Disclaimer
Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. I don't own any rights to them. Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.
*****
The Princess Files
Chapter 2
Sasami
*****
It had been a rough night for Sasami. Over the past few weeks she had occasional bouts of muscle cramps and some other mild pain. An exam by Washu showed no problems and the scientist cum goddess had told her not to worry, that it was probably a virus of some kind that she was having problems shaking off. And so the little princess had gone about her daily routine, and indeed, over a short period the symptoms had all but disappeared. But last night; last night they had returned with a vengeance. In addition to the unusually strong twinges of pain she'd suffered through every few minutes, there was something now that just didn't seem right.
Sasami rolled over onto her back and pulled the bedcovers tighter. She wasn't experiencing any pain at the moment, but her body felt all tingly and disassociated at the moment. She wiggled her toes and felt the weight of the sheet against them. Everything seemed to be in order. Maybe she'd caught that virus again. She stared at the ceiling through the dim light coming in through the window. Almost dawn. Tenchi'd be getting up soon. If his wives didn't have other plans for the early morning that is. She almost envied her sister and Ryoko. They had Tenchi, she had… Tsunami. Hardly the same thing. As if called, she heard the goddess' mind voice in her head.
[Is everything all right, little one?] the Juraian deity asked gently.
Sasami sighed. [Yes,] she replied. [I just didn't get much sleep last night for some reason.]
[There is a reason for everything, Sasami,] the goddess told her. [I'm sure all will be revealed in due time.]
Sasami felt the other's presence depart. Ah well, no sense staring at the ceiling any longer. She should be getting up and starting breakfast soon anyway she reasoned. With a grunt, Sasami sat up and threw off the covers. She stood up and started towards the light switch. For some reason her movements felt awkward but she chalked that up to her restless night. Flicking on the overhead lights, she stretched and yawned, turned, and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She screamed.
*****
Ayeka's eyes snapped open. That scream had come from the room she used to share with her sister. Quickly disentangling herself from a loudly snoring Ryoko and a more gently snoring Tenchi, she grabbed her robe and hurried out into the hallway and then to Sasami's room. She paused before entering, but heard no sounds of struggle or crying. Quietly sliding open the door, she peeked inside and saw…
"Tsunami! Where is…"
The other turned and stared at her with wide eyes. No, it wasn't Tsunami. Quite. Or rather it was, but a much younger Tsunami than Ayeka was used to seeing floating around in her ephemeral form occasionally. Then it hit her.
"Um… Sasami? My, how you've grown." She eyed the other speculatively. Sasami didn't respond, she just stood there in pajamas that were now much too small, and stared at her with a shocked expression. Ayeka's eyes examined this very different version of her sister. Her gaze hesitated on Sasami's chest, where the buttons of her nightshirt were stressed almost to popping, and she raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you have indeed grown. I feel a bit jealous now." Sasami fainted dead away. Ayeka's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh dear. Was it something I said?"
*****
The reddish blur in Sasami's vision slowly focused into Washu's beaming face.
"Ah. Back with us, eh?" the scientist said when she noticed the young princess' movement. "You gave your sister quite a scare you know."
"Her? What about me?" Sasami squeaked. Her voice broke several times as she spoke.
Washu chuckled. "Well, if you remember, I did warn you that something like this was likely to happen." Sasami nodded, remembering the discussion when Ayeka had first found out she was pregnant long before she expected her contraceptive treatments to wear off. "But," the redhead went on, bustling about the lab, putting away the various monitoring instruments she'd been using. "I really expected it to be sooner and to be a little bit more gradual."
Sasami warily eyed a device as Washu tucked it into a cabinet. She didn't even want to know where that had been placed or what it had been monitoring. "Gradual?" she wondered aloud, turning her face away to hide her blush.
"Yep," replied Washu. "Days, weeks, maybe months. Certainly not hours, as was the case. Are you having any pain? Mmmm. I think we can now assume that the pains you've been having were your body preparing for this… change."
"No," Sasami shook her head. "No pain right now. But I do feel a bit funny."
"Funny? As in sick?" There was a note of real concern in Washu's voice and she paused in mid-reach.
"No, just odd. Like I need to regain my sense of balance. Not dizzy though. Awkward."
Washu grinned in relief and with humor. "Yes, I can see where that might be the case. You're about eight inches taller than you were yesterday, and you now have… well you know. You need to learn how to counterbalance."
Sasami looked at where her chest bulged out the sheet covering her. "Yeah. Wow. I wonder if this is it, or if I'll grow any more."
"What? Do you think you're a t'Dnal now?" said Washu with a chuckle. "Two is all you get around here and yours are very impressive as is. But that's not what you meant, is it? Well, in my professional opinion, yes. I'm not quite sure about those, never having actually measured my sister's bust, but you still have a few inches to go height-wise until you're Tsunami's size." Washu glanced at the door leading to the rest of the lab complex. "Now, if you feel up to it, everyone's waiting to see you. They really are worried, even though I told them not to be. And I think Ayeka has brought down some of her old clothing for you since it's obvious that nothing of yours is going to fit anymore. Shall I let them in?"
Sasami was suddenly very aware that she was quite naked under the sheet. She nodded permission to Washu. The young, but no longer little, princess sat up and swung her now considerably longer legs over the edge of the bed as the diminutive scientist opened the door. "Come on in, she's doing fine, just like a told you," she called out. Sasami pulled the sheet tight around herself as they started to troop in.
First through the door was Ryo-ohki in cabbit form. She hoped up on the bed, gave Sasami a quick sniff, then finish up on the princess' head, just like old times. Sasami giggled, which sounded slightly odd with her changing voice.
Ryoko and Ayeka tried to enter at the same time, bumping shoulders and almost getting stuck in the door. "Watch it Princess," the ex-pirate growled, twisting so she could get past Ayeka.
"You watch out, Ryoko," responded Ayeka. "She's my sister, so I should be the first to enter." Ayeka twisted as well and ended up face-to-face with Ryoko.
Ryoko looked down. "It's a good thing you don't take after her then, or we'd still be stuck here."
"Hey!" Ayeka exclaimed. "Now that's unfair. My petite size is perfect for my build. Besides," she added slyly. "You never seem to mind anymore." The two girls growled at each other.
"Stop it you two," called out Washu. "It's Sasami you're here to see. And as you can see, she's doing fine."
The two friends assumed sheepish looks at Washu's tone and hurried into the room. "She does look well," Ayeka commented.
"Hmmph," grunted Ryoko. "A bit too well. I can see why you're jealous." The ex-pirate hooked a finger into Sasami's sheet and pulled, just as Tenchi was entering.
"Eep!" the young man exclaimed, placing his hands over his face as his nose began to bleed. He turned and ran from the room.
"Ryoko!" exclaimed the two princesses simultaneously. Ayeka quickly gathered up the sheet and offered it to her sister. Sasami hurriedly grabbed it and rewrapped herself.
"Hmmm," Washu hummed in mock consternation. "I really thought he was well beyond the nose-bleed stage, given that he's managed to father two children. He should certainly be used to a naked female body by now." She turned to Ayeka and Ryoko who were glaring at each other again. "You guys don't always do it in the dark, do you? Where's the fun in that?"
*****
Sasami's sensitive nose could smell the earthy odor coming from the man next to her. His scent was causing her body to respond in ways she was unaccustomed to, but she decided to follow her instincts. Taking his hand, she led him back to the house and upstairs to her room. She closed and locked the door then crossed to the window and dropped the blinds. In the dim half-light the man watched her as she slowly undressed for him. Every so often, he would smile shyly at her, then lick his lips in anticipation. When she was finished with her teasing, she crooked a finger at him. "Your turn loverboy, c'mere."
Her lover crossed the room to her, removing his shirt as he moved, the sight of his powerful chest, shining from the sweat of a days work, arousing her even more. Unable to contain herself any longer, she leapt into his arms and they tumbled onto the bed together.
"Oh yes," Sasami mumbled as her naked body pressed against that of her lover. Their sweat intermingled as they twisted together on the damp sheets. She felt his tongue move slowly down her body, stopping every so often as he kissed her flesh lightly. She shuddered as he made his way across her sensitive breasts, knowing just the right spots to hit to arouse her even more.
"YES!" she cried, grabbing onto his short hair as he made his way even lower.
"Oh, my darling. OH TENCHI!"
"Miya!" Tenchi said to her in a passionate tone.
Miya?
Sasami's eyes drifted open out of the haze of pleasure she'd been in and looked into Ryo-ohki's golden orbs. Ay-ohki, also in cabbit form, sat at the foot of her bed, his own cute face showing concern. The princess grunted and sat upright, spilling the brown cabbit into her lap. Ryo-ohki scampered up and went to sit with her mate on the end of the bed.
Sasami rubbed her eyes and looked at the two cabbits through the semi-darkness. "I'm all right," she told them. "It was only a dream." The cabbits looked at each other then back at her. "Really, I am. Now go back to bed, I'll be fine. I promise." Both cabbits gave a nod and left the room, effortlessly phasing through the closed door. Sasami was alone. She flopped back onto her pillow. "Now, why would I have a dream like that, I wonder?" she whispered into the quiet darkness. "It sure was nice though, I feel… I feel… I feel wet. Why do I feel wet?" She quickly reached over and flipped on the bedside reading lamp. Throwing off the covers, she hopped out of bed and looked. Sure enough, there was a small wet spot right where… And her underwear and nightgown were damp as well. "Eeww!" Sasami headed for Washu's lab so quickly she banged her head into the door before it was fully open.
*****
"It's normal," Washu told the princess as she applied a salve to the bump on Sasami's head. "You had an erotic dream. It's because with this more adult body comes a surge of hormones. There's nothing wrong with you, you didn't have an 'accident' and you most certainly weren't 'leaking' anything from inside." Washu grimaced at her gaffe. "Or actually, yes you were." She turned away from the princess for a moment. "Why come to me? Why not your sister? This is something you should be discussing with her; who was the dream about anyway?"
Sasami blushed. "Um, you see Washu, that's why I came to you…"
Washu chuckled. "Well, I'm certainly flattered, but I'll tell you right now, I'm not that kind of girl."
Sasami's blush deepened. "No, no. That's not it. You see… ah… I couldn't go to Ayeka, or even Ryoko because, well…"
"You were dreaming about both of them?" Washu asked with a smirk. She'd already guessed the answer, but was trying to get Sasami to loosen up a bit.
"NO!" Sasami admonished. "It was about, well, about Tenchi. And since…"
"And since they're in the same room, the same bed as him, you were unsure of how you would react when you saw him."
Sasami sighed with relief. "Yes, that's it exactly."
Washu leaned over until her lips were mere centimeters from Sasami's ear. "I'm going to tell you something, a secret," she whispered. "I have dreams like that too sometimes."
Sasami's eyes grew wide. "About Tenchi?"
Washu nodded. "Sometimes. And sometimes it's a man whose face I never quite recognize, not always the same man either. And sometimes…"
"But I thought you and my brother…" Sasami broke in.
"We are, but not as often as either of us would like probably. Besides, he's still married to Airi and not really looking for a second wife as far as I know. And I'm not looking for a husband."
Sasami giggled. "So you just use each other for sex?"
It was Washu blushing now. "Well, it's a bit deeper than that, we both have true feelings for each other. But you didn't let me finish before. Sometimes the dreams are about your brother."
"And do you get, you know…"
"Wet?" Washu finished. She shrugged. "Occasionally, but not always. Usually they're just pleasant dreams. And remember… They-are-just-dreams. They make you feel good and there's nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with feeling good." The scientist sighed. "This 'birds and bees' talk is something that you should be having with a family member, like your sister. Besides, haven't you had the Marriage Courses at your age?"
"Only the basics. Anatomy and such. I was supposed to get the advanced stuff when we got back to Jurai."
"I see. Hmmm. I believe your mother left material for the advanced courses with Ayeka last time she visited, with instructions to give them to you. Or maybe it was the time before that, I don't really remember. Anyway, your sister probably forgot about it with everything that's been going on." Washu opened a subspace hole and pulled out a book. "Here," she handed it to Sasami. "Don't read it tonight, it's late and we're both tired. But do read it, then go talk to your sister."
"No," said Sasami, hugging the book close to her chest.
Washu stopped, mid-stride. "No?"
"No. I can't talk to Ayeka about this. She… well, it just doesn't seem proper. And she'll probably laugh at me for being worried."
"Ah. Right. I think you're wrong, but if that's how you feel…" Washu tapped a slender finger against her chin. "And Mihoshi's out because she'll probably let it slip to the others at some point; besides, she's not even around at the moment. Ah, the peace and quiet! Well, how about Ryoko then? The only reason I suggest one of them instead of talking to me is that, regardless of my looks, they're all physically and mentally much closer to your age and can probably explain these things better than I can. I tend to go into 'lecture mode' if you hadn't noticed. And on second thought, maybe Ryoko's the perfect choice."
Sasami nodded and hopped down from Washu's treatment table. "Yeah, Ryoko's ok, I can talk to her. This week sometime, if that's soon enough? All of this is taking some time to get used to you know."
Washu patted Sasami on the back. "Sure. Now, go back to bed and don't worry about this stuff, its N-O-R-M-A-L. Oh yeah, one more thing. Do you love Tenchi?"
Sasami's head jerked up and she stared at the little scientist. "Why?" she asked in a sharp tone. Then she shook herself and continued more calmly. "No, not that. Actually, I'm not sure. I know I love him, I'm just not sure if it's, well, you know."
Washu grinned. "I do know. I love him too, in a way. Maybe you should talk to him about your feelings. And his. With all of us girls around he's used to dealing with this kind of stuff, don't worry." She sighed and opened the door leading from the lab. "Read the book, talk to one of the other girls AND GET THOSE LESSON MODULES FROM YOUR SISTER. Heh. I'll even watch 'em with you; I need a good laugh every now and then. Now, goodnight Sasami."
"'Night Little Washu, and thanks." Sasami left the lab and headed back up to her room.
Washu stared at the closed door for a few minutes. "We all love Tenchi, in our own ways. And he certainly loves us." The lights dimmed themselves and Washu slowly made her way back to bed, suddenly feeling very, very old.
*****
Tenchi leaned against the hoe and removed his hat, then used the back of his sleeve to wipe his brow. He glanced up at the sun. Almost lunchtime. Usually he looked forward to lunch, Sasami packed wonderful lunches. But for the past couple of days he'd been avoiding her. It hadn't really been intentional, but ever since her change, and afterwards in Washu's lab, well, he was a bit embarrassed to face her. His total conversations with the young princess over the last few days had consisted of a few mumbled good mornings and good nights. He felt guilty, he knew that it what had happened wasn't Sasami's fault, but God knows it wasn't his either. He chuckled mirthlessly. Perhaps that should have been "Tsunami knows".
He sighed and carefully lay down his hoe before making his way over to the shade and the meager lunch he'd packed himself that morning. Seating himself, he picked up the lunch box but didn't open it. He just sat. And looked at the box. His stomach growled its hunger. He tossed the box away, his stomach would have to wait until dinner; even Ryoko'd become a better cook than he was. Leaning back against the tree that was providing the shade, he gazed out across the carrot field. It was a few moments before he noticed the figure approaching through the distance. An oddly malformed figure. No, wait. Those lumps on the shoulders, they were moving on their own. Ah, cabbits. He watched as Sasami made her way over to him. Ayeka's robes had proven a bit too tight for Sasami's new build so the princess had borrowed some of Mihoshi's clothing while the blonde was away taking a well-deserved vacation with her boyfriend. The GP's clothes were a bit too big for Sasami, but at least she looked much more comfortable. Mihoshi was in for a real surprise when she got back. He stood up as the young princess drew near.
"Hi Tenchi!" she called out. "I brought you some lunch."
Tenchi kept his eyes focused on Sasami's face, not daring to glance any lower. The memory of the scene in Washu's lab replayed vividly in his mind. "Thank you Sasami," he said as she handed him the new box. "I seem to have forgotten to bring anything out with me today, this means a lot to me." He stood there awkwardly, his smile frozen on his face, and waited for Sasami to head back to the house.
"Tenchi?"
"Yes, Sasami?"
"I want to talk to you about things. And to apologize." The pleading in her voice was unmistakable.
He sighed in resignation; he'd known this was coming sometime. "All right, let's sit here in the shade while I eat this wonderful lunch you've made."
"Thank you Tenchi, really." Sasami crossed her long legs underneath herself and sat, hands demurely folded in her lap. "I've been meaning to apologize for what happened in Washu's lab. I don't think Ryoko knew you were coming in just then and she was busy taunting my sister."
He nodded. "No need for that Sasami, Ryoko's already apologized." [Several times,] he thought with humor.
"Tenchi? You have a funny smile on your face…"
He blushed and turned away for a moment. "Um, well, yes. It's nothing."
Sasami giggled a bit. "All right. Anyway I know how hard it… um, I mean how difficult… my sudden changes have been for you, and I want to say I'm sorry for that too."
"It's not your fault, Sasami," Tenchi said. "Besides, Washu warned us it would happen, right? I'll deal with it in my own way, don't worry about it."
"If you say so, Tenchi."
The two sat and watched the cabbits chase butterflies while Tenchi ate his lunch.
"Tenchi, do you love me?"
Tenchi spit out the mouthful of rice he'd just taken. Both cabbits heard the sound and stopped to watch.
"Eh, what was that?" he asked, unsure if he'd heard correctly.
"Do you love me?" Sasami asked again, her expression serious. "If Ryoko and Ayeka would let you, would you marry me too? Three wives are not unheard of you know."
To say Tenchi was startled would be putting it a bit too mildly. "Uh, no, I didn't know that. Three? Really?" Sasami nodded. [Oh boy,] he thought. [How do I talk my way out of this? Think Tenchi, think!]
He cleared his throat. "Sasami, I do love you, I really do. But not like that. You're a beautiful young woman and any man would be honored to have you as a wife. But to me you'll always be Little Sasami, the girl with the cabbit on her head. I just can't picture you any other way."
Tears were forming in Sasami's eyes. He reached out and drew her into a hug. "Hey, you're like a little sister to me and that's just how I love you. You understand, don't you? I do love you." He felt her brief nod against his shoulder and the wetness as her tears soaked into the fabric of his tunic. He hadn't meant to break the poor girl's heart.
The close proximity to Tenchi brought his scent to Sasami. He smelled just as she'd imagined he would, just as he had in her dream. She drew back until she wasn't so overpowered by the very closeness of him. She sniffed and wiped the tears away. "Somehow, I knew that's exactly what you were going to say."
"You did? You're not mad because I rejected you, are you?" he asked cautiously.
She smiled and sniffed again, then shook her head. "No, not really. Like I said, I expected it. And I've always thought of you as a big brother too." She leaned over and kissed his cheek then stood up, dusted herself off and picked up the empty lunchbox. "Tenchi, if I need someone to talk to, I can always come to you, right?"
"Well… Of course you can Sasami. I'm always willing to listen. But if you don't mind my asking, why me? Why not your sister?"
"I don't know. Ayeka is so… so…"
"Stiff? Formal?" Tenchi finished.
"Stiff. Yeah, stiff. I know she loves me, but she's always so distant." Sasami looked down at Tenchi, still seated in the shade.
"You know, Sasami, I don't think Ayeka's as stiff as she likes you to think. She's really quite different in private, when it's just her, Ryoko and me. She's actually quite… interesting and fun."
"Tenchi?"
"Yes, Sasami?"
"You have that weird smile on your face again."
"Oh. Sorry. Anyway, do you want me to walk you back to the house?" he asked as he got to his feet.
Her dream sprang immediately to mind and she felt her face starting to flush. "Uh, no. That's all right; I know you have work to do out here. Anyway, I think I'll take a bath before I start dinner so I'll see you then I guess."
"Ok then," he replied. "I'm sure I saw Ryoko going into the onsen just before lunch, so you'll have company. Don't let her tease you too much."
"Ryoko?" Sasami asked. "That's ok. Washu wants me to ask her some things anyway so that works out just fine. Well, see you at dinner, Tenchi. And please bring the other lunch box back with you." With a wave, Sasami gathered up the cabbits and headed back to the house.
"Poor girl," said Tenchi to the empty field. "I hope I didn't hurt her feelings too much." He picked up his hoe and went back to work. After a short while he paused. "Other lunch box? How did she…?" he shrugged and continued his hoeing.
*****
Ryoko took a sip of her sake and reflected on current event in the Masaki household. Technically, she thought, as Tenchi's First Wife she was the lady of the house and should have some control over what was going on. In reality however, she was more than content to allow Ayeka to have that duty. With all the weird stuff that was always happening to them, it was really too much of a bother. Besides, it was good practice for the future Empress of Jurai. So from that angle, she really was contributing a substantial amount in giving up her leadership. She took another sip. Ah, this was what life should be like for a Princess of Jurai, even if it was only by marriage.
The Ladies door into the onsen slid open and the ex-pirate's hypersensitive ears heard the padding of bare feet approach. Her nose picked up the other's scent before she appeared. Ryoko considered teleporting away, this was supposed to be her personal time after all, but maybe Sasami needed someone to talk to, and Ryoko really liked the little girl. Not so little anymore though, she chuckled quietly.
"Ryoko?" Sasami called. "Are you still in here?"
So, Sasami knew she was here, did she? "Yeah, Sasami. In the upper pool. C'mon up, the water's just right."
"Coming! Please don't leave yet."
Ryoko watched through half-closed eyes as the young princess, demurely wrapped in a towel, eased herself into the water. Pity. With a body like that, she should be showing it off. "What's up, kid?" she asked as Sasami got herself settled.
Sasami sighed with pleasure as the warm waters enfolded her. "Ah. This is good. Can I have some of that sake?"
Ryoko hesitated then handed her the bottle. What harm could a little sake do?
Sasami took a tentative swig and her eyes grew wide. Much to her credit, she actually swallowed it instead of spitting it out. "Thanks," she wheezed. "I needed that."
Ryoko motioned for her to have some more, but Sasami shook her head and handed the bottle back. Another wheeze. "Maybe later." Smart girl, she knew when to stop.
"I don't know how you can drink so much of that stuff," Sasami commented as she got her breath back.
"No big deal," Ryoko explained. "My body doesn't metabolize alcohol in quite the same way as yours. And its effect is very temporary. Besides, I like the taste."
"The taste? Yuk. But why does Ayeka like it so much then?"
Ryoko shrugged. "You'll have to ask her, I have no idea. So, what brings you up here so early in the day anyway?"
Sasami hesitated. "I wanted to talk to you. Alone. Washu suggested it."
"Washu? What about?"
Sasami looked down at the water, embarrassed to bring up the subject. "About the changes that have been going on with me. My body. She said maybe you could explain it better."
Ryoko grimaced. "Washu said that? WASHU? The little red headed twerp that hides in the closet? Listen Sasami, and Washu should know this better than anyone, I never grew up. When I was allowed out of the growth cylinder, I was about the same physical age you are now. And I was designed and grown in just a few months. Growing up? I don't know anything about it."
Sasami was crestfallen. "Oh. I'm sorry I'm wasting your time then." She made to stand up but Ryoko put out a hand to stop her.
"No, wait," Ryoko said. "I'm sorry, maybe that was the whole point. I had to deal with my feelings right from the start, with an adult body and a mind that wasn't developed enough to handle everything that was happening. Like you. So, what do you want to know?"
Sasami settled back into the water. "I'm not sure. I'm having urges, strange dreams. There're certain way my body wants to act, to ideas and things. Oooh, I don't know how to explain them. Or handle them."
"Hmmm. I see. Well maybe Doctor Ryoko can help you after all kid. Ok, lean back and tell me about your mother."
"My mother? What does my mother have to do with this?"
Ryoko snickered. "Nothing. That was a joke." The ex-pirate shrugged. "But knowing Lady Misaki, who knows? Anyway, the urges, the dreams… that's normal. I have them, Ayeka has them, hell, even Tenchi has them."
Sasami giggled. "That's about the same thing Washu told me."
"Smart woman, my 'mother'," Ryoko replied with a grin. "Anyway, there's really nothing we can do about that. Washu can probably give you some drugs, but I don't think that's a good idea."
"No," agreed Sasami.
"Now your body… Hmmm. Well, how much do you know about it?"
"Know about it?" wondered the princess. "I know what all the parts are and what they're for."
Ryoko chuckled. "I'm sure you do, and that's a start. But that's not really what I meant. How well do you know your body? Do you know where you're ticklish? Where you're sensitive to other, um, stimulation? How much can you take? Pain? Pleasure?"
Sasami was a bit taken aback. "I… I'm not sure. Do I need to know all this?"
Ryoko flipped a hand through the air, splashing water out of the pool. "Nah, not all that. And unless you're weird, I'd leave the pain bit off. Uh, you're not weird, are you?"
Sasami shook her head. "If you mean what I think you mean, no. I most definitely don't enjoy pain."
"Good. Anyway, it's a good idea to know just what your body is and isn't capable of. Take me for instance…" Ryoko stood up, water cascading off her sleek skin. She placed her hands on her shapely hips and thrust her chest out in Sasami's direction. "I know for a fact that this body's capable of almost anything. Hell, I've done almost everything and if I haven't done it, it probably can't be done. I don't recommend some of it."
"Ryoko…" [Must be the sake talking,] Sasami thought.
The ex-pirate sat back down with a splash. "No, I'm serious. I told your sister I was a virgin when we married Tenchi. But then, my body can restore itself so that was only a technicality. Actually though, I was a virgin, if not in the truest sense. Under the control of you-know-who I tried pretty much everything to experience pleasure and satisfaction. The bastard wouldn't even allow me that." She growled deep in her throat and Sasami could see she was getting worked up. But then suddenly her mood settled back down and her golden eyes carried a hint of humor. "You see Sasami, Tenchi was the person who taught me that emotions, feelings, are real. He let me experience real pleasure and satisfaction for pretty much the first time. So I was a virgin when it came to affairs of the heart and true acts of love."
"Ahem. Yes," said Sasami, a bit embarrassed by her friend's emotional outpouring. "But what has all this to do with me?"
Ryoko's eyes twinkled. "Ah. You my dear princess, need a boyfriend."
"Excuse me?"
"A boyfriend. Someone to show you the true ways of love. Unless of course, you'd rather have a girlfriend. Whatever floats your boat as they say."
Sasami could swear she saw stars glittering in Ryoko's eyes with all this talk of love. "No, a boyfriend's fine. But there aren't any boys around here. Except for Tenchi."
"Yeesss… Errr, no, he doesn't count in this case. Ah ha! There's plenty of boys in town, I see 'em all the time when I go to the shops. And they have an eye for a pretty girl too, I can tell by the way they watch me."
"In town…" Sasami mulled it over. "But I don't go to town very often, and when I do it's never for very long."
"Yeah. Well, we'll have to think up a good reason to keep you there longer, now won't we?"
Ryoko stood up, shedding water. "Now, I've got to go. Tenchi'll be taking a break soon and I have plans. Think about what I've said, but what you do is up to you." With a sly wink she faded out and Sasami was alone with her thoughts.
*****
After Ryoko left, Sasami lay back in the warm water and reflected on what her friend had told her.
Tenchi was off-limits. Ryoko hadn't come right out and said that, but her friendly, if guarded attitude towards the subject had made it perfectly clear. All right, she could deal with that, she certainly didn't want to alienate her best friend or her sister. Or Tenchi for that matter.
Spend more time in town? Well, she could certainly do that. Perhaps enroll in school. That could be fun; she could say that she was Tenchi's distant cousin or something. Yeah. Staying at his house until she was finished with school. Yeah. She enjoyed making new friends anyway so that's just what she'd do. She'd have to talk with Tenchi about it after dinner.
Get comfortable with this new body of hers. That had a connotation that the young princess was slightly uncomfortable with. As Washu'd said, she'd had all the preliminary marriage training that a young Juraian Princess was expected to have, so she had all the basic knowledge of anatomy and how things were supposed to work, but she'd never had any of the more advanced stuff on how to use what she had.
"Oh, Ryoko," Sasami sighed. "I wish I were as uninhibited as you. You make everything sound like so much fun, but a Princess really shouldn't act that way."
Wait a minute… Hadn't Tenchi said that Ayeka was a totally different person in private? Less stiff? Sasami's fertile young mind began to imagine just what went on at night between Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka. And being inexperienced, her imagination was much more vivid than reality could ever be.
She quickly shook off the images that had formed and looked around to see if anyone had noticed how deeply she was blushing. She was still alone. In private. "Get comfortable with your body," Ryoko had said. "Find its limits." A contemplative look crossed Sasami's face.
"Hello!" she called out. "Is anyone in here? Tenchi? Ayeka? Um… Washu?" There was no answer. The contemplative look turned sly. Alone. Well, she had all the anatomical knowledge. Certainly there was no harm in finding out if what she knew about Juraian/Human anatomy was true. She stood up and quickly discarded the towel, then splashed back down into the water until just her head from the nose up was visible. She didn't want anyone to see her naked, just in case there was someone else in the onsen.
Sasami waited for what seemed like forever to her before she felt it safe to sit back and relax. The warm water felt luxurious against her bare skin. No wonder Ryoko never used a towel, this felt sooo much better than that rough fabric. Sasami vowed to herself to bathe naked whenever the opportunity presented. And since there was no rule that said a Princess had to be covered in the bath, that meant pretty much always from now on. Unless Tenchi or one of the other males of the family was present of course. That didn't seem to bother Ryoko, but a Princess had to draw the line somewhere.
Sasami closed her eyes and began to explore her body with her hands. She still felt guilty, but after all, hadn't Ryoko told her to do this? Sort of anyway? She had to admit, her grown-up self was beautiful. Nice, firm muscles… breasts… She felt a tingle of pleasure as her hands passed over her breasts. Enough, move on. Narrow waist, flat stomach, nicely shaped hips and thighs. And Washu'd said she still had a bit of growing to do so it would only get better. She smiled in anticipation of all the male hearts in town beating rapidly as she passed by.
Her hands moved to the junction of her legs and she felt the little tingle of pleasure again. She pulled back. Opening one eye, she glanced around. Still no one else around. Ok, let's see. According to that anatomy stuff she should have… Her fingers moved, touched the spot… An electric jolt of pleasure went through her body. Ahhhh. That was… That was…
[A nice feeling, and one I have never had before. Like in the dream the other night. It felt good and as Washu said, there is nothing wrong with feeling good.]
Sasami's hands jerked out of the water and she sat up suddenly, not even looking to see if she was still alone. "Tsunami?" she asked aloud.
[Yes, little one,] the goddess replied.
"I was… I thought… I mean…" Sasami stuttered in embarrassment.
Tsunami chuckled. [It means nothing. You are growing up, that's all.]
"Yes, I supp…" Sasami started to ease back into the water but stopped in mid-sentence and sat back up with a splash. "Hey! Wait a minute! How do you know what I felt like in that dream? How do you even know about the dream?"
[I… I…] The goddess was momentarily at a loss for words. But after a bit of thought she concluded that now was as good a time as any to reveal what she'd been hiding all these years. [I will try to explain. No, I will show you how I know…]
Sasami literally flew out of the water, limbs rigid and eyes wide. There was no pain, but the new sensations she was suddenly receiving startled her. And then she knew… She knew… Everything… Well ok, maybe not everything, but enough. She knew what she was now and that most certainly was enough for her.
*****
Deep in a subspace lab, a red headed scientist/sometimes goddess herself felt it happen. A single tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek. A tear for her friend… and her sister. She wasn't quite sure if it was a tear of joy or of sorrow; only time would tell.
*****
Tsunami floated naked above the waters of the onsen, water dripping from her toes and the ends of her wet hair. "I understand now," she whispered to herself. "Sasami and Tsunami have always been one, always will be one." She knew that if she willed it, her body would take its final form. She considered this for a moment, then discarded the idea. But there was one thing she could do… A moment's concentration was all it took. A small change here, an adjustment there. She would now grow at a more normal rate, achieving full size in about five Earth years. It would allow her to fit in better anyway.
With a thought the goddess dried herself and formed her robes about her. A part of her longed to ease back into the warm water and continue what she'd started, but there would be plenty of time for that, after all, she had eternity. She glanced down at herself and frowned. Formal robes were all well and good for formal occasions, but she was amongst family here. The robes changed into comfortable jeans and a t-shirt.
Ah, much better. Wait. Something was missing.
Another glance down and it was very obvious what it was. A moment later and she was complete, undergarments and all. [It's good to be the goddess,] she thought, then giggled like the old Sasami.
Now she was ready to face everyone, finally as a complete being. And it was about time she started dinner anyway, what had she been thinking? After dinner… A talk with Tenchi about going to school. Ayeka'd probably object, but screw her; she was a goddess, wasn't she? She could make her own decisions from now on. She giggled again and then the onsen was empty, it's warm waters lapping unheard across the rocks.
*****
Ayeka paused outside the back door leading into the kitchen. Inside, she could hear the clatter of pots, the chopchopchop of a knife and the happy humming as her sister prepared the evening meal. As the elder princess put away the gardening tools she'd been working with and peeled off her work gloves, she thought about the changes that had occurred in Sasami over the past few days. Whatever else had happened, Sasami's personality was fundamentally unchanged. She still seemed to enjoy the mundane tasks of everyday housekeeping, for which Ayeka was grateful. Sasami needed some stability right now, some link back to her old self.
"Good evening, Sasami," Ayeka said as she slid the door closed behind her. "Dinner smells wonderful. And is that… chocolate cake I smell as well?"
Sasami giggled, a sound Ayeka was pleased to hear. "Yeah. I thought a celebration was in order."
"A celebration?" asked Ayeka. She looked closely at her sister. There was something different, some new and subtle changes in the young woman. Not physical this time, but she seemed more confident, more at ease with herself. "Uh, you are Sasami, aren't you?" she teased. "The same one that made us breakfast this morning?"
"Who else would I be?" Sasami replied, a humorous glint lighting her eyes.
"Well," joked Ayeka. "For a moment I thought you might have been Tsunami for real this time. Silly me."
Sasami turned back to her cooking with a slight chuckle. "Silly Ayeka," she agreed. "But if you wish, you can call me Tsunami. Or Sasami. It makes no difference."
"Of course. I…" Ayeka's legs turned wobbly and she grabbed onto the edge of the counter to keep from falling. "Tsu... Tsunami?"
"Yes?" replied the other.
"No. Oh, goddess."
Sasami smirked; she loved these kinds of games. "Yes?"
"No!" Ayeka's knees started to go.
"Yep. Tsunami, that's me. Look, I'm a tree!" Sasami posed, arms stuck out at odd angles. "Hey, that rhymed. Am I good or what?"
"NO!" This time even a firm grip on the counter didn't help. Ayeka sat down on the floor. Hard. "Ouch!" she exclaimed. Sasami dropped the pose and utensils she'd been holding and rushed to her side.
"Ayeka! Are you all right?"
Ayeka looked up into wide pink eyes full of concern, and something else. "I… Yes, I believe so. Are you really Tsunami? Tell me you're joking, Sasami. Please."
Sasami's expression turned serious for the first time. "No, I am Tsunami. And Sasami."
"Aaah. So, it's happened. The assimilation."
Sasami blinked. "Not exactly, no. There was no 'assimilation', just a realization. I've always been Tsunami and she's always been me. I am one, always and forever."
"Prove it."
"As you wish, sister." Sasami floated up off the floor, her clothing changing to the robes that Ayeka had always seen the goddess wearing. "Do you believe now?" Tsunami asked.
"I do," Ayeka gasped. "I believe. Oh, Sasami…"
"Oh, Ayeka, put a sock in it. I'm still Sasami, your little sister, regardless of whatever else I am." Her feet returned to the floor and her clothing reformed into the more comfortable items that Sasami had been wearing when Ayeka entered. "Now, can you do me a big favor?" she asked, offering her hand to help Ayeka stand up.
Ayeka nodded mutely as she got unsteadily to her feet. It's not every day that one confronts one's deity in the flesh and said deity asks one for a favor.
"Can you set the table for me? I'm a little busy at the moment."
*****
"Well, it's been quite a week, hasn't it?" asked Ryoko as she phased through the kitchen door.
Ayeka nodded as she continued to look out the window that overlooked the lake. "You can say that again, Ryoko."
"Ok, it's been quite a week around here, hasn't it?"
"I wasn't serious."
"So whatcha lookin' at?" asked Ryoko as she moved up next to the princess, munching away on a piece of Tsunami's chocolate cake. Ayeka nodded out the window and Ryoko saw Tenchi and Sasami sitting on the deck, feet dangling in the water. Tenchi had his arm around the younger princess and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Aw, how sweet," mumbled the pirate around another mouthful of cake. Suddenly she spit it out. "Wait a minute, WAIT A MINUTE!" she howled. "That's our Tenchi! How dare she… how dare HE?" Ryoko started to phase through the glass to put an end to what was obviously happening outside. Ayeka grabbed her arm before she could completely dematerialize.
"Ryoko, stop," Ayeka admonished her friend. The ex-pirate turned and glared at the princess.
"That doesn't bother you?" Ryoko asked in bewilderment.
Ayeka smiled sadly and shook her head. "Not really, no. I have faith in our husband and I know my sister. What she needs right now is a friend, nothing else."
Ryoko snorted and resolidified. "I thought I was her friend."
"You are, probably her best friend, like you're my best friend," Ayeka explained.
Ryoko eyed the princess and grinned slyly. "I'm not that good a friend to her, and I don't want to be either. You're quite enough for me."
"And Tenchi?" Ayeka asked with one eyebrow raised.
"Of course Tenchi!" Ryoko snorted again, still grinning. "Always Tenchi!"
Ayeka returned the grin and her red eyes sparkled. "Well, I should hope so," she told the other woman in an amused voice. "But what I meant was that Sasami needs a male friend to talk to and Tenchi's the only one about. So it's natural that she lean on him for advice."
"Well, she's definitely got the leaning bit down pat, but it looks like she's after a bit more than advice to me," grumbled Ryoko, then she sighed. "But I suppose you're right, she probably didn't want to turn to either of us about whatever it is, and Washu's totally out. She'd want to hook the poor girl up to a machine to get a reading or something."
[Hey!] came Washu's mental voice through their mind link. [I heard that, daughter.]
[Shut up, Mom,] Ryoko sent back. Her mouth twitched at Washu's good-natured return grumble. Ryoko looked down at the cake still in her hand. She squinted at it and held it up for inspection. It looked ok. "Want some?" she offered, thrusting it at Ayeka.
Ayeka looked at the cake and almost too swiftly to see took a bite, catching a nibble of Ryoko's fingers in the process. Ryoko chuckled and held out her hand again. "Not that good a friend at all…" This time Ayeka was more careful. She took the last bite then began to lick the frosting off Ryoko's fingers. Ryoko pulled her hand back. "More of that later. Hmmm. Well, since it looks like they're going to be talking for a while, maybe we should start cleaning up in the kitchen"
Ayeka looked at her friend in feigned shock. "Why Ryoko, are you volunteering to do chores?"
"Hey, I pull my weight around here now!"
Ayeka took the ex-pirate's arm and led her towards the kitchen. "I know, I was joking. You do know what a joke is, don't you? Anyway dear, I was thinking… Later tonight, why don't you and I grab Tenchi when he's not expecting it and…"
Ryoko's hearty laugh echoed through the house.
*****
The End
*****
Author's Notes
I would like to dedicate this story to Crion, without his urging it never would have been written.
Wait. Actually, that's not true; Crion convinced me to start it, Ministry Agent is the one without whose help it wouldn't have gotten finished.
Thank you to you both.
*****
Review Responses
Since it's been so long since the Ayeka chapter was posted and, as this chapter is essentially an entirely separate work, I'm not going to respond to the Chapter 1 reviews. Sorry.
*****
BobR
7/29/2003
