Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo
and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer.
This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to
me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else.
Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this for fun!
***
Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -
Chapter 1: Peace and Quiet?
Tenchi darted into the living room, his eyes scanning for some clue as to the whereabouts of the others.
Don't panic yet Tenchi, get a grip, he thought as he tried to find some scrap of proof that the others were around, or at least all right.
Alright, so they haven't left a note. They probably just forgot to tell me they were going out... No special dates today? He looked over at the calendar. No, OK. Mayuka!
The worried teen ran over to the cot in the corner of the room, an unpleasantly familiar crawling sensation rising in his stomach. Usually one of the girls would have her in the mornings, and if they were gone...
NO! Oh HELL! His mind screamed at him as he looked down at his infant's empty crib. Wait, wait. Don't panic yet. She's wherever they are, so she'll be okay.
As he stepped back and his foot slipped from under him. He gave a growl of pain, wincing as his backside took the force of the impact with the wooden floor, and looked over at the cause of his fall. It was a half eaten carrot.
Tenchi panicked and ran to his room.
***
A few minutes walk from the house the battle had finally begun. Each side faced off over the wooden decking, each determined to be the victor. The first swing was made.
Washu was monitoring the situation carefully. One false move and the result could be catastrophic. She looked at each fighter, praying that the battle could be won quickly.
Sasami was holding Mayuka tightly protecting her from any debris with as good an energy shield as she could create.
With an almighty lurch the roof gave way. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at each other with terrified expressions. They each managed a strangled scream before they were engulfed in the falling timber as the entire right side of the roof fell apart.
***
Tenchi came down the stairs as fast as he could. He missed the last step and came crashing to the floor, his lip splitting as it made contact with the polished wood.
His mind didn't even register the pain as he scrambled to his feet. It was something big if it could tear Ryo-ohki away halfway though a carrot. He managed to stop himself just in time to open the glass door before careering out onto the grass, the Tenchi-ken grasped in his hand, as though if he held hard enough it might lead him to them.
All he could hear now was the blood pumping in his ears as he looked frantically around for some clue as to where they might be.
Over to his left, just in the trees by the wooded path that led up to the rear of the Masaki Shrine, he saw what he was looking for. The rising cloud was faint, but it was still there. He ran like a man possessed.
***
In less that a minute he reached the small path-side clearing. He had seen many things since the girls had arrived in his life, but this was by far the strangest.
Ryoko and Ayeka. Covered in dust. Writhing around on top of each other!
Washu and Sasami were rolling around in fits of laughter with Mayuka looking fascinated at the spectacle from Sasami's arms. Ryo- ohki was in her toddler form and was running around giggling and removing the debris from the pair as they disentangled themselves, all the while glowering at each other.
His father and grandfather were kneeling on the left side of the roof nailing it down while Azaka and Kamidake seemed to be manoeuvring the planks Ryo-ohki passed them back onto the right side using their force fields. They too were covered in dust and dirt.
And in the middle of all this was a shed. One side was taller than the other, the roof was a bit lop-sided and the door and its frame, though fitting together perfectly, were definitely not rectangular. It was rather like something out of one of those weird American Tim Burton films he had seen. But it *was* a shed.
Tenchi tucked the Tenchi-ken into his pocket and scratched his head. He felt relieved. He also felt like a complete prat.
Washu caught sight of him as she tried to calm herself.
"Ah, he he, Tenchi-dono. I was wondering when you'd be coming round."
Tenchi decided he might as well find out what was going on, and whether it would end up causing him any trouble. Just having the girls there was trouble enough.
"Umm... Washu-chan?" he asked cautiously, "What's going on here? What is that?"
Washu turned on her cute charm and said, "It's a shed Tenchi!"
Tenchi just looked at her with an expression that said 'You know very well what I mean!'
The diminutive scientist giggled and got back to her usual self. "More specifically, it's *your* shed Tenchi."
"Washu," he started, "we already have a shed. You know, the one halfway up this path."
"No," she replied, "this is *your* shed. That old thing up there is fine for all that stuff for the shrine. *This* is for your carrot fields." She beamed at him.
Tenchi just looked puzzled at this. "Umm, Washu-chan, the fields are a good five or ten minute walk. In *that* direction." he said, pointing back towards the house.
"Hey, that's what *I* said," said Ryoko as she finished extricating herself from the piles of wood and nails and sidled up to the pair. "But, well, you know her! And besides," she whispered to him, "you know I only did it for you, hmmm?"
"Ryoko-san! He's only been here two minutes and you're already starting with him! As if Tenchi-sama didn't have enough to do without having to keep you at bay." Ayeka, a royal Juraian mass of cuts and bruises thanks to her premature burial, stormed up to the ex-pirate. "And I would have thought fishing for compliments like that would be beneath even you. Evidently you can't even think of helping Tenchi-sama for his sake like the rest of us. *Noooo*, you have to collapse the roof too!"
The indignant Ryoko was fed up with this. "Who are you to say that. You swung at me with the plank!"
"Only because you couldn't be bothered to line up Washu's containment sensors correctly!" Ayeka retorted. "You heard what would happen if that temporal duality... thing went wrong."
"Well if you hadn't been so slow laying the boarding I could have had them in the right place *AGES* ago!" Ryoko yelled back.
Tenchi and Washu could see where this was going and decided to leave them to it. They wandered over to Sasami and Mayuka while the other two bickered.
"Hi girls. You okay?"
"Good morning Tenchi nii-chan. We're fine, aren't we Mayuka- chan?" Sasami lifted the baby up, who giggled riotously (or at least a riotously as a baby can). They all smiled as Sasami handed her over to her father. "I've got some breakfast if you want it."
"Thanks Sasami-chan," he said as he took his daughter, "but I think I'd better help Dad and Grandpa."
"Ah nonsense," Washu said as she picked up her own breakfast box. "Those old guys are nearly done."
"And anyway, we did it to help you Onii-chan. And we're all going to help you in the fields too."
Tenchi smiled. "Thanks Sasami-chan. All that weeding make a lot of work."
"And that's why I, Washu, the greatest agricultural genius in the universe, have made this!" Washu plucked a bottle out of her subspace hole and held it up. "Washu's multi-purpose weed killer and salad dressing!"
Sasami and Tenchi just stared at her. Mayuka decided it was time for a nap.
"I just hope weeds are all it kills," was Tenchi's only comment.
Washu cracked a huge grin. "Of course. In fact, it brings out the flavour of the carrots too. That's why it's a salad dressing as well."
"Wow, Washu, that's great!" said Sasami, obviously exited.
"Naturally," came Washu's fairly typical reply. "Well, actually those are the only things I know it does so far, but I'm sure there's more, otherwise I'd have called it dual-purpose. Don't worry though. I'll find them out eventually."
Tenchi and Sasami sweatdropped as Washu sprinkled some of the oily red liquid over her breakfast, then started shovelling the new 'delicacy' in.
On the roof the two men had finished their work and climbed down. Actually, since the ladder had long since fallen over, Katsuhito jumped down with his usual grace, and Nobuyuki clambered off backwards with very little grace indeed, but at least he landed on his feet.
"Okay Washu-chan, we're done," called Nobuyuki. "I'd better get back to my work. Thanks to my little granddaughter there I've manage to do nothing for the last three days."
"Aa, hank ou Ohuhuki-dono," was Washu's reply though a mouthful of red rice.
"And I should be getting back to the shrine," added Katsuhito, leaving before anyone could comment.
"Washu," Tenchi said turning to her, "you still haven't said why you decided we needed a new shed here, and why it looks like that."
"I'll explain when we get back to the house and I can activate it. And you can put little sleeping beauty to bed."
Sasami gathered up the remains of their meals and headed off with the others, Tenchi cradling Mayuka and Washu wondering the best way to explain temporal translocation theory within bilateral dimension inlets so that the human mind could understand.
***
Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other.
The princess now had a few more bruises to add to herself from the fall and was aching or stinging pretty much everywhere. A small trickle of blood seeped from the back of her left hand where a nail had caught it rather badly when she had landed.
Ryoko was now covered in little black burn marks and was smoking slightly. Her hair stuck out more than usual and in a variety of directions. This fight had landed her a good hit from one of Ayeka's electricity fields.
"I need a bath," said Ryoko wearily.
"Me too," replied Ayeka.
They headed off to have a good soak in the onsen that floated above the Masaki grounds. Meanwhile, back at the new shed, the two Juraian guardians watch as the others wandered back to the house.
"I wonder why we always get left out?" said Kamidake as he finished pushing in the last nail on the roof with his foot pod.
"We are only servants," replied Azaka, "although a little recognition every now and then would be nice."
Kamidake thought for a moment. "Well, at least we don't have to weed."
"True, true," replied his consanguine compatriot.
The two huge logs floated down and back to the gate of the Masaki residence, discussing what it meant to be an organically based artificially intelligent life form. They always had plenty of time for philosophy. There wasn't much else to do.
***
Down in the town, something teal stirred in its futon.
"Ah, good morning sleepy-head," said Mihoshi as she wandered back into the main room.
The teal hair parted as Kiyone slowly sat up and gave a yawn. She felt groggy as hell, but at least it was a good well slept groggy. Most mornings were a nightmare for her.
"Morning... Mihoshi," Kiyone managed as she focused back into the world. "What time is it?"
"Umm... It's about ten thirty I think," she replied, evidently as awake and energetic as she could get, which was quite a bit. "Did you sleep well? You were still up when I went to bed you know."
Kiyone got up and stretched. "Yeah, eventually. I haven't slept that well in weeks."
She headed off into the kitchen for some coffee.
"Have we got any bills left over? I've almost finished the... DID YOU SAY TEN THIRTY?!?"
Mihoshi looked up from the left over post towards the kitchen. "Yes, I did, but it's more like ten thirty five now."
Oh that's right, the blonde thought, this watch is a bit fast. I'll have to remember that next time. Just like the last time. And all the last times for the past three days.
I'd better let Kiyone know. She would probably think it's important if she yelled like that.
"Err, Kiyone, I just remembered. It will actually be ten twenty because..."
Kiyone cut her off. "Never mind Mihoshi! Just get dressed, we're already late!" She flew back into the room (not literally, unlike Ryoko she couldn't do that) fumbling with her bra strap while trying to put on her socks using just her toes.
Mihoshi couldn't understand that. She was already dressed. Although she reasoned she should probably change since she slept in them. She stripped off and pulled on a sweatshirt and baggy trousers while Kiyone fought with her jeans.
"Kiyone? How are we late?" Mihoshi asked genuinely puzzled. "We don't work on Sunday remember? And we don't have patrol 'till this evening."
Kiyone didn't have time for a debate on logic with her. How could she have forgotten to set her alarm? Simple, she'd been knackered.
"We were supposed to be helping Washu remember?" Naturally Mihoshi's memory needed jogging. "Try and get that shed built before he gets up. Plus Tenchi asked if we could help in the fields since he's got to weed before he plants the next crop."
"Oh yeah!" Mihoshi beamed as she remembered and started packing away their futons. "That was a really nice idea you know? And since we moved out we haven't really helped them out as much so it's kind of like a thank you isn't it? And I havn't seen them all week because we've been so busy..."
She paused. Tenchi always slept heavily. She remembered that from she when she tripped over him when he fell asleep in front of the TV. She thought it was really funny how he didn't wake up then even when she fell into his lap. But he *did* get up by the time Sasami had finished making breakfast. Because Sasami always made breakfast around the same time (which was late enough for Ryoko to be up but early enough so she wasn't hungry herself) everyone was used to getting up for that time. It was routine, like when Kiyone and she went on patrol. And that would mean...
"Umm... Kiyone? Won't Tenchi be up by now?"
"That's why we're late Mihoshi!"
Mihoshi was confused. "Then... why were you still sleep Kiyone?"
"Because I overslept! I forgot to set my alarm clock! My partner didn't remember and wake me up! Okay?"
To Mihoshi all three made perfect sense.
"Oh. Okay, but next time you shou-woooeeeaaah!" she cried as Kiyone grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the apartment.
Kiyone locked the door and started off towards the Masaki's place. Better to get going before Mihoshi managed to dig herself even further into her nerves.
***
Tenchi finished tucking his daughter into her crib and headed off to find Washu, resigned to another long lecture he had no hope of understanding.
He headed through the door under the stairs and into the vast space that was Washu's laboratory. The oval decking was bare except for a large floating computer bank. No Washu. He headed off through the grass below and through the soon-appearing door, only to find himself in the massive aquarium that served as a relaxation centre for its owner. But no Washu. Back through the door and he was standing in the beautiful Juraian-style room that housed the growing Ryu-oh. A wooden circle sat at the centre of the room, a circular patterning of water channels leading to the tree. No Washu. Back through the door and into the little room full of wires and straps and monitors and lights. He suppressed a mental shudder. If she was in here he didn't want to find her.
He soon found himself back at the entrance deck, wondering whether he should try one of the other doors. This one seemed to take him everywhere except where he wanted to go. He almost jumped out of skin when the voice broke into his thoughts.
"Ah, Tenchi-dono. Where have you been?"
It was Washu.
Tenchi decided telling her that her door took him on a whirlwind tour of sub-space wasn't a good strategy. "Oh, I just got here. You said you would tell me about that shed?"
"Oh yes, of course. Follow me." She headed in the door that Tenchi had just left. He followed, not looking forward to Washu discovering one of her doors didn't work right. When he found himself in the small 'lecture theatre' he decided to file it under 'weird space type things' and sat down in one of the school desks that suddenly popped out of the solid stone floor. Sasami gave him a sympathetic look and they settled down for the talk.
Washu strolled back in wearing her full Science Academy garb and rolled down the screen.
"Now Tenchi, and Sasami, the purpose of this shed," up came a picture of said shed, "is to facilitate the saving of both time and energy when travelling between the house," picture of their house, "and the fields." A picture of the fields popped up. Both Tenchi and Sasami nodded.
"This is made possible because the shed incorporates my latest, and smallest, spatial transference emitters. Because the shed exists both in temporal space and..." Sasami shot her hand up.
"Yes Sasami-chan."
"Washu-sensei, what is a spatial tans... thingy emitter?"
"Right, good question. A spatial transference emitter is a device that allows an object to pass from a point in space to a point in sub-space by passing through the field it creates." At Sasami and Tenchi's nod she continued.
"Because the shed exists both in temporal, or real space, and sub-space it allows you to move from point A, the shed you saw, to sub- space, and then on to point B, the shed I put up at the carrot fields." An image came up showing a shed split down the middle with a lot of arrows, notes and little chibi-Washus.
This time Tenchi raised his hand. "So it's like your doors here then. I go in at this end and when I come out I'm somewhere else."
Washu beamed. "Yes exactly, but these doors will only go to one place, instead of wherever you want to go. My lab doors hover between real space and sub-space, so you only need the one to go anywhere in the lab. I thought that might freak out some of the less sub-spatially aware members of the household though, so in the shed the doors are anchored. One door will go from here to the shed and back, the other from the shed to the carrot fields and back." She beamed again, silently congratulating herself for the amazingly user friendly design of it all.
Sasami tentatively raised her hand again.
"Yes Sasami-chan?"
"Umm, Washu-sensei? There is only one door in the shed."
"What?"
"When we made the shed, there was only one door."
Washu looked at the blue haired girl for a second. Hmmm. This could be a problem.
She quickly ducked behind her podium and came out with armfuls of schematics. As she poured over them looking for such an obvious mistake Sasami and Tenchi looked over at each other and shrugged.
***
While the greatest scientific genius in the universe was trying to live up to her title Ayeka and Ryoko were taking a soak in the onsen.
Ryoko lay floating by one of the waterfalls the multi layered baths created, only her face visible above the water, a small dish of sake balanced between her submerged breasts. She let out a sigh. Life is good, was the only thought she could summon at the moment.
"It is rather pleasant isn't it?" Ayeka's voice drifted across the water.
"Mmm hmmm."
"... Could you pass the sake please?"
Ryoko cracked open her eyes. She hooked her toe under the rim of the requested wash bucket and pushed it over to the reclining princess, who stopped it with her right hand. Ryoko smiled as she set a dish in the water and tried to pour one handed, her left held floating in front of her.
"You know, Washu should probably see to that. You wouldn't want it to blemish that oh so beautiful skin of yours."
"True," Ayeka replied, blatantly ignoring the sarcasm in her companion's voice, "such beautiful skin requires care you know."
Ryoko laughed. "Tsunami knows you need every advantage you can get!"
Ayeka didn't rise to it. "It is nice that I really do have Tsunami on my side." She took a sip of her sake.
This brought Ryoko up short. She had never been good at wordplay. Time to let this one go I think.
"I wonder if she'll be here for lunch again."
Ayeka didn't miss the change of subject, and was honestly grateful for it. She didn't feel up to another scuffle. "It would be nice."
"..." Ryoko didn't really know what to say to that, so she lay back and closed her eyes again. It surprised her a little when Ayeka spoke again.
"I think I'm going to have to take Washu's bait though."
"Huh?" came the puzzled response as Ryoko sat up again, this time spilling her sake down her stomach.
Ayeka chuckled. Once again poor Ryoko had missed the thread. "Washu. I'm going to have to get her to explain this business with the shed. It does seem a little strange don't you think?"
"Everything with Washu is strange. I guess an explanation wouldn't hurt though. I don't want Tenchi sent off somewhere weird."
Ayeka agreed. "Yes, but at least you got to follow him last time."
Ryoko dipped herself under the water, rinsing off the alcohol. "Believe me, you should be glad you just got to save the day. It was freaky. I'm glad the real Christmas wasn't like that."
Ayeka just chuckled again. "Well, we did get Mayuka-chan out of it."
Ryoko smiled. "I guess she is cute."
"Of course she is. She is Tenchi-sama's."
"Yeah." Ryoko leaned back against the side, a wistful smile on her face.
They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually Ayeka rose and stepped out. "I think that is enough for me. I'm starting to prune."
Ryoko smirked at the chance. "Like that makes any difference."
Ayeka removed her bathing towel and began to dry herself. "Well you were a prune for centuries," she retorted, as annoyed at her slip as at Ryoko.
Ryoko floated out of the water and over to her. "And just look at me now huh?" she said, showing off her very nude body.
"Well, I don't think I have anything to worry about then, do I?" Ayeka had been prepared for Ryoko's exhibitionist act and expertly ignored her.
Once again Ryoko had been beaten by herself. She decided that it was going to be one of those days and set about drying herself with vigour. Ayeka put on the various layers of her outfit as Ryoko phased slightly, re-appearing fully clothed in an instant, synthetic tail twitching. She liked this outfit for those days full of little annoyances.
One annoyance in question was pulling her hair out of it's pouch, letting the two long purple tresses fall nearly to the ground. Ayeka checked her clothing, making sure she was presentable again before heading for the door, followed by Ryoko.
***
"So you see because the sub-space room has two exits, each shed created in real space only needs one, since they and the structure in sub-space are not actually the same building." Washu took a long breath.
"Okay, so the sub-space building could be anything, of any size, and still work the same."
"Yes, that's right Tenchi."
Tenchi had it sussed. His last question would completely floor the genius, and it would be worth it for the look on her face.
"Right, so why not just make a pair of doors. Why a whole shed?"
"What would it looks like if you suddenly appeared out of thin air in the middle of the fields? And a single door just standing there?"
"Ah. Of course."
"And you can store stuff in it too!"
Sasami giggled. "I have to start on the lunch now."
Washu clapped her hands and the desks, podium and screen all vanished back from whence they came. "Well, I'll finish testing out that weed killer then. Come on."
They headed out of the room and back to the main entrance of Washu's lab. As they stepped though to the hallway of the Masaki house Tenchi managed to bump into Ayeka.
"Oh! Ayeka-san. I'm sorry."
Ayeka regained her composure, trying to suppress the faint blush that rose on her cheeks. "No Tenchi-sama, it is my fault. Is Washu- san in there?"
Washu peeked out from the door and got them all into the hall. "Ah, princess, what can I do for you?"
Ayeka showed her her left hand. "I was wondering if you have anything for this. It is rather painful."
As if to test the theory Washu gave the gash a poke eliciting a pained gasp from Ayeka.
"Washu-chan!" Tenchi exclaimed.
Washu ignored him and stuck her hand into the hole that appeared by her side. "I think I can help with that." She pulled out a white tube with her crab logo on the side. "Put some of that on and it'll heal in no time. I really must teach my daughter about how to treat dignitaries."
"Stow it 'mom'," came Ryoko's reply
"Actually Washu-chan," said Ayeka, "as hard as is to believe, for once this was not Ryoko's work. It happened during that little incident with the shed."
"Yeah," seconded Ryoko, "and what's the deal with that anyway. You're not sending my Tenchi anywhere 'til you tell me how it works."
"*Your* Tenchi?" came Ayeka's lightly menacing inquiry.
"And you'd better make it so we can understand 'cos..." Ryoko was cut off by having a video tape pointed at her. She looked at Washu for an answer.
"I'm not explaining it again, so I taped it for you. Enjoy!" Washu called as she headed back into her lab. Sasami took the opportunity to head off to the kitchen, and was soon humming as she prepared the meal.
Tenchi headed off to persuade his grandfather to help with the fields. While most people would think such a request was harsh on an old man, most people did not know Katsuhito Masaki. He was as capable as he had ever been, and showed it. Especially during sword practice, in which he would repeatedly humiliate Tenchi into getting better, since Tenchi had no chance of beating him in a real sparring match. Despite the embarrassing and some times unusual training methods it did work, and he was definitely getting better. Now it was just a matter of getting the old man to help with the workload.
Ayeka and Ryoko watched him leave then turned to each other.
"I suppose we had better watch the tape," said the princess.
Ryoko nodded and they headed in to living room.
Just at that moment the front door opened revealing Mihoshi and Kiyone, both rather out of breath. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at them with raised eyebrows.
Kiyone looked back at them. "We missed it, didn't we?" she said when she had caught her breath.
"Yep," Ryoko replied. "All done and dusted."
"Literally," quipped Ayeka.
Kiyone hung her shoulders. Mihoshi, as always, had a positive take on the situation though. "Well, at least we can still help this afternoon, right?"
"Yeah," said Kiyone take off her shoes. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"No, come on in," said Ryoko. "The dreaded Washu had given us this." She held up the tape. "I think you two had better watch it too."
They all filtered into the room and Ryoko shoved in the tape. When it didn't explode she sat back down and hit play.
"Now Tenchi, and Sasami, the purpose of this shed..."
***
It was, as usual when most everybody came to eat, quite crowded around the Masaki's table. In fact only Katsuhito was missing, having decided to dine up at the shrine. Of course Tenchi knew the real reason why his grandfather wasn't there. An hour ago he had come back down the long stairway that led to the shrine thoroughly at peace with the world. Several minutes later he had realised that his grandfather had, yet again, somehow managed to talk his way out of helping in the fields.
"I don't get it," Tenchi griped as he helped himself to more rice. "I go up there with the perfect argument and he still manages to be the one who is right."
"Mother Funaho is the same Tenchi-sama," said Ayeka. "It is absolutely impossible to win an argument with her."
"'ats probably where he gets it from," said Ryoko through a mouthful of rice, and getting a glare from Ayeka for it.
"Remember he has had a long time to practice," said Tsunami as she passed her empty cup to Sasami.
Washu clacked her chopsticks against her bowl, getting everyone's attention, before swallowing. "Exactly. He has had his children and grandchildren to practice on. Probably all those stuffy guys in court too." She went back to the remains of her fish.
Kiyone leaned back on her hands. "Ah, that was great as usual Sasami."
"Mmm hmm. *gulp* It's really good," said Mihoshi as she finished off her last pieces of onion.
"Thanks, but Tsunami helped too."
"Well, thank you as well Tsunami," said Tenchi as he cleaned his bowl. Nobuyuki nodded, his bowl empty but mouth still full.
Tsunami just smiled and began to gather the dishes.
"Oh, there are some more vegetables left if anyone wants them. Onee-sama?" said Sasami as she offered the bowl round.
"Not for me thank you," Ayeka replied.
"Naw. I'm stuffed," said Ryoko.
"Miyaaa!" cried Ryo-ohki.
Sasami giggled and offered the bowl to the toddler, who carefully removed all the remaining carrots.
Sasami looked back at her. "Of course. Anyone else?"
Tenchi and Nobuyuki both shook their heads, followed by Kiyone.
"No thank you. It was very nice though," said Mihoshi as she let herself fall backwards, thoroughly content.
Washu slapped her hand on the table. "Don't worry Sasami. I won't let all that good fibre go to waste." She stuck in her chopsticks, managing to get all the leftovers in one go. "Vitamin C here we come!"
After her theatrical last bite Washu took the rest of the dishes through to the two blue haired chefs and the others made themselves comfortable.
"So Tenchi, what is it we'll be doing this afternoon?" said Kiyone as she picked her partner off the floor and guided her to the couch.
"Well, we just need to clear the weeds so they don't get out of hand when we plant this next crop of carrots," Tenchi explained. "I'll show you what to do when we get up there."
Washu popped her head round the door. "Oh Tenchi-dono."
"Umm... Yes Washu-chan?" Tenchi felt a little worried by the playful lilt of her voice.
Washu bounced into the room holding a chart. "I took the liberty of setting up a little work chart for us, so we know what we all have to do."
Tenchi relaxed. "Oh that's great. Let's have a look."
Washu spread the chart out on the table. It looked like a map of the carrot fields with lots of pictures of the participants, all as chibis.
Nobuyuki looked at the map, then at his son, a tinge of guilt etching his features. "I'm sorry Tenchi but I'm afraid I'm going to have to bow out of this today. I still have work to have done by tomorrow."
Tenchi felt a little disappointed but tried not to let it show. His father, despite his talent at his job, managed to get overworked enough as it was. "That's okay dad. I think we'll be able to manage."
"Of course," chimed Washu. "I think Tsunami and Ryo-ohki will be able to manage their plot, right?" She looked at the humanoid cabbit.
"Myia," Ryo-ohki said in confirmation, although she secretly wished she had been put with Sasami.
"I'm sure we will be fine Washu," said Tsunami as she emerged from the kitchen.
"-chan," Washu said beaming at the goddess.
"I'm sure we will be fine Washu-chan," she acknowledged with light amusement.
"Okay," said Tenchi, "Sasami and I will take these two plots, Mihoshi and Kiyone take these two..."
"Roger," said Mihoshi in her business voice, giving Tenchi a salute.
Tenchi smiled and nodded. "...Ayeka and Ryoko take these two. But no fighting."
"Don't worry Tenchi-sama. Nothing untoward will happen," Ayeka said.
"Yeah," Ryoko chipped in smiling, "we'll be good."
Tenchi turned back to the map. "Tsunami and Ryo-ohki will take these two, and Washu these three. Three?"
Washu smiled her 'I'm a genius and know it' smile. "I'm using my 'Washu's multi-purpose weed killer and salad dressing'. I just need a watering can. I won't even have get my fingers dirty."
"Oh?" said Tenchi, puzzled.
"Once they're dead it's all good fertiliser Tenchi."
"I suppose. I guess this one with the skulls on is the unusable one."
"Yep, and I think Tenchi would appreciate it if you didn't do the same thing this year Ryoko-chan!" Washu said pouring on the cuteness at the ex-pirate.
Ryoko looked down at her lap. "I said I was sorry," she pouted. "I was only trying to help."
"Energy manipulation is good for many things Ryoko, but crop farming isn't one of them." Washu knew she wouldn't make that mistake again, but a good dose of embarrassment would help send the message home.
"I get it. No energy waves."
Ayeka rose from her chair. "Well, since we all know what we are doing we should get started, correct? I'm sure we would all like to get finished before dark and it is supposed to rain this evening."
"Yeah," Ryoko said as she floated to her feet. "Let's see if this shed of yours actually works, eh Washu? Oww. Hey what was that for."
"My inventions *always* work," Washu said as she folded up her ruler.
Ryoko followed the others, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, eventually." she mumbled.
***
As they reached the shed Washu opened the door and presented the inside of her latest masterpiece. "Each of you walk through, take a hoe, and walk out the door on the other side. Simple huh?"
"Yes, simple," Ayeka said to herself, quietly wishing she hadn't been the first to arrive. She readied herself. After all, she thought, what could go wrong? The list she came up with didn't give her confidence. Knowing that Tenchi would help her if something did go wrong she stepped though the door.
Kiyone stepped up to the door. She had a door like this in her apartment. She had used it to get to the Yagami plenty of times. Why should this be any different? Simple, this rather extended family had a habit of finding trouble, especially when Washu's machines were concerned. Oh well, here goes nothing. Kiyone stepped through the door.
Mihoshi was next up. "See you soon everyone!" She waved at the remaining group. After all, Washu's inventions always worked, and even if they didn't they always managed to get fixed and no one ever got hurt or anything. I wonder why Kiyone hesitated, she thought to herself. What if I do something wrong though, and it doesn't work right, or blows up, or makes hundreds of little me's that run around anywhere? Well, Washu said it was okay, so it'll be alright. She stepped through the door.
Ryoko touched down in front of the door. Maybe flying through it wasn't a great idea. Just follow the instructions, don't use my powers, and kill Washu if anything goes wrong. She turned to the diminutive scientist. "If this thing sends me to Palishia you are so dead."
Washu just smiled at her. Ryoko frowned, braced herself, and stepped through the door.
Sasami looked up at Washu, the now animal sized Ryo-ohki doing the same from her arms. "Umm, Washu? This is safe, isn't it?"
Washu smiled as the young girl. "Of course, you don't think the great Washu would sent you through without testing it first would you?"
Sasami smiled back and shook her head. "No, you're right, I'm being silly huh? Thanks Washu."
"No worries kiddo," said Washu as the young princess stepped though.
Tsunami walked up to Washu. "Of course you did test it." Tsunami looked down smiling lightly at the scientist.
Washu brought her hands behind her back and scuffed her foot in the ground. "You don't trust me Tsunami?" she asked in her cutest voice. "I'm hurt."
Tsunami just smiled a knowing smile and stepped through the door, knowing it would work. Probably. Nothing was certain with Washu. It would be interesting whatever happened.
Finally Tenchi stepped up to the shed. It seemed such a small thing. A rather simple, if twisted, shed. But it always seemed to be the little things that caused the big changes in his life. You know Tenchi, thinking like that is asking for trouble. The others had seemed nervous but they had gone, so through he would go.
"Come on Tenchi-dono. I'm not that bad." Washu was smiling at him.
He chuckled at his own uncertainty. "No, I guess not."
Washu winked at him. "Well, let's go see what happened to the others shall we?" She chuckled before stepping through the door.
Tenchi shook his head, a bemused smile on his face as he stepped through after her.
***
Tenchi stepped through the door opposite and out of the shed having taken one of the hoes hanging on the wall. So far so good, he thought.
He emerged in the carrot fields, by the tree he would eat under when working through lunch. He looked around to see everyone standing about, each with a hoe in hand.
He turned to see the place he had emerged from. It was an exact mirror image of the shed in the path clearing. He turned back to the others and smiled, returning the V signal that Washu and Sasami gave him.
"Well," said Ryoko, who was wearing an unusually plain outfit she had created for this type of work, "that was anticlimactic."
Everyone looked at her before breaking in laughter.
***
Several hours after their shed test drive everyone had moved onto the second of their plots.
Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... The mantra repeated itself in Ayeka's head, keeping her arms moving despite the emerging stiffness. Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear...
Several meters away Ryoko was flying back and forth along the plot's edge skimming the hoe along the ground.
"You know," she said, "this isn't that bad once you get into it."
Ayeka looked up her, determined not to get envious at the ease with which Ryoko did her work. "Well you just keep at it then. It is nice to see you actually working for a change."
"Don't be like that," Ryoko called as she made another pass. "Just because I took the lion's share of the last plot is no reason to get stuffy. We'll be finished soon anyway."
"Yes, and for that I am eternally grateful. I am not designed for this type of work. I think I'll need another soak if I am ever planning on moving again." She gathered her latest pile of foliage and brought it over to the pile in the corner of the plot for Ryoko to incinerate.
"Well I won't be blowing up any towns after this either," said Ryoko as she scraped her own pile over. "Hot bath and hot sake is all I need just now. This damn grit gets everywhere!"
Ayeka huffed as she went back to her line. "The last thing we need right now Ryoko is to have you drunk. You're a menace as it is with that tool."
"At least I'm getting it done unlike some whining little girls who can't pull their weight. Or is that bulk?" Ryoko was getting ticked off now.
Ayeka on the other hand had reached the end of her tether. "That's rich coming from the woman who leaves her friends to starve while she gallivants around the system stuffing herself silly! I suppose after several centuries of genocide who would notice a half dozen more?"
This hit Ryoko right between the eyes. "Why you arrogant little..."
When the balls of energy started to gather in the enraged woman's palms Ayeka realised her mistake. "Ryoko wait, Tenchi-sama said we weren't to fight."
"Take it back." Ryoko growled, her voice raising instantly. "*TAKE IT BACK!*"
Ayeka bowed her head. "I apologise for my behaviour Ryoko- san. I did not mean to use such harsh words." She looked up at her. "I'm just hot. And tired. And I ache. And I really want to finish this job."
Ryoko settled back to the ground and let the power dissipate. "Yeah, well, let's get on with it then. I didn't want to screw up another field anyway. I just... I didn't..."
Ayeka allowed herself a small smile. "I know it wasn't you're fault Ryoko-san. The matter has been settled remember? Let's just finish up."
"Yeah." Ryoko gave a grin. "Course next time I'll kick your ass!"
"We shall see Ryoko." Ayeka picked up her hoe and went back to her line again.
As she passed Ryoko, once again airborne, she heard the call, "Whoever finishes last fetches the sake!"
Ayeka sighed, wondering if she would even be able to reach up to the cupboard after this.
***
Over on the opposite side of the fields Sasami lifted the last of her weed piles, placing it with the rest of the unwanted plants. Tenchi was still working his section of the plot, having taken a larger area than her in both of them. She settled herself down on the large rock by the end of the row and watched him work. Despite not being the warmest of weather he had discarded his shirt when they finished the last plot, and she could see the muscles in his back work out as he made short work of the last stretch of weed infested earth. He hadn't had those muscles when she had first met him. She soon found herself having to suppress a blush. Maybe if I was a few years older...
She quickly quashed that thought. Her sister was quite obvious about her attraction to him, and Ryoko nee-chan felt the same. Even if she did like him like that the last thing he needed was another suitor! He was sort of cute though, she couldn't deny it. Well, cute or not she hadn't asked Washu to pair them up together just so she could watch him at work.
She wandered over to him as he put down his hoe. "Tenchi nii- chan, can we talk?"
He mopped his brow with his shirt before putting it back on. He'd be having a bath afterwards anyway. "Sure Sasami-chan, what is it?"
Sasami frowned as she tried to think of the right wording. "Umm, you know how we had that party for your birthday last year? Well, we haven't really had anything like that here and it's Ayeka's birthday the day after tomorrow."
Tenchi was shocked. He had never thought about that. He didn't even know when their birthdays were. "We haven't had birthdays for any of you have we? I'm really sorry Sasami it never even crossed my mind. How did you work it out though? I assume Jurai years and Earth years are different."
"Oh, I asked Washu that!" Sasami replied with a grin. "I was just hoping we could make it a surprise! I think she would really like that."
Tenchi smiled, "That's a great idea. I think we can set everything up in time, but do you think we'll be able to keep it quiet? You know Ryoko will hang a secret right under her nose."
Sasami just kept her smile. "But if you think about what Ayeka will look like when we surprise her if she doesn't know about it, I think Ryoko nee-chan would like that too." She sat down on the path that ran past the plot. "And I really want it to be nice, so Ryoko won't do anything. We're friends."
"I'm amazed you two get on so well when she and Ayeka-san fight so much," Tenchi mused as he sat beside her. "And I wish they were fighting over something other than me!"
"Yeah, they like each other really, they just both want to be the one who's right." Sasami bowed her head in thought, trying to find another way of keeping her sister and friend from being mean to each other.
Tenchi noticed her change of mood and decided to lighten the atmosphere again. "They'll grow out of it I think. Anyway, what is the plan for this party?"
"Oh, yeah," Sasami said, bringing her attention back to her plan, "I was thinking we could all go shopping tomorrow and then get up in the night to put up decorations and things. But I don't know how to stop her coming out with us. I don't want her to think we don't want her around, like in those manga I read where everything went wrong because everybody kept her out."
Tenchi thought about that. How could Ayeka be convinced to stay home alone? He could offer to stay with her, but he also needed to get her a present. "Hmm, well we'll have to think of something. Also, do you think you could find a way to wake up and leave the room at night without waking her up? That might be hard."
Sasami frowned. "I hadn't thought of that either. I suppose I could ask to sleep with you for one night, but she knows I like that story she's been writing. She reads it to me when I can't sleep."
"Do you think she'd let me borrow it?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. She never lets anyone read her stories, and hides the book so I can't look at it when she isn't there."
Tenchi chuckled. "You wouldn't do that would you Sasami- chan?"
Sasami smiled sheepishly and looked at her feet. "Um, well, maybe just a little," she admitted.
Tenchi smiled again and looked up to see Washu, Mihoshi and Kiyone coming down the path. "Hi guys, you've finished?"
"Finally," Kiyone replied. "This is a lot more tiring than it looks. You do this every year?"
"Yeah, since we got it anyway. You guys have been a great help. It would usually take me a good couple of days to finish the whole thing."
"Well, I think Tsunami and Ryo-ohki are nearly done," said Washu as she sidled up to Tenchi. "I decided to give them a hand since I finished early and Ryoko said she and Ayeka were just clearing up when I passed them. Shall we?" She gestured for them to head back to the shed.
Tenchi nodded and got up, followed by Sasami, and they headed off. Sasami caught herself looking at Tenchi's frame again, despite him wearing his shirt. You're too young to be thinking like that Sasami, she chided herself, so just stop it. And this is Tenchi nii-chan after all. Even so she allowed herself a small private smile.
"I think I need a bath." mused Mihoshi.
"I think everyone will be thinking that by now." replied Kiyone.
***
The onsen was quiet, filled only with the sound of Mihoshi's light snoring and the light shower playing across the onsen's dome. Sasami and Ryo-ohki had already left, having exhausted themselves in a thorough splash fight with Ryoko, who was floating lazily in the middle, a dish of sake alongside her. Sasami still needed to prepare the dinner and Washu had decided to help her after saving Nobuyuki from his granddaughter. Tenchi himself was daydreaming in one of the upper pools, the girls having taken the main one. Tsunami had politely declined the invitation, saying she would try it next time.
Kiyone sipped the last of her sake and decided that was enough for now, she still had plans and Mihoshi didn't really need to sleep at 6.00pm. She scooted closer to Ayeka, who was reclining lightly in the water with her eyes closed.
"Umm, Ayeka. Are you awake?" she asked.
Ayeka opened her eyes. "Yes."
Kiyone plucked up her courage and continued on. "I was kind of wondering if I could ask a favour."
Ayeka sat up intrigued. Kiyone was very independent and rarely asked for anything. "Of course, was is it?"
"Well, you know you said you would cover for me if I wanted to, well, think about having some sort of relationship? I'd like to take up that offer."
This woke Ayeka up! She stared at the obviously embarrassed detective. "Kiyone, this is great! Of course I'll cover for you. Is it anyone we know?"
This embarrassed Kiyone even further and she looked down into the water. "Well, we haven't been out or anything but I talked to him when I went out last week and he does seem quite nice. He is usually in the same bar in the evenings so I was thinking of meeting him there tonight."
"Well by all means do go," said Ayeka. She leaned in conspiratorially, "And let me know how it goes okay?"
Kiyone nodded and looked around. It seemed like no one had overheard despite Ayeka's enthusiasm, so that was all right. She didn't really want her dating exploits to be made public knowledge, although it would get round the place soon enough.
"Thanks Ayeka," she said before getting up and wading over to the snoozing Mihoshi. Ayeka nodded, leaned back and closed her eyes again with a smile playing across her face.
***
High above them in geostationary orbit a small ship hung, it's sensors pointed at the small island country below. Its deep auburn wooden hull indicating its origin and the design was both small and elegant giving the impression of both manoeuvrability and an owner with a great deal of class.
Inside, the owner viewed the results of the weapons testing they had made. It was good. It looked like it would be even easier to implement than he had expected, and he took a moment to savour the thought. Planning was everything and he wouldn't be caught out. He gave the report to the metallic insect-like automaton at his side. "Good. Commence with the operation. Give the order to raise optical shields. This planet still uses direct visual observation."
The machine gave off a ream of noises as it confirmed the orders and scuttled off to deal with the solid material it had been given. He watched it go, admiring the precision and mechanical grace with which it moved. So few people appreciated such work in this day and age.
He sat back in his chair and waited. He had waited a long time to play his hand, gathering his pieces carefully. Time for all his work to pay off. He smiled and brought up an image of the planet he orbited. It would at least be entertaining to watch.
***
To Be Continued...
---------------
Please send any comments and criticisms to:
nutzoide@hotmail.com
Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.
If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.
Author's Notes:
Wow, this chapter took way too long to write, about 5 months from start to end! I blame coursework, the holiday my muse took, and all you great fanfic writers whose work I read instead of working on this. ^-^ I'll definitely try to get the next one out faster!
I know this has been a very slow chapter, and if you are wondering when something is actually going to happen, I can assure you it will be soon. Actually, this fic is going to be pretty slow in general, since the story I'm trying to get down needs a bit of a subtle approach, and there will probably be plenty of day to day stuff in the plot. There will however be plenty of stuff going on as well, so stay tuned.
I have also put a 'posted' date at the bottom. The reason for this is that I don't post a chapter until the next is written and being proof-read. This allows me to come back to each chapter after a while and make any alterations I feel it it needs looking at it in both hindsight and in relation to the following one, thus hopefully making it a better chapter.
***
Translation Notes:
-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers.
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.
-dono: Also translated as 'Lord' but I don't know the specifics of this one. I'm guessing it is a bit less formal than '-sama'.
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'sister'. The '-sama' variation is 'big sister' and the '-chan' one is 'little sister'.
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for the family because she is young / being cute / because they are all close family to her.
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'.
Chibi: Translates as small and used when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime for comic effect.
Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.
Sake: Japanese rice wine.
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself.
Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.
***
Completed: January 26th - 2003
Posted: February 9th - 2003
Fanfiction.net revised format version: March 10th - 2003
***
Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -
Chapter 1: Peace and Quiet?
Tenchi darted into the living room, his eyes scanning for some clue as to the whereabouts of the others.
Don't panic yet Tenchi, get a grip, he thought as he tried to find some scrap of proof that the others were around, or at least all right.
Alright, so they haven't left a note. They probably just forgot to tell me they were going out... No special dates today? He looked over at the calendar. No, OK. Mayuka!
The worried teen ran over to the cot in the corner of the room, an unpleasantly familiar crawling sensation rising in his stomach. Usually one of the girls would have her in the mornings, and if they were gone...
NO! Oh HELL! His mind screamed at him as he looked down at his infant's empty crib. Wait, wait. Don't panic yet. She's wherever they are, so she'll be okay.
As he stepped back and his foot slipped from under him. He gave a growl of pain, wincing as his backside took the force of the impact with the wooden floor, and looked over at the cause of his fall. It was a half eaten carrot.
Tenchi panicked and ran to his room.
***
A few minutes walk from the house the battle had finally begun. Each side faced off over the wooden decking, each determined to be the victor. The first swing was made.
Washu was monitoring the situation carefully. One false move and the result could be catastrophic. She looked at each fighter, praying that the battle could be won quickly.
Sasami was holding Mayuka tightly protecting her from any debris with as good an energy shield as she could create.
With an almighty lurch the roof gave way. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at each other with terrified expressions. They each managed a strangled scream before they were engulfed in the falling timber as the entire right side of the roof fell apart.
***
Tenchi came down the stairs as fast as he could. He missed the last step and came crashing to the floor, his lip splitting as it made contact with the polished wood.
His mind didn't even register the pain as he scrambled to his feet. It was something big if it could tear Ryo-ohki away halfway though a carrot. He managed to stop himself just in time to open the glass door before careering out onto the grass, the Tenchi-ken grasped in his hand, as though if he held hard enough it might lead him to them.
All he could hear now was the blood pumping in his ears as he looked frantically around for some clue as to where they might be.
Over to his left, just in the trees by the wooded path that led up to the rear of the Masaki Shrine, he saw what he was looking for. The rising cloud was faint, but it was still there. He ran like a man possessed.
***
In less that a minute he reached the small path-side clearing. He had seen many things since the girls had arrived in his life, but this was by far the strangest.
Ryoko and Ayeka. Covered in dust. Writhing around on top of each other!
Washu and Sasami were rolling around in fits of laughter with Mayuka looking fascinated at the spectacle from Sasami's arms. Ryo- ohki was in her toddler form and was running around giggling and removing the debris from the pair as they disentangled themselves, all the while glowering at each other.
His father and grandfather were kneeling on the left side of the roof nailing it down while Azaka and Kamidake seemed to be manoeuvring the planks Ryo-ohki passed them back onto the right side using their force fields. They too were covered in dust and dirt.
And in the middle of all this was a shed. One side was taller than the other, the roof was a bit lop-sided and the door and its frame, though fitting together perfectly, were definitely not rectangular. It was rather like something out of one of those weird American Tim Burton films he had seen. But it *was* a shed.
Tenchi tucked the Tenchi-ken into his pocket and scratched his head. He felt relieved. He also felt like a complete prat.
Washu caught sight of him as she tried to calm herself.
"Ah, he he, Tenchi-dono. I was wondering when you'd be coming round."
Tenchi decided he might as well find out what was going on, and whether it would end up causing him any trouble. Just having the girls there was trouble enough.
"Umm... Washu-chan?" he asked cautiously, "What's going on here? What is that?"
Washu turned on her cute charm and said, "It's a shed Tenchi!"
Tenchi just looked at her with an expression that said 'You know very well what I mean!'
The diminutive scientist giggled and got back to her usual self. "More specifically, it's *your* shed Tenchi."
"Washu," he started, "we already have a shed. You know, the one halfway up this path."
"No," she replied, "this is *your* shed. That old thing up there is fine for all that stuff for the shrine. *This* is for your carrot fields." She beamed at him.
Tenchi just looked puzzled at this. "Umm, Washu-chan, the fields are a good five or ten minute walk. In *that* direction." he said, pointing back towards the house.
"Hey, that's what *I* said," said Ryoko as she finished extricating herself from the piles of wood and nails and sidled up to the pair. "But, well, you know her! And besides," she whispered to him, "you know I only did it for you, hmmm?"
"Ryoko-san! He's only been here two minutes and you're already starting with him! As if Tenchi-sama didn't have enough to do without having to keep you at bay." Ayeka, a royal Juraian mass of cuts and bruises thanks to her premature burial, stormed up to the ex-pirate. "And I would have thought fishing for compliments like that would be beneath even you. Evidently you can't even think of helping Tenchi-sama for his sake like the rest of us. *Noooo*, you have to collapse the roof too!"
The indignant Ryoko was fed up with this. "Who are you to say that. You swung at me with the plank!"
"Only because you couldn't be bothered to line up Washu's containment sensors correctly!" Ayeka retorted. "You heard what would happen if that temporal duality... thing went wrong."
"Well if you hadn't been so slow laying the boarding I could have had them in the right place *AGES* ago!" Ryoko yelled back.
Tenchi and Washu could see where this was going and decided to leave them to it. They wandered over to Sasami and Mayuka while the other two bickered.
"Hi girls. You okay?"
"Good morning Tenchi nii-chan. We're fine, aren't we Mayuka- chan?" Sasami lifted the baby up, who giggled riotously (or at least a riotously as a baby can). They all smiled as Sasami handed her over to her father. "I've got some breakfast if you want it."
"Thanks Sasami-chan," he said as he took his daughter, "but I think I'd better help Dad and Grandpa."
"Ah nonsense," Washu said as she picked up her own breakfast box. "Those old guys are nearly done."
"And anyway, we did it to help you Onii-chan. And we're all going to help you in the fields too."
Tenchi smiled. "Thanks Sasami-chan. All that weeding make a lot of work."
"And that's why I, Washu, the greatest agricultural genius in the universe, have made this!" Washu plucked a bottle out of her subspace hole and held it up. "Washu's multi-purpose weed killer and salad dressing!"
Sasami and Tenchi just stared at her. Mayuka decided it was time for a nap.
"I just hope weeds are all it kills," was Tenchi's only comment.
Washu cracked a huge grin. "Of course. In fact, it brings out the flavour of the carrots too. That's why it's a salad dressing as well."
"Wow, Washu, that's great!" said Sasami, obviously exited.
"Naturally," came Washu's fairly typical reply. "Well, actually those are the only things I know it does so far, but I'm sure there's more, otherwise I'd have called it dual-purpose. Don't worry though. I'll find them out eventually."
Tenchi and Sasami sweatdropped as Washu sprinkled some of the oily red liquid over her breakfast, then started shovelling the new 'delicacy' in.
On the roof the two men had finished their work and climbed down. Actually, since the ladder had long since fallen over, Katsuhito jumped down with his usual grace, and Nobuyuki clambered off backwards with very little grace indeed, but at least he landed on his feet.
"Okay Washu-chan, we're done," called Nobuyuki. "I'd better get back to my work. Thanks to my little granddaughter there I've manage to do nothing for the last three days."
"Aa, hank ou Ohuhuki-dono," was Washu's reply though a mouthful of red rice.
"And I should be getting back to the shrine," added Katsuhito, leaving before anyone could comment.
"Washu," Tenchi said turning to her, "you still haven't said why you decided we needed a new shed here, and why it looks like that."
"I'll explain when we get back to the house and I can activate it. And you can put little sleeping beauty to bed."
Sasami gathered up the remains of their meals and headed off with the others, Tenchi cradling Mayuka and Washu wondering the best way to explain temporal translocation theory within bilateral dimension inlets so that the human mind could understand.
***
Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other.
The princess now had a few more bruises to add to herself from the fall and was aching or stinging pretty much everywhere. A small trickle of blood seeped from the back of her left hand where a nail had caught it rather badly when she had landed.
Ryoko was now covered in little black burn marks and was smoking slightly. Her hair stuck out more than usual and in a variety of directions. This fight had landed her a good hit from one of Ayeka's electricity fields.
"I need a bath," said Ryoko wearily.
"Me too," replied Ayeka.
They headed off to have a good soak in the onsen that floated above the Masaki grounds. Meanwhile, back at the new shed, the two Juraian guardians watch as the others wandered back to the house.
"I wonder why we always get left out?" said Kamidake as he finished pushing in the last nail on the roof with his foot pod.
"We are only servants," replied Azaka, "although a little recognition every now and then would be nice."
Kamidake thought for a moment. "Well, at least we don't have to weed."
"True, true," replied his consanguine compatriot.
The two huge logs floated down and back to the gate of the Masaki residence, discussing what it meant to be an organically based artificially intelligent life form. They always had plenty of time for philosophy. There wasn't much else to do.
***
Down in the town, something teal stirred in its futon.
"Ah, good morning sleepy-head," said Mihoshi as she wandered back into the main room.
The teal hair parted as Kiyone slowly sat up and gave a yawn. She felt groggy as hell, but at least it was a good well slept groggy. Most mornings were a nightmare for her.
"Morning... Mihoshi," Kiyone managed as she focused back into the world. "What time is it?"
"Umm... It's about ten thirty I think," she replied, evidently as awake and energetic as she could get, which was quite a bit. "Did you sleep well? You were still up when I went to bed you know."
Kiyone got up and stretched. "Yeah, eventually. I haven't slept that well in weeks."
She headed off into the kitchen for some coffee.
"Have we got any bills left over? I've almost finished the... DID YOU SAY TEN THIRTY?!?"
Mihoshi looked up from the left over post towards the kitchen. "Yes, I did, but it's more like ten thirty five now."
Oh that's right, the blonde thought, this watch is a bit fast. I'll have to remember that next time. Just like the last time. And all the last times for the past three days.
I'd better let Kiyone know. She would probably think it's important if she yelled like that.
"Err, Kiyone, I just remembered. It will actually be ten twenty because..."
Kiyone cut her off. "Never mind Mihoshi! Just get dressed, we're already late!" She flew back into the room (not literally, unlike Ryoko she couldn't do that) fumbling with her bra strap while trying to put on her socks using just her toes.
Mihoshi couldn't understand that. She was already dressed. Although she reasoned she should probably change since she slept in them. She stripped off and pulled on a sweatshirt and baggy trousers while Kiyone fought with her jeans.
"Kiyone? How are we late?" Mihoshi asked genuinely puzzled. "We don't work on Sunday remember? And we don't have patrol 'till this evening."
Kiyone didn't have time for a debate on logic with her. How could she have forgotten to set her alarm? Simple, she'd been knackered.
"We were supposed to be helping Washu remember?" Naturally Mihoshi's memory needed jogging. "Try and get that shed built before he gets up. Plus Tenchi asked if we could help in the fields since he's got to weed before he plants the next crop."
"Oh yeah!" Mihoshi beamed as she remembered and started packing away their futons. "That was a really nice idea you know? And since we moved out we haven't really helped them out as much so it's kind of like a thank you isn't it? And I havn't seen them all week because we've been so busy..."
She paused. Tenchi always slept heavily. She remembered that from she when she tripped over him when he fell asleep in front of the TV. She thought it was really funny how he didn't wake up then even when she fell into his lap. But he *did* get up by the time Sasami had finished making breakfast. Because Sasami always made breakfast around the same time (which was late enough for Ryoko to be up but early enough so she wasn't hungry herself) everyone was used to getting up for that time. It was routine, like when Kiyone and she went on patrol. And that would mean...
"Umm... Kiyone? Won't Tenchi be up by now?"
"That's why we're late Mihoshi!"
Mihoshi was confused. "Then... why were you still sleep Kiyone?"
"Because I overslept! I forgot to set my alarm clock! My partner didn't remember and wake me up! Okay?"
To Mihoshi all three made perfect sense.
"Oh. Okay, but next time you shou-woooeeeaaah!" she cried as Kiyone grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the apartment.
Kiyone locked the door and started off towards the Masaki's place. Better to get going before Mihoshi managed to dig herself even further into her nerves.
***
Tenchi finished tucking his daughter into her crib and headed off to find Washu, resigned to another long lecture he had no hope of understanding.
He headed through the door under the stairs and into the vast space that was Washu's laboratory. The oval decking was bare except for a large floating computer bank. No Washu. He headed off through the grass below and through the soon-appearing door, only to find himself in the massive aquarium that served as a relaxation centre for its owner. But no Washu. Back through the door and he was standing in the beautiful Juraian-style room that housed the growing Ryu-oh. A wooden circle sat at the centre of the room, a circular patterning of water channels leading to the tree. No Washu. Back through the door and into the little room full of wires and straps and monitors and lights. He suppressed a mental shudder. If she was in here he didn't want to find her.
He soon found himself back at the entrance deck, wondering whether he should try one of the other doors. This one seemed to take him everywhere except where he wanted to go. He almost jumped out of skin when the voice broke into his thoughts.
"Ah, Tenchi-dono. Where have you been?"
It was Washu.
Tenchi decided telling her that her door took him on a whirlwind tour of sub-space wasn't a good strategy. "Oh, I just got here. You said you would tell me about that shed?"
"Oh yes, of course. Follow me." She headed in the door that Tenchi had just left. He followed, not looking forward to Washu discovering one of her doors didn't work right. When he found himself in the small 'lecture theatre' he decided to file it under 'weird space type things' and sat down in one of the school desks that suddenly popped out of the solid stone floor. Sasami gave him a sympathetic look and they settled down for the talk.
Washu strolled back in wearing her full Science Academy garb and rolled down the screen.
"Now Tenchi, and Sasami, the purpose of this shed," up came a picture of said shed, "is to facilitate the saving of both time and energy when travelling between the house," picture of their house, "and the fields." A picture of the fields popped up. Both Tenchi and Sasami nodded.
"This is made possible because the shed incorporates my latest, and smallest, spatial transference emitters. Because the shed exists both in temporal space and..." Sasami shot her hand up.
"Yes Sasami-chan."
"Washu-sensei, what is a spatial tans... thingy emitter?"
"Right, good question. A spatial transference emitter is a device that allows an object to pass from a point in space to a point in sub-space by passing through the field it creates." At Sasami and Tenchi's nod she continued.
"Because the shed exists both in temporal, or real space, and sub-space it allows you to move from point A, the shed you saw, to sub- space, and then on to point B, the shed I put up at the carrot fields." An image came up showing a shed split down the middle with a lot of arrows, notes and little chibi-Washus.
This time Tenchi raised his hand. "So it's like your doors here then. I go in at this end and when I come out I'm somewhere else."
Washu beamed. "Yes exactly, but these doors will only go to one place, instead of wherever you want to go. My lab doors hover between real space and sub-space, so you only need the one to go anywhere in the lab. I thought that might freak out some of the less sub-spatially aware members of the household though, so in the shed the doors are anchored. One door will go from here to the shed and back, the other from the shed to the carrot fields and back." She beamed again, silently congratulating herself for the amazingly user friendly design of it all.
Sasami tentatively raised her hand again.
"Yes Sasami-chan?"
"Umm, Washu-sensei? There is only one door in the shed."
"What?"
"When we made the shed, there was only one door."
Washu looked at the blue haired girl for a second. Hmmm. This could be a problem.
She quickly ducked behind her podium and came out with armfuls of schematics. As she poured over them looking for such an obvious mistake Sasami and Tenchi looked over at each other and shrugged.
***
While the greatest scientific genius in the universe was trying to live up to her title Ayeka and Ryoko were taking a soak in the onsen.
Ryoko lay floating by one of the waterfalls the multi layered baths created, only her face visible above the water, a small dish of sake balanced between her submerged breasts. She let out a sigh. Life is good, was the only thought she could summon at the moment.
"It is rather pleasant isn't it?" Ayeka's voice drifted across the water.
"Mmm hmmm."
"... Could you pass the sake please?"
Ryoko cracked open her eyes. She hooked her toe under the rim of the requested wash bucket and pushed it over to the reclining princess, who stopped it with her right hand. Ryoko smiled as she set a dish in the water and tried to pour one handed, her left held floating in front of her.
"You know, Washu should probably see to that. You wouldn't want it to blemish that oh so beautiful skin of yours."
"True," Ayeka replied, blatantly ignoring the sarcasm in her companion's voice, "such beautiful skin requires care you know."
Ryoko laughed. "Tsunami knows you need every advantage you can get!"
Ayeka didn't rise to it. "It is nice that I really do have Tsunami on my side." She took a sip of her sake.
This brought Ryoko up short. She had never been good at wordplay. Time to let this one go I think.
"I wonder if she'll be here for lunch again."
Ayeka didn't miss the change of subject, and was honestly grateful for it. She didn't feel up to another scuffle. "It would be nice."
"..." Ryoko didn't really know what to say to that, so she lay back and closed her eyes again. It surprised her a little when Ayeka spoke again.
"I think I'm going to have to take Washu's bait though."
"Huh?" came the puzzled response as Ryoko sat up again, this time spilling her sake down her stomach.
Ayeka chuckled. Once again poor Ryoko had missed the thread. "Washu. I'm going to have to get her to explain this business with the shed. It does seem a little strange don't you think?"
"Everything with Washu is strange. I guess an explanation wouldn't hurt though. I don't want Tenchi sent off somewhere weird."
Ayeka agreed. "Yes, but at least you got to follow him last time."
Ryoko dipped herself under the water, rinsing off the alcohol. "Believe me, you should be glad you just got to save the day. It was freaky. I'm glad the real Christmas wasn't like that."
Ayeka just chuckled again. "Well, we did get Mayuka-chan out of it."
Ryoko smiled. "I guess she is cute."
"Of course she is. She is Tenchi-sama's."
"Yeah." Ryoko leaned back against the side, a wistful smile on her face.
They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually Ayeka rose and stepped out. "I think that is enough for me. I'm starting to prune."
Ryoko smirked at the chance. "Like that makes any difference."
Ayeka removed her bathing towel and began to dry herself. "Well you were a prune for centuries," she retorted, as annoyed at her slip as at Ryoko.
Ryoko floated out of the water and over to her. "And just look at me now huh?" she said, showing off her very nude body.
"Well, I don't think I have anything to worry about then, do I?" Ayeka had been prepared for Ryoko's exhibitionist act and expertly ignored her.
Once again Ryoko had been beaten by herself. She decided that it was going to be one of those days and set about drying herself with vigour. Ayeka put on the various layers of her outfit as Ryoko phased slightly, re-appearing fully clothed in an instant, synthetic tail twitching. She liked this outfit for those days full of little annoyances.
One annoyance in question was pulling her hair out of it's pouch, letting the two long purple tresses fall nearly to the ground. Ayeka checked her clothing, making sure she was presentable again before heading for the door, followed by Ryoko.
***
"So you see because the sub-space room has two exits, each shed created in real space only needs one, since they and the structure in sub-space are not actually the same building." Washu took a long breath.
"Okay, so the sub-space building could be anything, of any size, and still work the same."
"Yes, that's right Tenchi."
Tenchi had it sussed. His last question would completely floor the genius, and it would be worth it for the look on her face.
"Right, so why not just make a pair of doors. Why a whole shed?"
"What would it looks like if you suddenly appeared out of thin air in the middle of the fields? And a single door just standing there?"
"Ah. Of course."
"And you can store stuff in it too!"
Sasami giggled. "I have to start on the lunch now."
Washu clapped her hands and the desks, podium and screen all vanished back from whence they came. "Well, I'll finish testing out that weed killer then. Come on."
They headed out of the room and back to the main entrance of Washu's lab. As they stepped though to the hallway of the Masaki house Tenchi managed to bump into Ayeka.
"Oh! Ayeka-san. I'm sorry."
Ayeka regained her composure, trying to suppress the faint blush that rose on her cheeks. "No Tenchi-sama, it is my fault. Is Washu- san in there?"
Washu peeked out from the door and got them all into the hall. "Ah, princess, what can I do for you?"
Ayeka showed her her left hand. "I was wondering if you have anything for this. It is rather painful."
As if to test the theory Washu gave the gash a poke eliciting a pained gasp from Ayeka.
"Washu-chan!" Tenchi exclaimed.
Washu ignored him and stuck her hand into the hole that appeared by her side. "I think I can help with that." She pulled out a white tube with her crab logo on the side. "Put some of that on and it'll heal in no time. I really must teach my daughter about how to treat dignitaries."
"Stow it 'mom'," came Ryoko's reply
"Actually Washu-chan," said Ayeka, "as hard as is to believe, for once this was not Ryoko's work. It happened during that little incident with the shed."
"Yeah," seconded Ryoko, "and what's the deal with that anyway. You're not sending my Tenchi anywhere 'til you tell me how it works."
"*Your* Tenchi?" came Ayeka's lightly menacing inquiry.
"And you'd better make it so we can understand 'cos..." Ryoko was cut off by having a video tape pointed at her. She looked at Washu for an answer.
"I'm not explaining it again, so I taped it for you. Enjoy!" Washu called as she headed back into her lab. Sasami took the opportunity to head off to the kitchen, and was soon humming as she prepared the meal.
Tenchi headed off to persuade his grandfather to help with the fields. While most people would think such a request was harsh on an old man, most people did not know Katsuhito Masaki. He was as capable as he had ever been, and showed it. Especially during sword practice, in which he would repeatedly humiliate Tenchi into getting better, since Tenchi had no chance of beating him in a real sparring match. Despite the embarrassing and some times unusual training methods it did work, and he was definitely getting better. Now it was just a matter of getting the old man to help with the workload.
Ayeka and Ryoko watched him leave then turned to each other.
"I suppose we had better watch the tape," said the princess.
Ryoko nodded and they headed in to living room.
Just at that moment the front door opened revealing Mihoshi and Kiyone, both rather out of breath. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at them with raised eyebrows.
Kiyone looked back at them. "We missed it, didn't we?" she said when she had caught her breath.
"Yep," Ryoko replied. "All done and dusted."
"Literally," quipped Ayeka.
Kiyone hung her shoulders. Mihoshi, as always, had a positive take on the situation though. "Well, at least we can still help this afternoon, right?"
"Yeah," said Kiyone take off her shoes. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"No, come on in," said Ryoko. "The dreaded Washu had given us this." She held up the tape. "I think you two had better watch it too."
They all filtered into the room and Ryoko shoved in the tape. When it didn't explode she sat back down and hit play.
"Now Tenchi, and Sasami, the purpose of this shed..."
***
It was, as usual when most everybody came to eat, quite crowded around the Masaki's table. In fact only Katsuhito was missing, having decided to dine up at the shrine. Of course Tenchi knew the real reason why his grandfather wasn't there. An hour ago he had come back down the long stairway that led to the shrine thoroughly at peace with the world. Several minutes later he had realised that his grandfather had, yet again, somehow managed to talk his way out of helping in the fields.
"I don't get it," Tenchi griped as he helped himself to more rice. "I go up there with the perfect argument and he still manages to be the one who is right."
"Mother Funaho is the same Tenchi-sama," said Ayeka. "It is absolutely impossible to win an argument with her."
"'ats probably where he gets it from," said Ryoko through a mouthful of rice, and getting a glare from Ayeka for it.
"Remember he has had a long time to practice," said Tsunami as she passed her empty cup to Sasami.
Washu clacked her chopsticks against her bowl, getting everyone's attention, before swallowing. "Exactly. He has had his children and grandchildren to practice on. Probably all those stuffy guys in court too." She went back to the remains of her fish.
Kiyone leaned back on her hands. "Ah, that was great as usual Sasami."
"Mmm hmm. *gulp* It's really good," said Mihoshi as she finished off her last pieces of onion.
"Thanks, but Tsunami helped too."
"Well, thank you as well Tsunami," said Tenchi as he cleaned his bowl. Nobuyuki nodded, his bowl empty but mouth still full.
Tsunami just smiled and began to gather the dishes.
"Oh, there are some more vegetables left if anyone wants them. Onee-sama?" said Sasami as she offered the bowl round.
"Not for me thank you," Ayeka replied.
"Naw. I'm stuffed," said Ryoko.
"Miyaaa!" cried Ryo-ohki.
Sasami giggled and offered the bowl to the toddler, who carefully removed all the remaining carrots.
Sasami looked back at her. "Of course. Anyone else?"
Tenchi and Nobuyuki both shook their heads, followed by Kiyone.
"No thank you. It was very nice though," said Mihoshi as she let herself fall backwards, thoroughly content.
Washu slapped her hand on the table. "Don't worry Sasami. I won't let all that good fibre go to waste." She stuck in her chopsticks, managing to get all the leftovers in one go. "Vitamin C here we come!"
After her theatrical last bite Washu took the rest of the dishes through to the two blue haired chefs and the others made themselves comfortable.
"So Tenchi, what is it we'll be doing this afternoon?" said Kiyone as she picked her partner off the floor and guided her to the couch.
"Well, we just need to clear the weeds so they don't get out of hand when we plant this next crop of carrots," Tenchi explained. "I'll show you what to do when we get up there."
Washu popped her head round the door. "Oh Tenchi-dono."
"Umm... Yes Washu-chan?" Tenchi felt a little worried by the playful lilt of her voice.
Washu bounced into the room holding a chart. "I took the liberty of setting up a little work chart for us, so we know what we all have to do."
Tenchi relaxed. "Oh that's great. Let's have a look."
Washu spread the chart out on the table. It looked like a map of the carrot fields with lots of pictures of the participants, all as chibis.
Nobuyuki looked at the map, then at his son, a tinge of guilt etching his features. "I'm sorry Tenchi but I'm afraid I'm going to have to bow out of this today. I still have work to have done by tomorrow."
Tenchi felt a little disappointed but tried not to let it show. His father, despite his talent at his job, managed to get overworked enough as it was. "That's okay dad. I think we'll be able to manage."
"Of course," chimed Washu. "I think Tsunami and Ryo-ohki will be able to manage their plot, right?" She looked at the humanoid cabbit.
"Myia," Ryo-ohki said in confirmation, although she secretly wished she had been put with Sasami.
"I'm sure we will be fine Washu," said Tsunami as she emerged from the kitchen.
"-chan," Washu said beaming at the goddess.
"I'm sure we will be fine Washu-chan," she acknowledged with light amusement.
"Okay," said Tenchi, "Sasami and I will take these two plots, Mihoshi and Kiyone take these two..."
"Roger," said Mihoshi in her business voice, giving Tenchi a salute.
Tenchi smiled and nodded. "...Ayeka and Ryoko take these two. But no fighting."
"Don't worry Tenchi-sama. Nothing untoward will happen," Ayeka said.
"Yeah," Ryoko chipped in smiling, "we'll be good."
Tenchi turned back to the map. "Tsunami and Ryo-ohki will take these two, and Washu these three. Three?"
Washu smiled her 'I'm a genius and know it' smile. "I'm using my 'Washu's multi-purpose weed killer and salad dressing'. I just need a watering can. I won't even have get my fingers dirty."
"Oh?" said Tenchi, puzzled.
"Once they're dead it's all good fertiliser Tenchi."
"I suppose. I guess this one with the skulls on is the unusable one."
"Yep, and I think Tenchi would appreciate it if you didn't do the same thing this year Ryoko-chan!" Washu said pouring on the cuteness at the ex-pirate.
Ryoko looked down at her lap. "I said I was sorry," she pouted. "I was only trying to help."
"Energy manipulation is good for many things Ryoko, but crop farming isn't one of them." Washu knew she wouldn't make that mistake again, but a good dose of embarrassment would help send the message home.
"I get it. No energy waves."
Ayeka rose from her chair. "Well, since we all know what we are doing we should get started, correct? I'm sure we would all like to get finished before dark and it is supposed to rain this evening."
"Yeah," Ryoko said as she floated to her feet. "Let's see if this shed of yours actually works, eh Washu? Oww. Hey what was that for."
"My inventions *always* work," Washu said as she folded up her ruler.
Ryoko followed the others, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, eventually." she mumbled.
***
As they reached the shed Washu opened the door and presented the inside of her latest masterpiece. "Each of you walk through, take a hoe, and walk out the door on the other side. Simple huh?"
"Yes, simple," Ayeka said to herself, quietly wishing she hadn't been the first to arrive. She readied herself. After all, she thought, what could go wrong? The list she came up with didn't give her confidence. Knowing that Tenchi would help her if something did go wrong she stepped though the door.
Kiyone stepped up to the door. She had a door like this in her apartment. She had used it to get to the Yagami plenty of times. Why should this be any different? Simple, this rather extended family had a habit of finding trouble, especially when Washu's machines were concerned. Oh well, here goes nothing. Kiyone stepped through the door.
Mihoshi was next up. "See you soon everyone!" She waved at the remaining group. After all, Washu's inventions always worked, and even if they didn't they always managed to get fixed and no one ever got hurt or anything. I wonder why Kiyone hesitated, she thought to herself. What if I do something wrong though, and it doesn't work right, or blows up, or makes hundreds of little me's that run around anywhere? Well, Washu said it was okay, so it'll be alright. She stepped through the door.
Ryoko touched down in front of the door. Maybe flying through it wasn't a great idea. Just follow the instructions, don't use my powers, and kill Washu if anything goes wrong. She turned to the diminutive scientist. "If this thing sends me to Palishia you are so dead."
Washu just smiled at her. Ryoko frowned, braced herself, and stepped through the door.
Sasami looked up at Washu, the now animal sized Ryo-ohki doing the same from her arms. "Umm, Washu? This is safe, isn't it?"
Washu smiled as the young girl. "Of course, you don't think the great Washu would sent you through without testing it first would you?"
Sasami smiled back and shook her head. "No, you're right, I'm being silly huh? Thanks Washu."
"No worries kiddo," said Washu as the young princess stepped though.
Tsunami walked up to Washu. "Of course you did test it." Tsunami looked down smiling lightly at the scientist.
Washu brought her hands behind her back and scuffed her foot in the ground. "You don't trust me Tsunami?" she asked in her cutest voice. "I'm hurt."
Tsunami just smiled a knowing smile and stepped through the door, knowing it would work. Probably. Nothing was certain with Washu. It would be interesting whatever happened.
Finally Tenchi stepped up to the shed. It seemed such a small thing. A rather simple, if twisted, shed. But it always seemed to be the little things that caused the big changes in his life. You know Tenchi, thinking like that is asking for trouble. The others had seemed nervous but they had gone, so through he would go.
"Come on Tenchi-dono. I'm not that bad." Washu was smiling at him.
He chuckled at his own uncertainty. "No, I guess not."
Washu winked at him. "Well, let's go see what happened to the others shall we?" She chuckled before stepping through the door.
Tenchi shook his head, a bemused smile on his face as he stepped through after her.
***
Tenchi stepped through the door opposite and out of the shed having taken one of the hoes hanging on the wall. So far so good, he thought.
He emerged in the carrot fields, by the tree he would eat under when working through lunch. He looked around to see everyone standing about, each with a hoe in hand.
He turned to see the place he had emerged from. It was an exact mirror image of the shed in the path clearing. He turned back to the others and smiled, returning the V signal that Washu and Sasami gave him.
"Well," said Ryoko, who was wearing an unusually plain outfit she had created for this type of work, "that was anticlimactic."
Everyone looked at her before breaking in laughter.
***
Several hours after their shed test drive everyone had moved onto the second of their plots.
Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... The mantra repeated itself in Ayeka's head, keeping her arms moving despite the emerging stiffness. Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear...
Several meters away Ryoko was flying back and forth along the plot's edge skimming the hoe along the ground.
"You know," she said, "this isn't that bad once you get into it."
Ayeka looked up her, determined not to get envious at the ease with which Ryoko did her work. "Well you just keep at it then. It is nice to see you actually working for a change."
"Don't be like that," Ryoko called as she made another pass. "Just because I took the lion's share of the last plot is no reason to get stuffy. We'll be finished soon anyway."
"Yes, and for that I am eternally grateful. I am not designed for this type of work. I think I'll need another soak if I am ever planning on moving again." She gathered her latest pile of foliage and brought it over to the pile in the corner of the plot for Ryoko to incinerate.
"Well I won't be blowing up any towns after this either," said Ryoko as she scraped her own pile over. "Hot bath and hot sake is all I need just now. This damn grit gets everywhere!"
Ayeka huffed as she went back to her line. "The last thing we need right now Ryoko is to have you drunk. You're a menace as it is with that tool."
"At least I'm getting it done unlike some whining little girls who can't pull their weight. Or is that bulk?" Ryoko was getting ticked off now.
Ayeka on the other hand had reached the end of her tether. "That's rich coming from the woman who leaves her friends to starve while she gallivants around the system stuffing herself silly! I suppose after several centuries of genocide who would notice a half dozen more?"
This hit Ryoko right between the eyes. "Why you arrogant little..."
When the balls of energy started to gather in the enraged woman's palms Ayeka realised her mistake. "Ryoko wait, Tenchi-sama said we weren't to fight."
"Take it back." Ryoko growled, her voice raising instantly. "*TAKE IT BACK!*"
Ayeka bowed her head. "I apologise for my behaviour Ryoko- san. I did not mean to use such harsh words." She looked up at her. "I'm just hot. And tired. And I ache. And I really want to finish this job."
Ryoko settled back to the ground and let the power dissipate. "Yeah, well, let's get on with it then. I didn't want to screw up another field anyway. I just... I didn't..."
Ayeka allowed herself a small smile. "I know it wasn't you're fault Ryoko-san. The matter has been settled remember? Let's just finish up."
"Yeah." Ryoko gave a grin. "Course next time I'll kick your ass!"
"We shall see Ryoko." Ayeka picked up her hoe and went back to her line again.
As she passed Ryoko, once again airborne, she heard the call, "Whoever finishes last fetches the sake!"
Ayeka sighed, wondering if she would even be able to reach up to the cupboard after this.
***
Over on the opposite side of the fields Sasami lifted the last of her weed piles, placing it with the rest of the unwanted plants. Tenchi was still working his section of the plot, having taken a larger area than her in both of them. She settled herself down on the large rock by the end of the row and watched him work. Despite not being the warmest of weather he had discarded his shirt when they finished the last plot, and she could see the muscles in his back work out as he made short work of the last stretch of weed infested earth. He hadn't had those muscles when she had first met him. She soon found herself having to suppress a blush. Maybe if I was a few years older...
She quickly quashed that thought. Her sister was quite obvious about her attraction to him, and Ryoko nee-chan felt the same. Even if she did like him like that the last thing he needed was another suitor! He was sort of cute though, she couldn't deny it. Well, cute or not she hadn't asked Washu to pair them up together just so she could watch him at work.
She wandered over to him as he put down his hoe. "Tenchi nii- chan, can we talk?"
He mopped his brow with his shirt before putting it back on. He'd be having a bath afterwards anyway. "Sure Sasami-chan, what is it?"
Sasami frowned as she tried to think of the right wording. "Umm, you know how we had that party for your birthday last year? Well, we haven't really had anything like that here and it's Ayeka's birthday the day after tomorrow."
Tenchi was shocked. He had never thought about that. He didn't even know when their birthdays were. "We haven't had birthdays for any of you have we? I'm really sorry Sasami it never even crossed my mind. How did you work it out though? I assume Jurai years and Earth years are different."
"Oh, I asked Washu that!" Sasami replied with a grin. "I was just hoping we could make it a surprise! I think she would really like that."
Tenchi smiled, "That's a great idea. I think we can set everything up in time, but do you think we'll be able to keep it quiet? You know Ryoko will hang a secret right under her nose."
Sasami just kept her smile. "But if you think about what Ayeka will look like when we surprise her if she doesn't know about it, I think Ryoko nee-chan would like that too." She sat down on the path that ran past the plot. "And I really want it to be nice, so Ryoko won't do anything. We're friends."
"I'm amazed you two get on so well when she and Ayeka-san fight so much," Tenchi mused as he sat beside her. "And I wish they were fighting over something other than me!"
"Yeah, they like each other really, they just both want to be the one who's right." Sasami bowed her head in thought, trying to find another way of keeping her sister and friend from being mean to each other.
Tenchi noticed her change of mood and decided to lighten the atmosphere again. "They'll grow out of it I think. Anyway, what is the plan for this party?"
"Oh, yeah," Sasami said, bringing her attention back to her plan, "I was thinking we could all go shopping tomorrow and then get up in the night to put up decorations and things. But I don't know how to stop her coming out with us. I don't want her to think we don't want her around, like in those manga I read where everything went wrong because everybody kept her out."
Tenchi thought about that. How could Ayeka be convinced to stay home alone? He could offer to stay with her, but he also needed to get her a present. "Hmm, well we'll have to think of something. Also, do you think you could find a way to wake up and leave the room at night without waking her up? That might be hard."
Sasami frowned. "I hadn't thought of that either. I suppose I could ask to sleep with you for one night, but she knows I like that story she's been writing. She reads it to me when I can't sleep."
"Do you think she'd let me borrow it?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. She never lets anyone read her stories, and hides the book so I can't look at it when she isn't there."
Tenchi chuckled. "You wouldn't do that would you Sasami- chan?"
Sasami smiled sheepishly and looked at her feet. "Um, well, maybe just a little," she admitted.
Tenchi smiled again and looked up to see Washu, Mihoshi and Kiyone coming down the path. "Hi guys, you've finished?"
"Finally," Kiyone replied. "This is a lot more tiring than it looks. You do this every year?"
"Yeah, since we got it anyway. You guys have been a great help. It would usually take me a good couple of days to finish the whole thing."
"Well, I think Tsunami and Ryo-ohki are nearly done," said Washu as she sidled up to Tenchi. "I decided to give them a hand since I finished early and Ryoko said she and Ayeka were just clearing up when I passed them. Shall we?" She gestured for them to head back to the shed.
Tenchi nodded and got up, followed by Sasami, and they headed off. Sasami caught herself looking at Tenchi's frame again, despite him wearing his shirt. You're too young to be thinking like that Sasami, she chided herself, so just stop it. And this is Tenchi nii-chan after all. Even so she allowed herself a small private smile.
"I think I need a bath." mused Mihoshi.
"I think everyone will be thinking that by now." replied Kiyone.
***
The onsen was quiet, filled only with the sound of Mihoshi's light snoring and the light shower playing across the onsen's dome. Sasami and Ryo-ohki had already left, having exhausted themselves in a thorough splash fight with Ryoko, who was floating lazily in the middle, a dish of sake alongside her. Sasami still needed to prepare the dinner and Washu had decided to help her after saving Nobuyuki from his granddaughter. Tenchi himself was daydreaming in one of the upper pools, the girls having taken the main one. Tsunami had politely declined the invitation, saying she would try it next time.
Kiyone sipped the last of her sake and decided that was enough for now, she still had plans and Mihoshi didn't really need to sleep at 6.00pm. She scooted closer to Ayeka, who was reclining lightly in the water with her eyes closed.
"Umm, Ayeka. Are you awake?" she asked.
Ayeka opened her eyes. "Yes."
Kiyone plucked up her courage and continued on. "I was kind of wondering if I could ask a favour."
Ayeka sat up intrigued. Kiyone was very independent and rarely asked for anything. "Of course, was is it?"
"Well, you know you said you would cover for me if I wanted to, well, think about having some sort of relationship? I'd like to take up that offer."
This woke Ayeka up! She stared at the obviously embarrassed detective. "Kiyone, this is great! Of course I'll cover for you. Is it anyone we know?"
This embarrassed Kiyone even further and she looked down into the water. "Well, we haven't been out or anything but I talked to him when I went out last week and he does seem quite nice. He is usually in the same bar in the evenings so I was thinking of meeting him there tonight."
"Well by all means do go," said Ayeka. She leaned in conspiratorially, "And let me know how it goes okay?"
Kiyone nodded and looked around. It seemed like no one had overheard despite Ayeka's enthusiasm, so that was all right. She didn't really want her dating exploits to be made public knowledge, although it would get round the place soon enough.
"Thanks Ayeka," she said before getting up and wading over to the snoozing Mihoshi. Ayeka nodded, leaned back and closed her eyes again with a smile playing across her face.
***
High above them in geostationary orbit a small ship hung, it's sensors pointed at the small island country below. Its deep auburn wooden hull indicating its origin and the design was both small and elegant giving the impression of both manoeuvrability and an owner with a great deal of class.
Inside, the owner viewed the results of the weapons testing they had made. It was good. It looked like it would be even easier to implement than he had expected, and he took a moment to savour the thought. Planning was everything and he wouldn't be caught out. He gave the report to the metallic insect-like automaton at his side. "Good. Commence with the operation. Give the order to raise optical shields. This planet still uses direct visual observation."
The machine gave off a ream of noises as it confirmed the orders and scuttled off to deal with the solid material it had been given. He watched it go, admiring the precision and mechanical grace with which it moved. So few people appreciated such work in this day and age.
He sat back in his chair and waited. He had waited a long time to play his hand, gathering his pieces carefully. Time for all his work to pay off. He smiled and brought up an image of the planet he orbited. It would at least be entertaining to watch.
***
To Be Continued...
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Please send any comments and criticisms to:
nutzoide@hotmail.com
Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.
If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.
Author's Notes:
Wow, this chapter took way too long to write, about 5 months from start to end! I blame coursework, the holiday my muse took, and all you great fanfic writers whose work I read instead of working on this. ^-^ I'll definitely try to get the next one out faster!
I know this has been a very slow chapter, and if you are wondering when something is actually going to happen, I can assure you it will be soon. Actually, this fic is going to be pretty slow in general, since the story I'm trying to get down needs a bit of a subtle approach, and there will probably be plenty of day to day stuff in the plot. There will however be plenty of stuff going on as well, so stay tuned.
I have also put a 'posted' date at the bottom. The reason for this is that I don't post a chapter until the next is written and being proof-read. This allows me to come back to each chapter after a while and make any alterations I feel it it needs looking at it in both hindsight and in relation to the following one, thus hopefully making it a better chapter.
***
Translation Notes:
-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers.
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.
-dono: Also translated as 'Lord' but I don't know the specifics of this one. I'm guessing it is a bit less formal than '-sama'.
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'sister'. The '-sama' variation is 'big sister' and the '-chan' one is 'little sister'.
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for the family because she is young / being cute / because they are all close family to her.
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'.
Chibi: Translates as small and used when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime for comic effect.
Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.
Sake: Japanese rice wine.
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself.
Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.
***
Completed: January 26th - 2003
Posted: February 9th - 2003
Fanfiction.net revised format version: March 10th - 2003