Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. All credit goes to that creative genius Masaki Kajishima for the existence of Tenchi and its multiverses, and to those nice people over at AIC and Pioneer for distributing it. Please don't sue me because it will be about as much use as an umbrella to a duck. ^^;;
Note: there is some occasional rough language in this chapter; further chapters may contain limey elements, so read at your own risk!
Reviews are welcome! If you have any comments that you would like to share, you can contact me at mccpcorn@hotmail.com.
Tenchi Muyo: Changing Faces
---------------------------
By Mccpcorn
CHAPTER 1: Who's That Girl? (And who the Heck is Tenchi?)
=========================================================
Tenchi groaned and opened his eyes. His vision was blurred; he found it difficult to focus. There was a ringing in his ears, like a fading roar. The inside of his eyes ached, but at least he wasn't sore all over.
He tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but found the shapes and shadows spinning drunkedly around him; his sense of balance was completely screwed.
Closing his eyes, Tenchi took several deep, steady breaths. Bright, neon coloured spots were painted on the darkness of his eyelids. The ghostly blobs danced in front of his vision, but gradually Tenchi felt the sense of queasiness lessen. After a moment he was able to get to his hands and knees. Not too sore, he thought to himself. And still in one piece ...
It was only then, as he gained his equilibrium, that Tenchi realised there was something very, VERY wrong.
* * *
Ayeka struggled up to a sitting position; she felt as if lead weights had been hung over her shoulders.
Urgh! she thought to herself. What in Jurai is going on?? What am I doing here is Washu's lab? I was in bed...
Across from Ayeka, Kiyone flopped onto her hands and knees. 'What the heck happened just now...?' To her left came an agonised groan followed by a sniffle.
'Owww.... Kiyone...? Wheerre arrree youu...?'
* * *
Sasami clutched at her head. 'Ahhh!! My head hurts!' She pulled the taut bandana from her head - where had THAT come from? - then suddenly recoiled with surprise at the dark figure skulking next to her.
'Mihoshe! You - you scared me! What are you doing in our room at this time of night?'
Tenchi moaned.
* * *
Washu was also clutching at her head.
'Ow! Ow, ow OWWW!! That hurrttzz...'
'Sounds like someone can't take their sake,' a high-pitched voice said sarcastically from next to her. 'Or should that be someone can't take someone ELSE'S sake?' Ryoko paused a moment and put her arms out in front of her.
'Oh. Oh no. OH SHI-'
Awarness dawned on seven people at more or less the same moment. For that moment, all were united in one cause.
'AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!'
* * *
'Washu, you maniac!!' Mihoshe yelled.
'Really, this is most unforgivable,' Washu sniffed.
'It's some crap, I'll give you that,' agreed Sasami.
'Is it okay for me to cook dinner like this?' asked Kiyone.
'Oohh,' stated Ryoko as she stared wide-eyed at her hands.
'Ohh gaaahhhd,' moaned Tenchi.
Ayeka's eyes narrowed. 'Hmm,' she said thoughtfully. 'I had no idea that the personality displacement field had this kind of range. Maybe I should've beefed up the shielding a bit more.'
'A bit more!?' Washu - or at least Washu's body - gaped incredulously. 'What on Jurai possessed you to build that - that thing in the first place??' she waved her arm helplessly in the direction of Washu's latest invention.
Sasami eyed Ayeka sarcastically. 'Do you wanna tell her, or should I?'
Aeyka clutched at her head. 'For the pity's sake, do you HAVE to be so loud?' she whimpered.
'Yeah, sis,' Kiyone sniffed. 'Keep it down willya?'
Ayeka shrugged. 'Look, I was hoping to use this machine to study how a person's mind and personalitiy adapted to unexpected or stressful situations. Rather than create a potentially dangerous environment, I figured it would be easier and safer to alter the perceptual parameters of a given subject.'
'Oh well that is so much clearer,' Tenchi folded his arms. 'Not!'
'You don't think our environment isn't stressfull enough!?' Mihoshe clenched her fists.
'You missed out the bit about wanting to steal Tenchi's body,' Sasami put in helpfully.
Aeyka snarled. 'Look, I was going to BORROW his body and get some test data on my machine. This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't crippled it!!'
'I need the bathroom,' whimpered Kiyone, clutching her head again.
Ryoko stood cross-legged. 'Me, too,' she moaned.
Ayeka tried to placate the group. 'Look, look, I admit things haven't gone according to plan but,' Ayeka grinned. 'What an opportunity!! Think, you guys! What a science paper this would make! We have to adapt to the ultimate in environments - a whole different body!'
Sasami pushed her way to the front of the group. 'Now you listen here, MOM,' she snarled. 'If you don't get me back in my body RIGHT NOW I will gouge out your eyes and feed them to Ryo-Ohki!'
'Miyaa!' Ryo-Ohki made a disgusted face.
'You will not harm my beautiful features!' exclaimed Washu.
Ayeka looked down at Sasami. 'Ryoko, am I right?'
Sasami glared back. 'You betcha,' she bit out.
Ayeka sighed. 'Okay. I guess we'd better find out who's who. Ayeka, I'm guessing that's you in my body, correct?'
'Yes.'
'And I figure that's you in Kiyone's body, Sasami?'
Kiyone gave a quiet sigh. 'Yeah.'
'And I know I have Ayeka's body. So that leaves - Kiyone?'
'Affirmative,' Tenchi answered.
There was a brittle silence, then Ryoko - in Sasami's body - burst into high pitched laughter.
'It's not funny!!' Kiyone/Tenchi roared. She/He suddenly clamped their hand on their mouth, as if they hadn't realised how loud their voice could get.
'Oh my! That just takes the carrot!!' Ryoko/Sasami's eyes were streaming. 'How 'bout that princess prissy? Kiyone got Tenchi ahead of both of us! What I wouldn't give to have THAT body.'
'Don't say such things!' Ayeka snapped in Washu's voice.
Ryoko/Sasami gave the Crown Princess a look that made the latter shudder. 'Oh come now princess,' she said in a cute, high voice that was laced with dark intent. 'You know as well as I do what we'd get up to if we had that body to play around with.' Large pink eyes glinted mischieviiously.
Mihoshe stamped her foot. 'I will not be spoken about like I'm a piece of meat!!' she declared.
Everyone turned to regard this rather forceful statement. 'Tenchi?' Washu/Ayeka asked hesitantly.
Tenchi/Mihoshe put an arm behind his/her which tilted in that awkward/apologetic way that announced Tenchi Maskaki's presence. He/She smiled sheepishly. 'I - uh, guess so.'
A quiet dread fell upon Washu. 'So that means that Mihoshe...'
'Present!!' Ryoko called cheerfully as she stuck her arm in the air. There was a flash of light and before anyone could react a photon blast erupted from the outstretched hand and blasted a piece of machinery to rubble.
'NOOOOOOO!!!' screamed Washu/Ayeka.
'Put that hand down before someone gets hurt!' Kiyone/Tenchi snapped to her partner.
Mihoshe/Ryoko quickly withdrew her hand. 'Oops,' she giggled.
'This is - not good,' Tenchi/Mihoshe stated.
Washu was making a quick assessment of the damage. 'Damn damn, SHIT,' she muttered.
Sasami glanced sidelong at Ayeka/Washu. 'Princess, really,' she chided with evil humour, 'language.'
Ayeka/Washu blushed bright scarlet. 'That wasn't me!' she protested.
Ryoko/Sasami looked over at Washu/Ayeka. 'Hey, Washu,' she called. 'Say the "F" word! I wanna hear princess prissy here say the "F" word!' She hopped up and down excitedly.
'Don't Washu!!' Ayeka/Washu pleaded.
Washu/Ayeka stood, shaking her head. 'This is no good,' she muttered. 'Mihoshe blasted the power coupling. It'll take hours to put right. But I guess it could've been worse.'
The words were barely out of her mouth when there was a loud CRUNCH. With a dark sense of foreboding, Washu/Ayeka turned around. Her jaw fell open at seeing the large piece of debris that had just crashed from the ceiling to land squarely on the main console.
'Noooo!!' she wailed.
'Arrgghhh!!' wailed everyone else.
'What?' asked Mihoshe/Ryoko.
Washu hurried over. 'The main console!! Along with the program!! Oh Gahd, NO!'
'Don't you have a spare!?' Kiyone/Tenchi demanded.
'Of course! But the original programming is in this unit! I haven't even had time to assess what went wrong and now the program may have been damaged! On top of that I have to repair the power coupling!' She turned and gazed ominously at the others. 'We're looking at a day's worth of repairs.'
A dark shroud of dread fell upon the group. Then everybody started talking - screaming at once.
'NO WAY!'
'I'm NOT staying in this body for a whole day!!!'
'Washu, you CAN'T be serious!'
'Is it alright for me to cook in this body, Kiyone?'
'It's either that or we all starve.'
'WOW! Space Pirate for a DAY!!'
'ENOUGH!!!' bellowed Washu/Ayeka. At least the princess' voice carried well, the scientist thought as everyone snapped to attention.
'I am NOT having you all kicking around here while I try to work,' Washu announced, her words sounding rather haughty in Ayeka's voice. 'Besides, I need to run tests to make sure the transference was stable and I can't do that with all these distractions.' Washu waved her hands in a gesture of dismissal. 'Go on, shoo! Scat!'
'If you think I'm jus' gonna WALK out of here-' Ryoko began. She yelped as Washu/Ayeka stalked over to her and plucked her off the ground.
'WHADDYA DOING!? Lemme GO!' Ryoko/Sasami screamed.
'Washu, be careful!' Ayeka/Washu said nervously.
The door under the stairs opened and Washu stepped out, carrying the struggling Ryoko in her arms, the others reluctantly in tow.
'I thought Ryoko trashed this door?' Tenchi asked.
'I have an unlimited supply of spares,' Washu explained.
Marching into the living room, the scientist planted the space pirate on the floor. 'Now you stay here, CHILD,' Washu warned sternly. 'Or I will tan your hide so bad the only thing you'll be able to sit down on is a block of ice!'
'Washu, no!' Sasami/Kiyone wailed.
'Why YOU-!' Ryoko looked ready to physically launch herself at Washu until she felt restraining hands on her shoulders. She looked up to see Mihoshe - now Tenchi - and Kiyone/Tenchi. There were so many right-angled turns that whole situation was becoming almost too much for Ryoko to handle, but the sight of Tenchi, even only his body, was comfort enough for her and she subsided.
'You're not thinking straight,' Tenchi told Ryoko, Mihoshe's voice sounded so reasonable it almost defied reality. 'You're almost acting like a child because you're in a child's body. You need to stay focused on who you are.'
'I don't act like that, do I, Ayeka?' Sasami/Kiyone murmured to the princess.
'Of course not,' Ayeka/Washu smiled gently as she looked up(!) at her little sister. 'But you're not a demon.'
Through his hand, Tenchi/Mihoshe felt Ryoko's muscles tense at the comment. 'Ayeka!' he snapped. 'The situation is bad enough without you aggravating it. If you've got nothing useful to say, keep quiet!'
Ayeka/Washu jerked like she'd been slapped. She flushed a bright red and Ryoko smiled smugly.
Tenchi looked down at her. 'That goes for you too, Ryoko!'
Ryoko/Sasami scowled, her triumph short lived.
Washu folded her - Ayeka's - arms. 'Well, I guess that's settled,' she said. 'Come on, Kiyone.' The scientist turned back in the direction of the lab.
Kiyone/Tenchi looked surprised. 'Uh... me?'
Washu/Ayeka turned back with an impatient look. 'Well I can't fix this thing on my own - not if you wanna get this mess sorted before the end of the week, anyway.'
'But I don't know anything about -'
'You don't have to. Just put everything where I tell you. And hey, you guys!' Washu looked at the others. 'I'm locking the lab, so don't keep pestering me for how it's going. And try to look on the bright side!'
'Oh yeah, sure,' Ryoko/Sasami crossed her arms and gave the scientist a disgusted look. 'And how cold things be any worse?'
Washu/Ayeka gave a wicked smile. 'Well, at least Noboyuki wasn't here!'
Even Tenchi turned pale at that remark.
-----
END OF CHAPTER 1
Endnote: Well congrats to anyone who's made it this far! I hope you're enjoying yourself and that no-one is TOO confused about what the heck is going on. ^^;;
Note: there is some occasional rough language in this chapter; further chapters may contain limey elements, so read at your own risk!
Reviews are welcome! If you have any comments that you would like to share, you can contact me at mccpcorn@hotmail.com.
Tenchi Muyo: Changing Faces
---------------------------
By Mccpcorn
CHAPTER 1: Who's That Girl? (And who the Heck is Tenchi?)
=========================================================
Tenchi groaned and opened his eyes. His vision was blurred; he found it difficult to focus. There was a ringing in his ears, like a fading roar. The inside of his eyes ached, but at least he wasn't sore all over.
He tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but found the shapes and shadows spinning drunkedly around him; his sense of balance was completely screwed.
Closing his eyes, Tenchi took several deep, steady breaths. Bright, neon coloured spots were painted on the darkness of his eyelids. The ghostly blobs danced in front of his vision, but gradually Tenchi felt the sense of queasiness lessen. After a moment he was able to get to his hands and knees. Not too sore, he thought to himself. And still in one piece ...
It was only then, as he gained his equilibrium, that Tenchi realised there was something very, VERY wrong.
* * *
Ayeka struggled up to a sitting position; she felt as if lead weights had been hung over her shoulders.
Urgh! she thought to herself. What in Jurai is going on?? What am I doing here is Washu's lab? I was in bed...
Across from Ayeka, Kiyone flopped onto her hands and knees. 'What the heck happened just now...?' To her left came an agonised groan followed by a sniffle.
'Owww.... Kiyone...? Wheerre arrree youu...?'
* * *
Sasami clutched at her head. 'Ahhh!! My head hurts!' She pulled the taut bandana from her head - where had THAT come from? - then suddenly recoiled with surprise at the dark figure skulking next to her.
'Mihoshe! You - you scared me! What are you doing in our room at this time of night?'
Tenchi moaned.
* * *
Washu was also clutching at her head.
'Ow! Ow, ow OWWW!! That hurrttzz...'
'Sounds like someone can't take their sake,' a high-pitched voice said sarcastically from next to her. 'Or should that be someone can't take someone ELSE'S sake?' Ryoko paused a moment and put her arms out in front of her.
'Oh. Oh no. OH SHI-'
Awarness dawned on seven people at more or less the same moment. For that moment, all were united in one cause.
'AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!'
* * *
'Washu, you maniac!!' Mihoshe yelled.
'Really, this is most unforgivable,' Washu sniffed.
'It's some crap, I'll give you that,' agreed Sasami.
'Is it okay for me to cook dinner like this?' asked Kiyone.
'Oohh,' stated Ryoko as she stared wide-eyed at her hands.
'Ohh gaaahhhd,' moaned Tenchi.
Ayeka's eyes narrowed. 'Hmm,' she said thoughtfully. 'I had no idea that the personality displacement field had this kind of range. Maybe I should've beefed up the shielding a bit more.'
'A bit more!?' Washu - or at least Washu's body - gaped incredulously. 'What on Jurai possessed you to build that - that thing in the first place??' she waved her arm helplessly in the direction of Washu's latest invention.
Sasami eyed Ayeka sarcastically. 'Do you wanna tell her, or should I?'
Aeyka clutched at her head. 'For the pity's sake, do you HAVE to be so loud?' she whimpered.
'Yeah, sis,' Kiyone sniffed. 'Keep it down willya?'
Ayeka shrugged. 'Look, I was hoping to use this machine to study how a person's mind and personalitiy adapted to unexpected or stressful situations. Rather than create a potentially dangerous environment, I figured it would be easier and safer to alter the perceptual parameters of a given subject.'
'Oh well that is so much clearer,' Tenchi folded his arms. 'Not!'
'You don't think our environment isn't stressfull enough!?' Mihoshe clenched her fists.
'You missed out the bit about wanting to steal Tenchi's body,' Sasami put in helpfully.
Aeyka snarled. 'Look, I was going to BORROW his body and get some test data on my machine. This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't crippled it!!'
'I need the bathroom,' whimpered Kiyone, clutching her head again.
Ryoko stood cross-legged. 'Me, too,' she moaned.
Ayeka tried to placate the group. 'Look, look, I admit things haven't gone according to plan but,' Ayeka grinned. 'What an opportunity!! Think, you guys! What a science paper this would make! We have to adapt to the ultimate in environments - a whole different body!'
Sasami pushed her way to the front of the group. 'Now you listen here, MOM,' she snarled. 'If you don't get me back in my body RIGHT NOW I will gouge out your eyes and feed them to Ryo-Ohki!'
'Miyaa!' Ryo-Ohki made a disgusted face.
'You will not harm my beautiful features!' exclaimed Washu.
Ayeka looked down at Sasami. 'Ryoko, am I right?'
Sasami glared back. 'You betcha,' she bit out.
Ayeka sighed. 'Okay. I guess we'd better find out who's who. Ayeka, I'm guessing that's you in my body, correct?'
'Yes.'
'And I figure that's you in Kiyone's body, Sasami?'
Kiyone gave a quiet sigh. 'Yeah.'
'And I know I have Ayeka's body. So that leaves - Kiyone?'
'Affirmative,' Tenchi answered.
There was a brittle silence, then Ryoko - in Sasami's body - burst into high pitched laughter.
'It's not funny!!' Kiyone/Tenchi roared. She/He suddenly clamped their hand on their mouth, as if they hadn't realised how loud their voice could get.
'Oh my! That just takes the carrot!!' Ryoko/Sasami's eyes were streaming. 'How 'bout that princess prissy? Kiyone got Tenchi ahead of both of us! What I wouldn't give to have THAT body.'
'Don't say such things!' Ayeka snapped in Washu's voice.
Ryoko/Sasami gave the Crown Princess a look that made the latter shudder. 'Oh come now princess,' she said in a cute, high voice that was laced with dark intent. 'You know as well as I do what we'd get up to if we had that body to play around with.' Large pink eyes glinted mischieviiously.
Mihoshe stamped her foot. 'I will not be spoken about like I'm a piece of meat!!' she declared.
Everyone turned to regard this rather forceful statement. 'Tenchi?' Washu/Ayeka asked hesitantly.
Tenchi/Mihoshe put an arm behind his/her which tilted in that awkward/apologetic way that announced Tenchi Maskaki's presence. He/She smiled sheepishly. 'I - uh, guess so.'
A quiet dread fell upon Washu. 'So that means that Mihoshe...'
'Present!!' Ryoko called cheerfully as she stuck her arm in the air. There was a flash of light and before anyone could react a photon blast erupted from the outstretched hand and blasted a piece of machinery to rubble.
'NOOOOOOO!!!' screamed Washu/Ayeka.
'Put that hand down before someone gets hurt!' Kiyone/Tenchi snapped to her partner.
Mihoshe/Ryoko quickly withdrew her hand. 'Oops,' she giggled.
'This is - not good,' Tenchi/Mihoshe stated.
Washu was making a quick assessment of the damage. 'Damn damn, SHIT,' she muttered.
Sasami glanced sidelong at Ayeka/Washu. 'Princess, really,' she chided with evil humour, 'language.'
Ayeka/Washu blushed bright scarlet. 'That wasn't me!' she protested.
Ryoko/Sasami looked over at Washu/Ayeka. 'Hey, Washu,' she called. 'Say the "F" word! I wanna hear princess prissy here say the "F" word!' She hopped up and down excitedly.
'Don't Washu!!' Ayeka/Washu pleaded.
Washu/Ayeka stood, shaking her head. 'This is no good,' she muttered. 'Mihoshe blasted the power coupling. It'll take hours to put right. But I guess it could've been worse.'
The words were barely out of her mouth when there was a loud CRUNCH. With a dark sense of foreboding, Washu/Ayeka turned around. Her jaw fell open at seeing the large piece of debris that had just crashed from the ceiling to land squarely on the main console.
'Noooo!!' she wailed.
'Arrgghhh!!' wailed everyone else.
'What?' asked Mihoshe/Ryoko.
Washu hurried over. 'The main console!! Along with the program!! Oh Gahd, NO!'
'Don't you have a spare!?' Kiyone/Tenchi demanded.
'Of course! But the original programming is in this unit! I haven't even had time to assess what went wrong and now the program may have been damaged! On top of that I have to repair the power coupling!' She turned and gazed ominously at the others. 'We're looking at a day's worth of repairs.'
A dark shroud of dread fell upon the group. Then everybody started talking - screaming at once.
'NO WAY!'
'I'm NOT staying in this body for a whole day!!!'
'Washu, you CAN'T be serious!'
'Is it alright for me to cook in this body, Kiyone?'
'It's either that or we all starve.'
'WOW! Space Pirate for a DAY!!'
'ENOUGH!!!' bellowed Washu/Ayeka. At least the princess' voice carried well, the scientist thought as everyone snapped to attention.
'I am NOT having you all kicking around here while I try to work,' Washu announced, her words sounding rather haughty in Ayeka's voice. 'Besides, I need to run tests to make sure the transference was stable and I can't do that with all these distractions.' Washu waved her hands in a gesture of dismissal. 'Go on, shoo! Scat!'
'If you think I'm jus' gonna WALK out of here-' Ryoko began. She yelped as Washu/Ayeka stalked over to her and plucked her off the ground.
'WHADDYA DOING!? Lemme GO!' Ryoko/Sasami screamed.
'Washu, be careful!' Ayeka/Washu said nervously.
The door under the stairs opened and Washu stepped out, carrying the struggling Ryoko in her arms, the others reluctantly in tow.
'I thought Ryoko trashed this door?' Tenchi asked.
'I have an unlimited supply of spares,' Washu explained.
Marching into the living room, the scientist planted the space pirate on the floor. 'Now you stay here, CHILD,' Washu warned sternly. 'Or I will tan your hide so bad the only thing you'll be able to sit down on is a block of ice!'
'Washu, no!' Sasami/Kiyone wailed.
'Why YOU-!' Ryoko looked ready to physically launch herself at Washu until she felt restraining hands on her shoulders. She looked up to see Mihoshe - now Tenchi - and Kiyone/Tenchi. There were so many right-angled turns that whole situation was becoming almost too much for Ryoko to handle, but the sight of Tenchi, even only his body, was comfort enough for her and she subsided.
'You're not thinking straight,' Tenchi told Ryoko, Mihoshe's voice sounded so reasonable it almost defied reality. 'You're almost acting like a child because you're in a child's body. You need to stay focused on who you are.'
'I don't act like that, do I, Ayeka?' Sasami/Kiyone murmured to the princess.
'Of course not,' Ayeka/Washu smiled gently as she looked up(!) at her little sister. 'But you're not a demon.'
Through his hand, Tenchi/Mihoshe felt Ryoko's muscles tense at the comment. 'Ayeka!' he snapped. 'The situation is bad enough without you aggravating it. If you've got nothing useful to say, keep quiet!'
Ayeka/Washu jerked like she'd been slapped. She flushed a bright red and Ryoko smiled smugly.
Tenchi looked down at her. 'That goes for you too, Ryoko!'
Ryoko/Sasami scowled, her triumph short lived.
Washu folded her - Ayeka's - arms. 'Well, I guess that's settled,' she said. 'Come on, Kiyone.' The scientist turned back in the direction of the lab.
Kiyone/Tenchi looked surprised. 'Uh... me?'
Washu/Ayeka turned back with an impatient look. 'Well I can't fix this thing on my own - not if you wanna get this mess sorted before the end of the week, anyway.'
'But I don't know anything about -'
'You don't have to. Just put everything where I tell you. And hey, you guys!' Washu looked at the others. 'I'm locking the lab, so don't keep pestering me for how it's going. And try to look on the bright side!'
'Oh yeah, sure,' Ryoko/Sasami crossed her arms and gave the scientist a disgusted look. 'And how cold things be any worse?'
Washu/Ayeka gave a wicked smile. 'Well, at least Noboyuki wasn't here!'
Even Tenchi turned pale at that remark.
-----
END OF CHAPTER 1
Endnote: Well congrats to anyone who's made it this far! I hope you're enjoying yourself and that no-one is TOO confused about what the heck is going on. ^^;;
