Here's the usual disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or anything about it. This story comes out of respect for the creator's and distributors of this impressive anime show. Please don't sue me - I have no money. Just sit back and enjoy the story - and the free publicity. *wink*

Comments and reviews are welcome. You can post up at Fanfiction.net or contact me at mccpcorn@hotmail.com :)

A QUICK RECAP:

Washu's latest scheme to extract a 'sample' from Tenchi has gone haywire thanks to a last minute intervention by Ryoko. The result has been everyone who was in the house having their personality transplanted into someone else's body:

Ryoko is watching TV in Sasami's body. (Ryoko/Sasami)

Sasami is making dinner in Kiyone's body. (Sasami/Kiyone)

Kiyone has found herself stuck in Tenchi's body. (Kiyone/Tenchi)

Tenchi now occupies Mihoshe's body. (Tenchi/Mihoshe)

Mihoshe is getting drunk in Ryoko's body. (Mihoshe/Ryoko)

Washu has swapped bodies with Ayeka. (Washu/Ayeka & Ayeka/Washu)

Noboyuki was - rather fortunately - out of town after driving Katsuhito to a conference, and Ryo-Ohki was out in the Carrot Field raiding the harvest.

On with the show...

Tenchi Muyo: Changing Faces
---------------------------

By Mccpcorn

CHAPTER FOUR: BATHTIME BLUES (AND GREENS AND REDS AND YELLOWS...)
=================================================================

Ryoko was bored stiff.

She couldn't fly. She couldn't teleport. She couldn't even get drunk. To make matters worse, there was absolutely crap-all on TV.

She slid off the couch onto her feet, momentarily disorientated by the fact that, standing, she wasn't that much taller than the TV on its stand. Being so damn small had to be the pits. How did Sasami cope? DAMN YOU, WASHU!

Ryoko promised herself she would flatten that particular piece of machinery in Washu's lab the moment this was all straightened out. She can be the greatest scientific genius in TEN universes for all I care! Ryoko snarled angrily to herself. When this is all over I will break her nose! Her and her damn samples!

It wasn't enough that she was stuck in a little kid's body, but a clumsy, incompetent lunatic of a Galaxy Police officer was imprisoned in the body of the most notorious felon in the galaxy!

And said officer, in drunken stupor, had come within an ace of amputating her beloved Tenchi's genitals back in the lab.

The situation had a small upside, though. To everyone's delight, Sasami had discovered that being in Kiyone's body had not dimmed her culinary skills one jot. And for the first time in her life Ryoko, had tasted food.

REALLY tasted food.

It was the most indescribable sensation Ryoko had ever experienced. It was probably almost as good as sex - assuming she and Tenchi ever got around to it. She smiled wickedly to herself.

Later that day, when no-one had been around, the temptation had been too great to resist. She'd raided the fridge and just pigged out. Cheesecake; chocolate fudgecake; sweet and sour chicken; spicy noodles.

Besides, the space pirate told herself with Sasami's energy and stamina she'll burn off the extra calories in no time. That's what kids are like.

Even so, she'd known better than to do it again. Once could be excused, curiosity and all. Twice - well, Ryoko would admit to being many things, but not one to disrespect a child's trust. Even now, she winced at the soft, innocent look in Kiyone's face as Tenchi had talked her out of biting Washu's/Ayeka's face off. Sometimes a conscience can be the PITS, she told herself.

So here she was, in the Masaki living room, with naught to do but wait for Washu 'genius' to fix her precious machine.

Great.

When this is all over, Ryoko promised herself, I am going to harass that woman 24/7 until she gives me proper taste-buds!

THEN I'll break her nose...

* * *

Wide-eyed and tearful, Mihoshe stumbled through the Misaki household, struggling to hold her balance even as she held back the painful sobs welling up inside her chest.

No-one understands! Mihoshe sobbed to herself inside. Everything she had to put up with; everything she tried to do right. Her career was a failure and she'd dragged her best friend and partner down with her. Whether it was one of her and Kiyone's many part-time jobs, or cleaning the carpet, no matter how hard she tried to learn and do things right, something always went wrong.

Of one thing only was Mihoshe sure; give the task to her and all hell would break loose.

Mihoshe was never a person to accept defeat and had always stood in cheery defiance against her limitations and ill-fortune. But somehow, being in this body had opened her eyes to how she was as a person, and more importantly how she was viewed by others.

What Mihoshe had failed to realise was that the misery affecting her was, in fact, affecting everyone. Mihoshe was in Ryoko's body and she had just had a fight with Ayeka, but the Jurian's response had been as much an instinctive reaction to the body rather than the personality occupying it - and the princess herself had been unaware of the unseen forces working on herself.

Mihoshe hadn't seen that though; the feelings colouring her perceptions were only another product of her habitual misfortune. In typical Mihoshe fashion, she now felt that everyone around her walked on egg shells as they were afraid of upsetting her or hurting her feelings.

Well, she had never wanted sympathy from anybody, and their pity only angered her. Understanding and support, yes, but sympathy and pity?

Mihoshe raised her head from between her knees. She didn't know how long she'd been huddled in the corridor by this door. She couldn't even remember sitting down here. But her head hurt, and judging by the light evening was starting to draw in.

She stood awkwardly, feeling the pins and needles in her arms and legs, the twinges and aches in her back from being in an uncomfortable position too long. She felt hot and cold, and clammy all over. Inside she felt very dark and cold and alone when she wanted to be warm, cheerful and happy.

Tenchi understands she thought to herself. He's ALWAYS understood . . .

Ryoko's eyes had remarkably good night-vision - she could see better in fact than during the day. Did strong sunlight affect Ryoko's moods? In any case Mihoshe made her way to the room she shared with Kiyone without trouble.

The whole body-swap nightmare and made a complete mess of things in terms of personal clothing as everyone had shuffled in and out of each other's rooms for clothes that fit. But Ryoko was easy enough; as she had no room she kept her few personal belongings in a trunk in Kiyone and Mihoshe's room. Mihoshe now rummaged around in that trunk for a fresh set of clothes, tossing objects of dubious origin and purpose aside.

'Here we are!' she said to herself with a smile. 'Now, to freshen up a little, change clothes, and look forward to supper-time! Hey!' Mihoshe's eyes narrowed in thought. 'Didn't Ryoko say something about Tenchi....? Oh, yeah!'

Mihoshe threw the fresh clothes over her right shoulder and paused just long enough to liberate a bottle of sake from Ryoko's trunk.

'She wont miss this!' Mihoshe told herself cheerfully. 'After all, it's all in a good cause!' Mihoshe half loped, half stumbled to the ladies bathroom.

Time to play a big Ryoko joke on Tenchi! she told herself in a fit of giggles.

* * *

Somehow, Tenchi had managed to get out of Mihoshe's clothes without actually opening his - her - eyes. After that, getting into a towel had been child's play, although the thought of actually trying to get back INTO Mihoshe's clothes was a cause for distant alarm.

For now, though, Tenchi was reclined in the luxurious bathroom Washu had constructed. This was almost his first time in the place; how odd that it was only now he could fully appreciate it!

On the other hand, the only person in the house who could've let him into the men's bathroom was helping out Washu, so Tenchi/Mihoshe wasn't feeling too guilty about being in here. Given the fact that he had some serious unwinding to do after an abnormally stressful day - even by the Masaki household's standards - Tenchi was more than willing to take any opportunity to relax that came his way.

The steam drifted past his vision and soaked into his skin. Tenchi closed his - Mihoshe's - eyes, and slowly sank into the warm water until it was just lapping at the base of his/her chin. The clouds of steam; the soft tinkle of water; most important, the golden silence, all combined to leave Tenchi extremely drowsy.

As he relaxed, Tenchi's thoughts drifted back to Sasami. Imagine, he thought, a nine year old girl suddenly finding herself in the body of a mid-twenties woman. What would that do to her?

Being in someone else's body was like trying on a set of ill-fitting clothes. To the owner of the clothes, everything was fine. When you dressed of a morning, your skin registered the contact of the fabric, but then more or less forgot about it, to the point where you didn't even consider what you were wearing.

To a person who suddenly found themselves wearing them, they would be lose in some places, too tight in others and ride up in the most uncomfortable places. He recalled how Mihoshe's bra had seemed to chafe his/her skin. For Mihoshe, that was just part of her day. For Tenchi it was a supreme annoyance. If he was in her body long enough - something he profoundly hoped would NOT happen - he would probably get used to it as well.

As he followed this train of thought, Tenchi slowly became aware of something. In this body, he was highly aware of all the... unusual angles Mihoshe's clothes had to fit. He wasn't used to the barrage of new sensations he was experiencing, and his - Mihoshe's skin - had been left somewhat hypersensitive.

And so, Mihoshe's clothes had... tickled.

He HAD hoped the bath would solve the problem, but the water lapping at Mihoshe's body was almost as bad as wearing clothes.... In some ways, it was actually worse.

Sighing, he pulled himself up so that Mihoshe's body was sitting upright in the bath. The situation was sufficiently embarrassing without having to go through any of... those sort of feelings. Maybe coming in here wasn't such a good idea after all, he thought as he opened his eyes -

Ryoko was floating right in front of him.

His immediate response was a high pitched shriek as he first flapped Mihoshe's arms around in the water, struggling to maintain his/her balance. He then found himself frantically pulling up the top of his towel as it came loose. Not to hide anything from Ryoko, but to keep himself from seeing it.

'It's okay Tenchi.'

Tenchi stopped, mid-flounder.

It was Ryoko's voice, yet not...

Tenchi found his voice. 'Mihoshe?'

Ryoko nodded vigorously, making her chest shake.

Her BARE chest...

Tenchi shut his eyes again. 'AH, Ryoko! Mihoshe I mean! What are you trying to do! Put something on!'

Mihoshe's only response was to float there, bright eyed and smiley faced. 'What's the matter, Tenchi?' she asked. 'It's not like you're seeing anything you've not seen already! Besides, this IS the bathroom.'

Mihoshe giggled, and Tenchi tried very hard not to think about how fetching the sound was. Ryoko's voice was slightly higher than usual, with a beautiful, carefree note that sounded like fresh, cool water. Her eyes contained something he'd not seen before: innocence.

He had no doubt that the Ryoko he knew had an essence of innocence within her, but she worked so hard at being loud and full of bluster, and her gaze was usually so sultry and hypnotic, Tenchi had never been able to perceive it before.

What he saw now, was a union of innocence; Ryoko's centre, emphasised by Mihoshe's.

Mihoshe/Ryoko's suddenly gave Tenchi/Mihoshe a playful look. It was a Tenchi had seen before on Ryoko's face; a cat about to play with it's prey.

But again, the innocence softened it. Mihoshe spun away slowly, rotating and giggling, her long, flowing cyan hair dipping into the water as she spun end over end.

'I'm really getting the hang of this!' Mihoshe exclaimed as she reached the edge of the water and planted her feet firmly on the tiled walkway above the bath. She stretched herself out, lithe as a cat, and Tenchi/Mihoshe closed his eyes once again.

'Mihoshe, you're drunk,' Tenchi stated, trying not to look as Ryoko's slender, naked body danced around.

'Yesh,' Mihoshe slurred. 'But only a littles.'

Tenchi covered his eyes with a hand. 'Mihoshe, you shouldn't be. That body isn't your property; you're treating it like a borrowed coat or something.' What is it with everyone at the moment? We're all acting like crazies!

'Isha ohhkhaay,' Mihoshe assured. 'Thissha jus' likes Ryoko anyways - AH!' Mihoshe lost her footing at the waters edge and headed straight for the water.

'MIHOSHE!!' Tenchi shouted. He splashed his way to the edge just in time to take a somersaulting Mihoshe/Ryoko like a WWF bodyslam, both going into the deep end for good measure.

Tenchi broke the surface, coughing and spluttering, hauling a highly dazed Mihoshe with him. He dragged her weakly to the steps leading into the bath before collapsing in an exhausted heap.

It was long moments before he realised his towel had come loose and that Mihoshe's - Ryoko's head was pillowed against his chest. Tenchi/Mihoshe's arms were wrapped tightly around Mihoshe/Ryoko's shoulders and Tenchi was now all too aware of the contact of their bare skin. Ohhh Gaahhhdd...!

Soft green eyes lifted to meet his, tears flowing, a bittersweet smile on the face before him. She sniffed, as if trying to hold strong emotions back.

It suddenly occurred to Tenchi what Mihoshe was dealing with. Like Sasami though on a grander scale, Mihoshe was struggling to maintain her sense of self. Being in Ryoko's body had made her more aware of herself, and sensitised her to criticism. She saw all her failures strung out before her and was sick to death of people telling her off about it. Even now, it seemed she was bracing herself for another verbal assault. One it was doubtful she could withstand under the circumstances.

Tenchi realised that it would be the ultimate put-down to Mihoshe if he berated her when occupying GP Officer's own body. Mihoshe would she herself telling her how useless and idiotic she was - and nothing would be more soul-destroying than that.

'I think I see now,' Tenchi said soothingly. 'There's so much going on under the surface that you hold back; that's why you're the way you are. When you get drunk, you're more open about your feelings so you're more in control of yourself.' no wonder she's better behaved when she's plastered.

Tenchi wondered that perhaps Ryoko and Mihoshe had more in common than they BOTH realised; holding back their true selves for starters.

He was suddenly aware that Mihoshe/Ryoko was staring very intently at him. 'Umm... what is it, Mihoshe?'

Mihoshe/Ryoko smiled, a smile of warmth and happiness. 'You understand,' she said simply. 'I always knew you did.' She gathered him into a warm hug.

While Mihoshe may have found this of great comfort, Tenchi himself was feeling more uncomfortable by the second. The awkward... sensations he'd experienced prior to Mihoshe's arrival - which had been temporarily forgotten due to her antics - had redoubled their presence. Without trying to look like he was hurrying, Tenchi began untangling himself from Mihoshe as gracefully as possible. 'Er, that's great, Mihoshe. But I think I'm just about ready to move.'

He suddenly found himself in a gentle but VERY firm and insistent grip; he'd forgotten just how strong Ryoko was. 'What's the matter, Tenchi?' she asked, her voice suddenly emotional. 'Have I done something wrong?'

'No! No,' Tenchi answered quickly as he tried to ignore Mihoshe/Ryoko's chest pressing against his - HER - own. He quickly tightened the towel he was wearing. 'I just don't want to get all wrinkly - especially since I'm in your body!' he finished with a lame laugh.

Mihoshe giggled, and for a moment, Tenchi could close his eyes and imagine her as her usual, cheerful self. 'You know Tenchi,' she said in a playful voice, 'you're no good at lying in that body.' She raised herself on her elbows. 'I can help.'

Tenchi squirmed backwards until he was pressed against the bath. He was red faced with embarrasment, and was desperately trying to think of a way out of this situation. But for some reason his usual defences just weren't working properly. 'Umm, I'm not sure that's a good idea, Mihoshe.'

'Why not?' Mihoshe's - Ryoko's - face was suddenly very close. 'That's MY body,' she said in a dark, seductive voice. 'I know all the right buttons to push.'

The odd thing was, he didn't feel threatened in the same way he did with Ryoko. The Space Pirate always seemed ready to eat him alive - or at least take a hefty chunk out of him. But this soft visage was of a deeper, more complex person, perhaps even a mixture of the two. Yes, he'd always known that Ryoko played things loud, but he'd never attributed the same thing to Mihoshe. For a moment he felt guilty over that.

For the first time, Tenchi found himself experiencing a true empathy with the people around him. How much - or little - did he know ANY of the young women who had shared his life for so long? How many secrets - himself included - did they all keep?

It was an invigorating feeling, but also a daunting one. It made him all the more aware of WHY these people were here. After this, would they decide that life in the Masaki household wasn't all it was cracked up to be? Tenchi experienced a sudden thrill of fear that they would all leave.

In that moment, he realised something about himself; how deeply he cared about everyone here. His friends.

His family...

If he could only hold onto these feelings; when Washu undid this mess, it may make everyone's lives richer for the experience.

Mihoshe/Ryoko was watching him intently. All this introspection had taken less than two seconds, but with her face so close, it was clear she'd seen it all. She smiled again, a smile of deep warmth and compassion.

'You DO understand...'

Tenchi closed his eyes.

Her lips were soft, far softer than he'd expected. Maybe that was because his own lips were pretty soft at the moment. He decided it was academic as he sank into the kiss.

He felt a profound sense of loss as Mihoshe/Ryoko gently withdrew from the kiss, but only for a moment. 'I can close my eyes and think of you,' Mihoshe said softly. 'You can think of me, or Ryoko, or anyone else you want to.'

With those brief words, Tenchi learned something else about Mihoshe; she was totally selfless. He had always known she was loyal, but when someone cared for a person so deeply that they didn't care who's name you called out when they kissed you, just as long as you enjoyed the kiss... 'Who else might you think of?' he asked suddenly.

Mihoshe giggled again, her voice powerful, playful. 'Not telling.'

Tenchi shuddered as he felt a hand slide down his left side, over the curve of his - her - hip. It then drifted up the inside of Tenchi/Mihoshe's thigh.

Mihoshe's voice - as Ryoko's - was a husky whisper. 'Close you eyes and make a wish...'

'TENCHI!!!!'

Twin shrieks came from both Tenchi and Mihoshe and he again found himself splashing around as he lost his balance and sank into the water. He struggled to the service, hair soaked and plastered to his face and eyes, to be confronted by the source of high decibels; Princess Ayeka.

Except that Ayeka was...

'Washu!' Mihoshe/Ryoko exclaimed. 'And Kiyone! You startled us!'

For some reason, Washu/Ayeka didn't seemed to have noticed the intimacy of Tenchi and Mihoshe's position. She simply stood there, Ayeka's body wrapped in a bright red, figure hugging jump-suit, with her hair tied back. Her face wore an expression of extreme alarm. Behind her, stood Kiyone, in Tenchi's OWN body, looking about as earnest as Tenchi could get. Do I REALLY look like that?

Tenchi again briefly wondered what these women from beyond Earth, who could travel anywhere they wished and probably have any male they wanted, could possibly see in a nerdy adolescent.

Washu/Ayeka was breathing hard; she was doubled over, hands on her knees. Adjusting his towel, Tenchi/Mihoshe waded over. With the soft pop of displaced air, Mihoshe teleported over to Kiyone/Tenchi, throwing her arms around her.

'Kiyone!!' She slurred. 'I mished you snow mush!!' Mihoshe cuddled up to her partner, seemingly now oblivious to their predicament. Kiyone - in true Tenchi fashion - went a bright beet red and hurriedly tried to disentangle herself - HIMSELF - from Mihoshe/Ryoko's clutches.

'Mihoshe!' Kiyone whimpered. 'Will you BEHAVE yourself!? LOOK at you! Go and get some clothes on!!'

Mihoshe giggled and let go of Kiyone. She nodded vigorously, making her chest wobble again. 'KAY!' she replied and with another pop, teleported from the bath.

Kiyone moved off to one side, planting her - Tenchi's - feet awkwardly, as if trying to hide something... Oh HELL! she squeaked silently to herself. What the HECK am I supposed to do with - with THIS!?' As Washu/Ayeka talked, Kiyone tried to adjust Tenchi's belt.

'What is it Washu?' Tenchi/Mihoshe was asking the scientist. 'Is there a problem?'

'Yes - pant - a big one,' Washu/Ayeka explained around hungry gasps of air. Either Ayeka was hideously unfit, or she just didn't know how to make this body work for her. 'But not with you. It's Ryoko.'

Tenchi/Mihoshe's eyes narrowed, a cold feeling settling in the stomach. 'What's happened?'

'She had a fight with Ayeka,' Washu explained, eyes and voice full of alarm. 'She's ran away.'

END OF CHAPTER 4