Hello and Welcome to my first ever Tenchi Fic. I would like to start by saying, I DO NOT OWN TENCHI, or any of its characters, so please don't sue me (sniff.sniff, I'm just a kid!). All I own is the dang plot.

Tenchi After Tokyo

Chapter One: All you need is Love

It had been three long weeks since Tenchi had to watch his love, Sakuya, being put into her sleep chamber in the form of a child. It tore at his heart when he realized that they would probably never be together again, but gradually, the residents of the Masaki home helped to cheer him up.

"Tenchi!" Sasami called from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

"Thanks, Sasami. I'll go get cleaned up," Tenchi answered. It had been another one of those long days in the carrot fields, the hot summer sun beating down upon his back with the sweat pouring down his cheeks. Tenchi had hoed all day long, planting and picking carrots. It was muddy and tiring work, but someone had to do it.

As Tenchi made his way up the stairs to the bathroom, he passed Ayeka. "Hello, Ayeka," he said kindly.

"Oh, good-afternoon, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said with a bow, continuing her way down to the kitchens.

Tenchi smiled as he stepped into the bathroom to wash. "I'm sure glad I have so many friends here to boost my spirits on harsh days like this," he thought aloud, reaching for the soap and wash towel. As his arm stretched out, someone wrapped themselves around his waist from behind.

"Hey there, Tenchi. Beautiful day, isn't it?" the person asked cheerfully.

"Ryoko! Can't you see I'm trying to get clean for supper?" Tenchi tried to persuade her, pushing her hands away.

"Oh Tenchi. If you needed someone to scrub your back, I could have done it!" she said angrily, storming out of the tiny bathroom.

"Hmm." Tenchi muttered, letting the warm water run down his face in little streams. "I wonder what's bothering her?" he asked himself.

Tenchi lathered up some soap and scrubbed his face clear of all the dirt from the carrot fields. It took him a few minutes to get that done, for there was a lot of dirt. While Tenchi rinsed his face free of the dirt and soap, he thought of all the changes that had went about lately.

Just a few days ago, Kiyone and Mihoshi decided to move out into Tokyo once again, but it didn't seem like it. They were back almost every day, mainly for Sasami's cooking. At about noon, Washu would open the portal into Tokyo so that the two could come and visit.

Another thing that was definitely new was that Kiyone and Mihoshi finally were both holding their own with decent jobs and wages. Mihoshi made an excellent pastry chef, but she ate most of her earnings. Either way, she was already making a name for herself, creating only the most scrumptious cakes and cookies around. Kiyone, most surprisingly, found great joy in her new career of a black jack dealer at a small casino in Tokyo. She said she felt very "empowered," being able to get people to hand their money to her so willingly. Yes, life sure was sweet.

Tenchi was very pleased to be away from school for the summer. He truly dreaded when the time came and he would have to return, for there were so many sweet memories of Sakuya and him at that place. Everyone had been such a help, though, especially Sasami. Whenever Tenchi went to visit Sakuya's resting place, it was very hard for him. Sasami always agreed to go with him, however, so she could comfort him and keep him from becoming far too sad. Tenchi appreciated this, and after a while, his visits to the chamber became more and more scarce. It wasn't that he had forgotten about his love, but rather, he was finally healing from his loss.

Tenchi picked up his washcloth and rubbed his face dry. "I'm so very lucky," he thought aloud again and turned off the faucet, "to have such wonderful companions." He set the cloth back down on the sink and headed downstairs for dinner.

As they always do, Kiyone and Mihoshi had already taken their seats and prepared for another delicious meal made with love by their little Sasami. Tenchi took his seat in-between little Washu and Ayeka. His father and grandfather left on a long trip days ago, so the table seemed much emptier.

"Here's the food!" Sasami said with a smile, setting down numerous platters of all kinds. Ryoko dug in before Sasami even had a chance to pull out her chair. This, of course, was to no one's surprise.

Dinner was fairly quiet. Kiyone was the only one who barely talked at all. She mentioned how she had most cunningly gotten one of the 'aristocrat gamblers,' as she called them, to let loose all of his money in just a few games of black jack that day.

After everyone had cleared his or her plate, and Sasami and Ayeka had cleaned up, Tenchi noticed Ryoko sneaking cautiously outside.

"Where are you going, Ryoko?" he asked from the staircase.

Ryoko turned and looked at him with puzzling eyes. "Oh! Well, just for a walk, you know," she responded coolly.

Tenchi stepped down and began to slip his shoes on. "Do you think you would mind if I came with you?" he asked.

Ryoko blushed, and then turned her back. Her answer was in a low growl. "If you really want to, I guess you can."

Tenchi followed Ryoko out into the evening solitude, the lightning bugs just starting to depart from their familiar homes in the damp grass. They walked for awhile in bitter silence, listening to nothing but the constant chirps of the crickets in the wood.

"Ryoko, you seem to be acting a little odd today. Is everything alright?" Tenchi asked inquisitively.

"Yeah," Ryoko grumbled, sitting down upon the forest's welcoming dirt floor.

"Are you sure?"

Ryoko got up and raised her fists high above her head. "I SAID I'M FINE!" With that, she stormed off into the leafy foliage directed back towards the house, leaving Tenchi there to ponder on what was bothering her.

Of course, only Ryoko knew what was going on inside that head of hers, and there was absolutely NO way she was going to share it with him. The truth was, Ryoko was still in longing for her dear Tenchi. It hurt her whenever she would try to express her love and he would just shun her aside. "Will Tenchi ever feel how I do?" she asked herself.

Later that night, Ryoko slipped quietly back into the house, and to her surprise, saw Ayeka waiting for her, sitting on the couch.

"Ryoko." Ayeka whispered. "Ryoko, Lord Tenchi came home tonight quite distraught. He seems very worried about you. Is there any way I can help you?"

Ryoko let out her normal space-pirate cackle as she said under her breath, "Hah! Sasami must have put you up to this, Ayeka. Heaven forbid you would be worried about me. But no, there's nothing you can do to help. Just stay out of my business and you'll have done enough!"

Ayeka sighed heavily. "That's what I thought, Ryoko. You always were a stubborn one. Anyway, try to get some rest, okay?" She lifted herself from the couch and glided up the stairs to her bed.

Ryoko ran her fingers through her wild, blue hair as she slumped to the floor, laying her head against the hard coffee table. Ryo-Ohki tiptoed out from the kitchen and crawled into her lap, purring loudly. "Yes, I love you too, Ryo-Ohki," she cooed, stroking her sweet friend.

Right before Ryoko drifted off to sleep, she heard footsteps from behind her. She turned her head to see Tenchi standing over her.

"Ryoko, are you still awake?" he asked sleepily.

"Yes, Tenchi. I am," she answered. Tenchi's eyes were dark and bloodshot, but to Ryoko, they never lost their purity.

Tenchi knelt down upon his knees and fixed his eyes upon Ryoko's. He stared at her for the longest time, and she just gazed back, wondering how he can make her feel so drawn in, and yet so frightened all at once.

Finally, Tenchi inched closer to Ryoko and drew her into a warm embrace, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Her heart began to beat so franticly, she feared it might pop out of her chest.

"Ryoko, I don't know what has made you so upset," he whispered in her ear, "but I want you to know that I am always here for you, and you can talk to me whenever you feel you need to." Tenchi let his arms fall back to his sides and he brought himself back upright. "Goodnight and sweet dreams, Ryoko," he said, and began up to his bedroom.

Ryoko shivered all over. For one moment, she felt absolutely complete, like her world would never stop spinning, and then was totally empty again. How did he make her feel this way? How could he manipulate her heart so? Ryoko watched her love reenter his room and slide the thick wooden door shut. "Yes, my dear Tenchi," she said, "goodnight."

Well.that was it. My first ever Tenchi-like chapter thingy. I hope you enjoyed it! I know that it was kind of short, but I planned it that way (snigger snigger.I'm so devious!). I promise that from now on, they'll be longer, okay? Please, review!