Conversations:

Conversations

Chapter 8

In a Field

*****

Tenchi wiped his brow as he looked out over the field he was weeding today. He enjoyed working out in the open. It gave him a sense of accomplishment, it also gave him time to think, to collect his thoughts. And with Ayeka and Ryoko around the house he really needed that time to himself. But lately things hadn't been so bad. The fights between the two had pretty much ended although he had no idea why, it seemed that the two girls were almost becoming… friends. He didn't know exactly what Ryoko had talked to Ayeka about that morning, but ever since then things had been very peaceful.

The sun was almost directly overhead when Tenchi looked at his watch. Lunchtime, he thought. He stopped and pulled up four carrots that looked to be about full size and headed over to a rock at the edge of the field where Ryo-ohki was sunning herself in cabbit form. "Ryo-ohki! Lunchtime!" he called out.

Her eyes flew open and she jumped up. With a loud pop she assumed her humanoid toddler form. "Miya! Miya, Meow!" she replied and ran to meet him.

Together they walked back to the rock. Ryo-ohki climbed on top of it while Tenchi took a seat on the ground in what little shade it provided. He handed one of the carrots he had picked up to Ryo-ohki. "Here you go. Just make sure you brush all the dirt off before… Oh. Too late. Well, next time clean it first, ok? And slow down a little. You'll get a tummy ache."

"Miya!"

He handed her another one, which she carefully brushed off and began to nibble more slowly. He opened the box to see what Sasami had made him for lunch. Lately she had been on a foreign food kick, not that he minded so much, but there were some things that he preferred not to even look at, let alone eat. Today however it was just flavored rice balls and some fresh vegetables. He ate slowly, still thinking about Ayeka and Ryoko. "I love them both," he said to Ryo-ohki. "I can't bear to lose either one, but they expect me to pick between them. I can't hurt one of them like that, I just can't!"

Ryo-ohki miya'd quietly in agreement and looked back at him with what appeared to be understanding.

"It's a good thing you don't understand a lot of Japanese yet," Tenchi told her. "I don't know how Ryoko would handle some of the things I tell you."

Oh, Tenchi! Get a clue. She only knows what I want her to know. By the way, she and Ayeka are almost here. Get ready, came a soft feminine voice in his head.

"Wha…? Did I…? Did you…?" he looked at Ryo-ohki.

She stared back at him with her big, innocent eyes. "Miya!"

*****

Ryoko and Ayeka emerged from the woods to find Tenchi and Ryo-ohki seated by a large rock. Ryo-ohki was finishing up her last carrot with a satisfied look on her face, Tenchi looked slightly dazed.

"Remember princess, we have to be firm with him. Don't let him weasel out of this." Ryoko said softly, so that only Ayeka could hear.

"Hey Tenchi." "Good afternoon, Lord Tenchi." they greeted him.

"Hi Ryoko, Ayeka," he answered distractedly.

"Lord Tenchi, what's wrong?" Ayeka asked.

"Something strange just happened. I thought… Nah, never mind. You wouldn't believe it anyway." He glanced again at Ryo-ohki.

Bye Tenchi. I'll leave all you lovers alone for a while. Another pop and the cabbit scrambled off into the woods in search of a butterfly to play with.

"Are you sure Tenchi? You look like you've seen a ghost." Ryoko was concerned; Tenchi was staring off after Ryo-ohki like she'd bit him or something.

"I… I'm not really sure of anything anymore. Really strange things have been happening around here lately."

"Oh. Well anyway, Ayeka and I want to have a serious talk with you. About us. Right now."

Tenchi's head darted around looking for an escape route. Rock behind him, girls in front. No place to run. "Arrgh!" He fainted.

"That went well," Ayeka said sarcastically. "What now?"

"We wait for him to wake up, of course. Here princess, you sit there and I'll move him so that his head is in your lap."

"Where will you be?"

"Sitting right next to him, holding his hand. He'll see both of us when he wakes up."

"He'll faint again, I know it."

"Maybe, but we'll keep at it until he stays awake. Let's get started."

*****

Tenchi slowly returned from the pleasant dream he was having. In it, Ryoko and Ayeka were getting along. He was sitting on the couch with an arm around each of them, watching some anime show on TV. They were allowing him to divide his attention between them both without quarrelling. Sasami, Mihoshi, Washu, his dad, his Grandpa and Ryo-ohki in cabbit form were all there too, and they were all living as one big happy family. He sighed. His head was resting on something soft and pleasant smelling. He sighed again. Then he remembered. He was in the field, the girls had cornered him, they were going to force him to make a choice and then… blackness… and pleasant dreams. What was he lying on that could be so soft and smell so good?

He slowly opened his eyes and saw a flash of purple hair and red eyes, then focused on Ayeka's face smiling down at him. "Did you have a nice nap Lord Tenchi?"

He nodded. But where was Ryoko? He felt his hand being squeezed by something gentle and warm. He glanced down.

Ryoko smiled back at him. "Welcome back Tenchi."

He must still be dreaming. This didn't happen in his life.

"Tenchi, we want you to listen to what we have to say. Please don't pass out on us again, at least until we're done, ok?" Ryoko asked him sweetly.

"Yes, Lord Tenchi," said Ayeka, still smiling, "Ryoko and I have come to an agreement. Since it is obvious that you can not choose one of us, then we have chosen for you."

"Girls, I…"

"Hush. Don't talk Tenchi, just listen," admonished Ryoko. "We know that you can't bear to lose either of us, so you'll just have to take both of us."

"Yes, Tenchi," Ayeka continued. "Since you are the crown prince of Jurai, and a member of the royal family, Juraian custom says that you may have more than one wife. So you don't have to make a choice after all. You can marry both of us." She smiled sweetly at him. But he didn't see it. He had fainted again.

"Ok princess, trade places. This time he wakes up in my lap."

*****

He awoke from the same dream as before, only this time Tsunami's gently smiling face overlay the image. His head was still propped up on something soft, but this time it smelled like… not Ayeka… better. No not better, just different. He opened his eyes to two large mounds, wisps of cyan, golden eyes. Ryoko. And Ayeka was holding his hand now. What was going on here? Then he remembered. Are they serious? he thought. He looked at both of them smiling at him. Yes, they are. Don't they know that that's not allowed in Japan? he wondered.

"Girls," he croaked, his throat dry. "I don't think that will work here on Earth."

"Well, as crown prince, you're a Juraian citizen no matter where you live, so there's no problem, right?" Ryoko said.

"Yes, there is. Earth doesn't know Jurai even exists. How would we explain me having two wives?"

"Oh, that's no problem Lord Tenchi. We will have a Juraian ceremony only. As far as the locals know, we will just be living together like we always do. I'm sure there's plenty of talk about our living arrangement right now, anyway. And when you become Emperor one day, it won't be a problem any more. That's if you choose to live on Jurai. I like it here but I suppose the Emperor can live where he wishes."

"But Ayeka, what if I don't want to be Emperor?" Tenchi asked, alarmed at the thought.

"Well, then I'll become Empress and you and Ryoko will be consorts. You will still have the same job though, so you might as well have the title that goes with it."

"Girls, all I can say right now is that I'll think about it. I may have some questions that need answers before I agree to anything."

"I suppose that'll have to do for now, but don't take too long ok? You might make us angry. And you won't like it if we get angry, will you?" Ryoko asked in sugary tones.

*****

That night, as Tenchi lay on his back on the futon and Ryoko dozed in his bed, Ayeka slowly opened the door to his room. She quietly crossed the floor to crawl into the bed with Ryoko, as she had done on many other nights. But tonight she and Ryoko had a plan.

It had been an exhausting day for him, mentally at least. In his half-asleep state, Tenchi heard the muted whispers and feminine giggles. He heard the mattress creak as someone got up. Suddenly there was a warm female body snuggling against his left side and another he somehow knew was Ryoko pressed on his right. He felt both girls put their arms around him and felt soft hair on each shoulder. He slowly put an arm around each of them and pulled them closer. And then he fell asleep, content.

Ryoko looked across Tenchi's chest and into Ayeka's eyes a few inches from her own. She smiled and whispered, "It worked, we got him."

Ayeka nodded gently and smiled back. Both girls drifted off to sleep, happy at last.

*****

Sasami slowly closed the door to Tenchi's room. When Ayeka got up and left her bed, Sasami had quietly followed her and watched through the crack of the door as events unfolded. If anyone had seen her going back to her own room, it would have looked like she was dancing.

*****

The End.

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