for a moment as he tried to fall
asleep. "Goodnight Tenchi." she said softly. A moment passed before Tenchi spoke,
"Goodnight Ryoko." he replied warmly. Ryoko fell asleep that night cherishing the memory
of feeling Tenchi laying on top of her, that moment of intimate closeness dancing through
her mind as she slipped into the land of dreams.
***
Back on Earth
***
In a crowded mega-mall in downtown Tokyo, a galaxy police officer and a first princess of
Jurai were stuck waiting in line for the cash register. As luck would have it they happened
to go shopping on the same day as one of the biggest sales of the year. Currently Ayeka
was stuck behind a rather large and smelly man who was wearing a T-Shirt that had
"I'm a love machine" written on it. Ayeka cursed her misfortune at having to be stuck
behind such an unsightly person.
For the last few days Mihoshi and Ayeka had been digging out an area to plant in and
trying to figure out what sort of things to put in their garden. Their little venture had
gone off on a sour note when Mihoshi accidentally poured a bag of concrete powder on
the dirt instead of fertilizer. Ayeka had to admit however, that despite Mihoshi's absent
minded mannerisms, she really had a knack for planning out a layout for a garden. And
while Ayeka did tire of her incessant chatter, she was grateful for her company. Mihoshi
was a good help in keeping her mind off Tenchi's absence.
"Oh! Ayeka, can we buy these chips please?" Mihoshi pleaded.
Ayeka hung her head for a moment, "Very well Mihoshi, go ahead and buy them." she
responded wearily.
Mihoshi immediately tore the bag open and began muching on the chips, "Hey Ayeka,
why don't we go out to a Karaoke bar tonight? It's not really very fun going alone..."
Ayeka detected the downcast tone in which Mihoshi spoke. All this time I've been
thinking about myself and how I should try to keep my spirits up when Mihoshi has
been depressed over Kiyone's absence. I should really do something to help her out...
"Alright Mihoshi, I'll go with you, I'm sure it will be...interesting." she said uncertainly.
I shouldn't worry so much, I mean what's the worse that could happen?
***
On the planet Fladucia
***
A cool breeze swept across the tree covered hills as Tenchi stood at the edge of a
ravine, drinking in the beauty of the scenery. The leaves on the trees were blossoming in
a variety of colors, and wildflowers were sprouting up everywhere along the ground. He
took a few deep breaths of the mountain air, savoring the serene atmosphere. He could
hear the rustling of the leaves on the ground as Ryoko came up behind him.
"Ready?" there was a touch of anticipation in her voice
He turned around and nodded with a calm expression on his face. He then reached into
his pack and tossed her a wooden bokken which she caught with ease. She studied it for
a moment, trying to get a good feel for it. Tenchi had told Ryoko that the only power
off-limits in this sparring match was her energy projectiles, anything else was fair game.
He noticed how alive she seemed as she readied herself for their sparring session. She
was decked out in her usual battle attire, and though her expression held but a slight
grin, her eyes spoke volumes about her excitement. Tenchi began his pre-battle
breathing excersizes and tried to clear any distractions from his mind. He stared at her
with a blank expression, betraying no emotion, something which his grandfather taught
him.
Ryoko had watched enough of Tenchi's sparring matches to know what to expect. She
knew Tenchi was waiting for her to get impatient or wait till she became unprepared.
However she had readied herself well for this match and was not about to give Tenchi
the upper-hand right away.
After many long, silent moments, Tenchi charged forward with lightning speed, holding
his bokken even with his midsection. Tenchi knew that the legs were usually the most
undefended part of the body, so he ducked low and made a swing at her knees, but
Ryoko easily blocked his blow. She then lept overtop Tenchi and swung around to
bring her bokken on Tenchi's head, however he rolled forwards after she jumped and
was well out of her range. Twirling around to face her again he saw her rocketing
towards him. She made a series of furious and erratic swings at Tenchi. He gritted his
teeth in concentration as he deftly parried her blows, he suspected she was intentionally
trying to confuse him with her uncoordinated strikes.
Indeed that was exactly what Ryoko was doing. She had studied the Jurian sword
technique and thought she could exploit it's heavy emphasis on strict technical details to
her advantage by countering it with a free flowing, unpredictable style. However much to
her displeasure Tenchi seemed to have caught on and was using superb defensive
tactics. Switching gears she phased back away from him and stood still, choosing to let
him make an attack on her.
Tenchi caught his breath as Ryoko stood there waiting for an attack. He knew he was
outmatched when it came to raw power, but he had the better technique and could
outsmart her. Deciding to try out a devious trick his grandfather played on him, Tenchi
charged forwards towards Ryoko, only to pretend to trip and stumble on a rock. As he
predicted, Ryoko charged forward and brought her bokken to the side of Tenchi's
head...only to find Tenchi had blocked her blow and proceeded to spin towards her and
made a thrust at her chest. Caught off guard she phased away, high above Tenchi.
Looks like I'm going to have to pull all the stops out.
Tenchi spun all around and looked above him, his body tensed awaiting her attack. A
memory of something his grandfather told him came back to him, A true samurai uses
all of his senses... He focused intensily on all the sounds around him, suddenly catching
the faint sound of Ryoko phasing in behind him. He swirled around and blocked her
overhead chop. He grinned when he saw her surprised expression, and decided to press
his new advantage by executing a series of tight, orderly sword routines which had
Ryoko back peddling.
Deciding she couldn't keep up with Tenchi at the moment, she back flipped away and
tried to regain her bearings. When she looked at Tenchi's brown eyes, it dawned on her
just how much fun she was having. She had always loved the thrill of battle, and now
she was sharing that thrill with the man she loved more than anything else. However
she was getting slightly irritated that she couldn't seem to beat him. She gave him a
devious grin, Ok Tenchi, let's see you handle this.
Tenchi waited for Ryoko's assault, and watched as she blurred out of existence. Once
again focusing on his hearing, he heard her phase behind him. And once again he spun
around to parry her attack, yet this time she wasn't there. Twirling around again he
caught a glimpse of her phasing away. She's toying with me. he realized. Tenchi
wasn't sure what recourse to take to deal with her strategy, so he chose to try and ride
it out.
After phasing away several more times, she finally made her attack. She put as much
force as she could on a furious slash at his midsection. Tenchi spun around to block her,
but her bokken shattered his in half. She let out a triumphant shout but was shocked to
see Tenchi leap backwards and pick up the other half of his weapon. She was so sure of
her victory that when Tenchi rushed at her with a bokken half in each hand, she was
totally surprised. She made a weak slash at Tenchi's legs only to have her bokken
batted aside by the half of Tenchi's weapon in his left hand while his right hand stuck the
other half up to her throat.
He had a triumphant grin on his face as he stood up straight, "That was really good,
Ryoko, you almost had me there." he spoke while breathing heavily.
Ryoko still wore a shocked look on her face as she tried to comprehend how she just
lost, she then shook her head and leveled a stern glare at him, "You got lucky."
Tenchi just chuckled a bit and sat down on the ground, still catching his breath. Ryoko
tossed her bokken on the ground and slumped down next to Tenchi, "So, do you wanna
head back to the city?" she asked.
He shook his head while gazing at the majestic hills, "No, I think I'll stay out here for
awhile."
Ryoko shrugged her shoulders, "Fine by me." she said while lying down on the ground
next to him.
Tenchi reached into his pack, took out a sketch pad and pencil and began drawing a
scene of the hills spread out before him. "I gotta say Ryoko, this place is really..." he
looked over and found she was sound asleep. A gentle smile played across his lips as he
watched her peacefully resting among the gently swaying wildflowers, and he turned to
a blank page in his sketch book and began a new drawing...
***
Earth
***
"If this ever gets out to the Jurai public, I'll be the laughing stock of the royal family."
Ayeka groaned.
Mihoshi patted Ayeka on the back, "Oh cheer up Ayeka, this isn't that bad."
Ayeka looked over incredulously at Mihoshi, "Not that bad? WE'RE IN JAIL!" Ayeka put
her head in her hands and began to think back to how they got there in the first place.
It all started a few hours earlier, when Ayeka and Mihoshi had gone out to a Karaoke bar
in the city. Ayeka was pleased that the establishment seemed like a fairly clean and
respectable looking place. They seated themselves at a front row table and ordered a
small drink. However when Mihoshi began to start talking about the various aspects of
her favorite television show, that small drink became a large one. And when Ayeka heard
the overly amateurish singers on stage making mockeries of the songs they sang, that
large drink ended up being a whole bottle.
It wasn't long before Mihoshi and Ayeka were completely blitzed. Ayeka had never really
seen Mihoshi get really drunk before, so this was a new experience. Mihoshi was alot
more open, and her mood swings more erratic. One minute she'd be crying over one
thing, and then laughing her head off the next minute. The two of them shared some
teary eyed, heart felt moments as well. After they finished another bottle, they both
agreed that the current singers that night were woefully inept and they needed to show
the crowd what real singing was.
They both stumbled on stage and decided to sing a duet together. They picked Celine
Dione's "My heart will go on." Neither one ever practiced the song, and in their current
intoxicated state, it went without saying they did a horrid job singing it. When they
finished, they were met with silence from the crowd. They thought they were so good
that the crowd was speechless. One drunk woman in the crowd began to heckle them,
and Ayeka was furious about her rude behavior, so she decided to, "teach her some
manners."
She wasn't exactly sure who slapped who first, but it only took a moment before a large
section of the bar was embroiled in a fight. The memories of the fight were pretty hazy,
but Ayeka was fairly confident that she didn't use her Jurai powers, they'd have alot of
explaining to do if she started summoning power logs. Of course the police and bar
security came and broke up the fight, and promptly hauled both her and Mihoshi to the
police station. And for the last few hours they had been waiting for Nobuyuki to come
bail them out. Strange thing was, Washu apparently was going to pay for their bail, and
neither one could figure out why she was being so generous.
Sorting through the various fuzzy memories, Ayeka couldn't help but focus on one
conversation she had with Mihoshi earlier when they were drunk. Ayeka was telling
Mihoshi about how it was her dream to one day rule Jurai side by side with Tenchi, and
Mihoshi had asked a simple, yet for Ayeka, profound question, "What about Tenchi's
dreams for the future?"
Ayeka was speechless, for it dawned on her that she never thought about what Tenchi's
hopes for his future may be. What if he didn't want to ever rule Jurai? He did turn down
the throne after defeating Kagato, maybe he'd never wish to rule? And where would that
leave her? She loved Jurai and her people, and she always dreamed of helping bring
prosperity and peace to her beloved planet when she was Queen. She had always
assumed that once Tenchi fell in love with her, that he'd be happy to take over Jurai, but
now she wondered about that, she didn't want to force Tenchi into a lifestyle he didn't
want.
And the more Ayeka thought about it, the more worried she became. All indications were
that Tenchi just wants to live a quiet life with his family, not to be leader of the largest
empire in the galaxy. If Tenchi chose her, but didn't want the throne, would she abdicate
her title to be with Tenchi? The very thought of being forced to choose between her love
for Jurai and her love for Tenchi made Ayeka distraught. Clutching her aching head,
Ayeka decided this was best thought about with a clear head.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" Washu mockingly asked.
Mihoshi promptly flung herself at the bars and began thanking Wahsu for saving them.
"Miss, erm, little Washu, I wish to thank you for so generously paying our bail, I am
indebted to you." Ayeka politely said.
Washu waved her hand, "Don't worry about, now let's get you two out of here, it really
smells in this place."
During the ride home Ayeka was beyond embarrassed as Mihoshi began to recite the
sordid details of their escapades to Nobuyuki and Washu. Not a moment too soon they
arrived at the house, and Mihoshi and Ayeka both went off to their bedrooms to sleep off
the effects of the alcohol.
After watching them trudge up the stairs, a huge grin formed on Washu's face as she
went back into her lab. She sat down and summoned her holo-top, after pressing a few
keys, an image of Ayeka and Mihoshi behind bars came up on screen. She punched a few
more keys and picked up a sort of cell phone, "Hello, Jurai Enquiror? Yes I'd like to submit
a story..."
***
Fladucia
***
Tenchi was leaning up against the wall next to the bathroom door, "Come on Ryoko,
hurry up and finish your bath, we gotta check out of this place soon."
Through the door he could hear her muffled reply, "You can come in and wash my back if
you want."
Tenchi shook his head and went over to make sure they had remembered to pack
everything. For the last 3 days on Fladucia they had went around the city and
countryside visiting the various places of interest. Ryoko of course wanted to check out
some casino's, Boy what a mistake that was. Tenchi recalled.
***
2 days earlier
***
"No." he said firmly.
"Oh please oh please oh please Tenchiiiiii." she pleaded while giving him her best puppy
dog eyes. Upon seeing this he let out a defeated sigh, "Alright Ryoko, just this one
casino. And you'll only have a small amount of money to gamble with."
Ryoko let out a squeal of joy and gave Tenchi a quick hug before dragging him into the
building with Ryo-ohki bouncing along behind them. Tenchi was amazed at how the place
looked on the inside. For as far as he could see there were all sorts of tables and
machines set up, lights were flashing all over the place, it was overwhelming to the
country boy from Japan.
Ryoko rubbed her hands with anticipation as she stalked around, checking out the
various games being played. Finally coming across a high stakes card game called Devils
Delight, an evil grin formed across her face. She knelt down and picked up Ryo-ohki,
Ok Ryo-ohki, you know what to do. she telepathicly told her. Ryo-ohki meowed in reply
and scurried off, eventually bounding up onto the beams above everyone. When Ryoko
got the affirmative that Ryo-ohki was in position, she put on her best poker face and sat
down at the table.
Elsewhere in the casino, Tenchi was growing frustrated as he wandered the halls
searching for Ryoko. He had a sinking feeling she was going to get into some sort of
trouble. After walking through what ended up being a fire exit, his ears picked up on
something, "I got the cash here in this briefcase, you got the stuff?"
Tenchi looked around and saw two people talking to eachother, one had a briefcase and
the other had a large bag. "Yeah I got it right here." the man with the bag replied.
Tenchi saw the two men exchange their items, and it dawned on Tenchi that this was
some sort of drug deal. Right after realizing this, he saw that the two men turned to the
side and saw him, "HEY! Who the hell are you?" one of them shouted. Tenchi saw the
both men reach into their suits, and upon seeing this, he immediately grabbed for
Tenchi-Ken to help defend himself...only to remember he left it at the hotel. Gulping, he
saw only one option left, RUN!
He reached for the doorknob only to find it had fallen off. Thinking fast he dove behind a
dumpster just as they started shooting. Luck was on Tenchi's side as a drunk man
happened to open the door to the fire exit from the inside. Utilizing his speed, Tenchi
raced over and grabbed the drunks hand and pulled him inside before the door closed.
Tenchi ran through the casino, trying desperately to find Ryoko so they could get out of
there. He was at his wits end when he heard her familiar hearty laughter. Scouting
around he saw her at a card table, with a rather large amount of chips in front of her. He
raced over to her, "Ryoko, come on we gotta get out of here!" he hurriedly told her.
She brushed him off with the wave of her hand, "In a little while Tenchi, I'm just getting
started here."
"Ryoko, some drug dealers with guns are after me, we gotta leave!" he whispered
urgently in her ear.
Ryoko was about the inquire as to what happened but Tenchi grabbed ahold of her arm
and began to drag her away from the table. "Wait! My chips!" she shouted as she
hurried back and poured her chips in a bag before going with Tenchi, "Let me just cash
these in and then we'll go." she said.
"Fine, just hurry up." he replied impatiently.
Ryo-ohki hopped up on Tenchi's shoulder, and in his current state of anxiety almost gave
him a heart attack. He was catching his breath trying to calm down when he spotted
Ryoko striding back with a bag full of money. They were just about to leave when the
casino security stopped them at the door.
"Excuse me miss, you'll have to come with us. You too sir." one of the officers said.
Ryoko knew she was busted and grumbled a few obscenities under her breath. Tenchi
gave her a puzzled look as they were lead into the casino security department.
***
To the present...
***
We were lucky they allowed us to leave with just a permanent ban on coming back. I
figured we'd be facing some criminal charges. Tenchi was broken from his thoughts
when Ryoko finally came out of the bathroom, wearing her usual blue and gold striped
dress.
When she saw him she gave him an annoyed look, "Come on Tenchi, you gonna stand
around all day or are we going to get going?" Tenchi rolled his eyes and grabbed his
bags.
When they arrived in the lobby to check out, the same green haired woman who was
there when they checked in was at the counter. The receptionist gave them a warm
smile as Ryoko handed her their room key, "I hope you both enjoyed your stay at the
Ramadi hotel." Ryoko leaned in over the counter, "We certainly did enjoy ourselves,
he's insatiable!" she playfully said. Tenchi was crimson faced as she pulled him out of the
hotel and they went aboard Ryo'ohki.
***
Out in space
***
Tenchi and Ryoko sat on the bridge of the ship, taking one last look at Fladucia. Tenchi
quickly rummaged through his pack, pulled out a camera and took a few snapshots, "I'm
sure everyone back home will enjoy these pictures." he commented.
Ryoko nodded her agreed as she walked over and put her hand on Tenchi's shoulder,
"You better get used to those frozen dinners. It's going to be about a week before we
arrive at our next destination." Ryoko noted.
"Yeah that's one thing I'm going to miss about Fladucia, the food." he wistfully replied.
He stood up and walked torwards his bedroom, "I'm going to go take a nap, I haven't
been sleeping too well on the floor of that hotel."
Ryoko watched him leave and sat back down again. She leaned back in her chair and
closed her eyes, It'll be a week till we get to relax on the beaches of Terafin, it's been
years since I was there. The last time I was there...
***
Flashback
***
A younger Ryoko sat at a table in the corner of a dimly lit bar. The place was lit with small
flourescent bulbs, and almost half of them were broke. The place reeked of various
alcoholic beverages and bodily oders, and there was loud, pulsating music constantly
filling the air. Criminals mainly hung out at these bars, and this was one of the reasons
Ryoko was there, because she was among her kind. She knew she was safe from the
authorities here, practicly everyone who owned and frequented this bar had some sort
of criminal record, so she wouldn't have to worry about being turned in.
Even though she was only around 14, she was already drinking at these bars. She drank
down the stinging liquid, slammed the glass down at the table, and quickly signaled the
barkeep for another round. Her faithful cabbit companion was on the floor drinking some
water out of a bowl.
It had been a rough day, she was almost busted by the GP earlier and spent most of the
day doing her best to evade them. She may not have been a class A-1 criminal yet, but
she was gaining a reputation in the sector for her daring bank robberies.
"Care for some company?" a deep voice asked.
She quickly turned around to see who was bothering her. He was a young man, maybe
early 20's, with long chestnut hair tied back in a ponytail. The place was too dark to get
a read on his eye color. He was average height yet had a fairly strong build, she had to
admit he was pretty handsome.
Without waiting for an answer he sat down on the chair opposite hers. "A little
presumptious aren't you? I didn't even say if I wanted you around." she asked in a curt
manner.
He leaned forward and smirked, "When I see something I like, I go for it."
Just then her drink arrived at the table, the man seated opposite her stopped the
barkeep, "Bring me one of those too will ya?"
Ryoko raised her eyebrow at the man, he had some nerve, "So what do you want
anyway?" she gruffly asked.
He just leaned back in his chair and smiled, "I was just surprised to see a pretty girl like
you sitting all alone."
She was caught off guard by his compliment, she wasn't used to good looking men
coming up to her and calling her pretty. She was just starting to become a woman, and
everyone else just treated her like a little kid. Her thoughts were broken when he
spoke, "My name is Gento, and it's a pleasure to meet you Ryoko."
Ryoko gave him a puzzled look, "How did you..."
He quickly interrupted her, "I saw it on the news. I heard about that bank you hit in
Chefulia, that was pretty impressive."
For the first time since coming into the bar, she smiled, "Thanks." was her simple reply.
Over the next hour the two of them drank and talked, they traded stories about the
places they've stolen from and various spaceship mechanics. It felt good to Ryoko to
have someone to talk to for once. For years, she had been alone, with Ryo-ohki being the
only companion she had. While during her earlier years she relished her independence,
she now had started to grow lonely. Ever since puberty hit, her mind had began to
wander. As embarrassed as she was to admit it, she would often watch romance movies.
She'd wonder if she'd ever get to experience something like the love the movies depicted,
and sometimes dream of some prince charming who would sweep her off her feet.
She wasn't sure she even liked Gento. He was more than a pirate, he was also a
murderer. He bragged about killing anyone who stood in his way, and even said he once
tortured a man. She stole from banks for the thrill of it, but she never killed anyone, nor
did she ever want to. He seemed to take pride in his violent way. Despite this, she
still wanted some company, so she kept on talking to him.
Eventually after finishing one of his drinks he leaned forward over the table, "How about
we ditch this place. I could show you my new ship, it's an RSX-3000, brand new."
Ryoko set her drink down and looked away, "I don't know...I should probably be leaving
with Ryo-ohki." she said uncertainly.
"Come on, I thought maybe you'd like to check out the engine system. You can leave
right after taking a look at my ship." he responded.
Her mildly intoxicated state didn't contribute to her thinking clearly, she relented and
went with him to his ship with Ryo-ohki bouncing along behind them.
Once onboard his vessel, Ryoko immediately began checking out the various console
systems and the engine. Gento didn't say much but followed her around. When she'd
look at him to ask him a question about the ship, she'd find him staring intently at her,
which made her uneasy.
Eventually Ryo-ohki began to telepathicly tell Ryoko that she was getting tired, "Well
Gento, I gotta get going, my cabbit is getting tired." As she was starting to walk towards
the exit, Gento stepped in her way, "You're not going anywhere, because the fun's just
beginning." he stated in a serious manner.
Ryoko just laughed a little and tried to walk past him, only to be forcefully grabbed by
the arm, "I said...you're not going anywhere." he repeated insistantly. Ryoko was
started to get scared now, and she tried to pry her arm free of his grasp, "Come on, let
me go!" she demanded. He leaned in towards her face, "You know you want it you
little whore." he whispered in her ear.
She paled when she heard this and redoubled her efforts to escape, and he responded
by punching her in the face, sending her slamming into a wall. Ryo-ohki became furious
that someone was hurting her master, so she lunged at Gento, only to be slapped away.
Ryoko got up off the floor and ran over to Ryo-ohki and picked her up, relieved to find out
she was alright. When she looked up she saw Gento starting to unbutton his shirt. Her
eyes widened in fear and she ran towards the door as fast as she could, but he grabbed
at her again, this time tearing the top part of her dress. He kicked her against the wall
and gazed lustily at Ryoko, who's upper body was now only clad in a bra. The fear he
saw in her eyes only fueled his desire.
Ryoko quickly stood up when she saw him advancing towards her again, "STAY BACK!"
she shrieked, her voice cracking with emotion, and raised her hands with her palms
facing him. He just chuckled and calmly strode over to her, yet he didn't walk two steps
before Ryoko fired an energy blast at him, blasting a hole through his chest.
He was thrown to the ground by the blast, and Ryoko knew he was dead. Her whole
body was shaking as she stared at the lifeless body before her. She had never killed
anyone before, now that was all changed. She became sick to her stomach looking at his
corpse, so she quickly picked up Ryo-ohki and ran as fast as she could out of the craft,
and immediately had Ryo'ohki transform into a spaceship to get as far away from there
as they could.
Ryoko hugged her knees to her chest as she stared blankly at the stars outside the ship,
cursing herself for ever letting down her guard. She swore never again to trust anyone.
She would fortify those emotional barriers she had been building for so many years. She
didn't need any friends or family or lovers, she would continue her life alone, because she
couldn't get hurt that way.
***
Present day
***
So much has changed. she realized. All those promises made long ago became dust in
the wind when she met Tenchi. When she woke up that fateful day gazing up at his dark
brown eyes, her emotional walls began to crumble. For in those eyes she saw only
concern for her well being, not lust, or malice, but caring. The idea that someone cared
about her safety touched her in a profound manner. He was the opposite of all the scum
she encountered in those dark bars, he was good and decent.
Opening her eyes, she looked around the silent bridge of Ryo'ohki, and could almost feel
the shadows of her past threatening to overwhelm her. Even though the love of her life
was sleeping a nearby room, those memories of a life long ago were ressurecting that
cold lonely feeling she dreaded. Retreating to her room, she attempted to drown the pain
of her past with a bottle of saki as she had done so many times before.
End of chapter 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, that was a nice, cheery end to that chapter, eh? I'm already hard at work on
chapter 4 (sorry, no teasers!), so stay tuned. Don't forget to review this chapter though.