Mind Swap, Chapter 2 (The One where Everyone Finds Out)
"Flames and Flirtations"
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There was a dot in the sky, indistinguishable from the stars. Except it was daytime. The dot grew bigger, and now it was able to have some colour. It was red, flaming red. And there was a very good reason for this. It was actually flaming.
Inside the cockpit, Mihoshi was nervously pushing buttons. Yukinojo was a lot of help, but Mihoshi wasn't listening. Aside from the fact that she and her ship were plummeting down to the planet quicker than a herd of schoolboys going to lunch, Mihoshi also had to contend with the coffee in her lap.
That was the last time she believed the mechanics when they said, during the regular maintenance of the ship, that they could install cup holders that could hold anything, and I mean, ANYthing.
As long as a cup of coffee wasn't anything. Mihoshi made a mental note to complain about this during her next report, and as with the others, the note was fairly instantly lost forever in some cobweb-encrusted recess of her mind. That's not to say she was absent-minded. She just didn't want to, or feel that she should, dig around in the angry part of her mind. It just wasn't her.
No, Mihoshi was the nice type, the kind of person who shrugs off any insult thrown at them and smiles. Unfortunately, this often, well, always, comes across as forgetfulness or bimbo-ness or "The Blonde Syndrome", as some people she once met termed it. On another of those notes were their names, with a large skulls-and-crossbones logo next to them.
This was all using up time before the inevitable impact, as the atmosphere is tens of miles thick. But once the ship had passed the clouds, Mihoshi could see out of the window, partially obscured by the bird on the glass, a look of complete surprise on its face, her unfortunate landing zone.
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Meanwhile, unaware of the impending doom, Ryoko and Ayeka continued to stare at each other, still holding hands. Unaware to them, Tenchi was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, holding a drink, watching on at the events. Unaware to any of them, Washu was also watching, sitting back in a large leather chair. It had to be leather, as all big comfy chairs are. It could have been a foam-filled polyester chair, a nice Lay-Zee Boy™ brand recliner, but it wasn't.
Ryoko stirred, and the three people watching her paid more attention to her. She cleared her throat and swallowed some of the excess moisture in her mouth.
"Ayeka, how long have we been here?" she asked.
"Well, I would guess about six months," Ayeka replied. "Yes, that sounds about right."
"Six months," Ryoko reflected. "We've been living in the same house, day after day, for six months, and only now do we realise how we feel about each other."
"Well, technically, it isn't exactly the same house," Ayeka replied. "I can think of at least three walls that have been replaced over this past half year. Some even four or more times."
"But still," Ryoko said. "Six months, and we haven't even kissed, or anything."
"Kissed who?" Tenchi asked, feeling it was about time he came back in, so the others wouldn't get suspicious. He sipped his drink and walked towards the couch.
"Why, you, of course," Ryoko said, caught off guard. She floated over the back of the couch and over to Tenchi. Upon arrival she cast her arms around him and nuzzled against his neck. Tenchi looked over to Ayeka, who was looking at Ryoko.
"That is a point," Tenchi said, disentangling himself from her arms. He went over and sat next to Ayeka. Ryoko paused, then moved over and sat on the other side of him. "You know, I think you've done quite well these past few months. We've only had to replace the house twice. That's less than once a month. I think that deserves some sort of reward. What do you say?"
"What kind of reward?" Ayeka asked.
"I do not know," Tenchi said. "Why don't you come up with something, and we'll see what we can do about it, ne?"
"You mean, like a kiss or something?" Ryoko asked.
"Maybe," Tenchi replied. Ayeka's mouth fell open, along with Ryoko's. Washu's did similarly, as she gasped.
"Is Tenchi actually being forthcoming for once?" she wondered.
The amazement turned out to be short-lived, as Mihoshi's ship splashed down in the lake in front of what is affectionately and correctly called the Masaki household. No object, however much you try, can be suddenly stopped from travelling at hundreds of miles an hour without causing some sort of a disturbance around it. Mihoshi's ship is not "no object". In that case, a tidal wave was obligated to spread out from the epicentre, causing damage, destruction and wetness all around, including the fondly-named Masaki house.
Now, with any other house, being hit by a fast-moving tidal wave was not a good thing. The windows would implode, walls and doors would collapse, and the floors and ceilings, remaining as they do because of being horizontal, and so unaffected by the wave, would fall onto the hapless people who may still be there, if somehow they weren't washed away with their furniture.
The Masaki house had a special advantage over these other houses. It had strength. Well, a shield. A Washu's Red Crab™ shield projection device helped maintain the integrity of the house, so causing it not to break.
Inside, Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko stared at the water piling up outside the windows, the odd fish pressed against the glass, eyes wide with shock.
Eventually, the water flowed down the windows and onto the ground. Tenchi and the others stepped outside and padded over the wet ground towards the lake. In about exactly the middle of it was Yukinojo, the front end buried in the lake bottom. The back stood straight out of the inflowing water. All the lights on the ship were flashing, indicating help was needed. As if it wasn't evident already.
Mihoshi was back from work.
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After pulling Mihoshi out of her ship, and watching Washu perform a Jedi™-type trick to pull Yukinojo out of the lake, everyone was now trying to clean up the damage the water had done. It was a big wave, and so a big mess. Trees were left without leaves and small branches, others fallen completely. The ground was sodden, with a tendency to turn to mud when you weren't looking. A dead fish or two were scattered around the area, and, inexplicably, a bird. The bird had an expression you wouldn't have thought physically possible for a bird, one of surprise and terror.
Tenchi was outside with the mess, trying against all logic to straighten things out. He picked up a large bundle of twigs and leaves and looked round for somewhere to dump it. He dropped the pile straight back down again as he realised that it wouldn't make a bit of difference. He sighed and went inside.
He removed his wet shoes and placed them on the rack, before slipping his slippers on and going into the main room. He sat down with an exhausted sigh, tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
Only to open them two seconds later, as the others came in.
"Tenchi, have you finished clearing up outside already?" Ryoko asked, floating over and sitting next to him.
Tenchi just looked at her evenly, and then out of the window. Outside looked like it had been hit by a tornado, but with more water. In fact, it looked like it had been hit by a tidal wave.
"Oh." Ryoko stretched back.
"If you want, I can fix it," Washu offered.
"What?" Tenchi said, his exhaustion removing some of the tone of his voice. "So I was out there trying to clean up all afternoon, when you could have fixed it with one of your machines?"
"That's about right," Washu replied, grinning.
"So why did you let Lord Tenchi work out there for so long?" Ayeka asked.
"I must have forgot," Washu said.
"Tenchi, do you want something to eat or drink?" Sasami asked.
"Yeah, thanks. A nice cold drink, please."
"Sure." Sasami got up and went to get it.
"So, Washu," Tenchi said. "When can you fix the garden?"
"I'll do it tonight," Washu said. "I'm busy at the moment." She stretched back in her chair and snuggled deeper into the cushions.
"Yes, right," Tenchi said, not without sarcasm. "I can see the work you're doing at the moment."
"Do you want the garden fixing or not?" Washu asked.
"Yes, Little Washu," Tenchi said.
Sasami came back in at that moment with Tenchi's drink. She gave it to him.
"Oh, thanks, Sammy," Tenchi said, taking a sip. "Great."
---------------
It was later, merely because it wouldn't be earlier in a linear story such as this. Tenchi found himself in Washu's lab, after accidentally forcibly being pushed through the door by something behind him as he walked past. He took half a glance around, realised quickly this wasn't where he ever wanted to be, and made quickly back out of the lab.
Unfortunately, he backed into the door. He turned around and saw that it was locked. Not with a key or anything, but with large boards and chains, with wires carrying crackling electricity through them. A spark from one of these wires leapt to the floor and dispersed, causing a small but very relevant crack to appear in the floor. Tenchi decided, wisely, to back away.
Turning back round, Tenchi saw he was still in the lab. He was hoping against all possible hope from any god, goddess or other miscellaneous deities that were listening or not, that he would somehow appear back outside. But no, he was still there. Tenchi sighed. As labs went, this one was nicer than the others, being a small flat area surrounded by nice scenery such as trees, fields and hills, with a little stream nearby, but the most terrible things went on in here. Things which Tenchi wouldn't repeat to anyone. Ever.
"Little Washu, what do you want now?" he asked to the room. "If it's about those guinea pig tests, please remember that if you try any it will go against my resolutions for this year. I told you about it, remember? 'Don't Get Tested On By Washu Ever'?"
"Tenchi, I'm not going to try anything like that," Washu said, walking out from behind a tree. "I just need to talk to you."
"About what?" Tenchi said apprehensively.
"Don't be so suspicious," Washu said, walking over to him. She stopped and looked up at his face. "It doesn't suit you."
"But why me?" Tenchi asked. "What about someone else? Someone who isn't me?"
"But you're the only one I can talk with," Washu said. "It's about Ryoko and Ayeka."
"What about them?" Tenchi asked. "You mean my choice? Yeah, I've decided to not have one of those. It's just going to cause more trouble than normal."
"No, Tenchi, not your choice," Washu said, walking over to her workstation, being as it was a large purple cushion in front of a holographic laptop. She sat down. "Although it would be interesting how what you saw happen between the two affected it."
"What do you mean?" Tenchi asked, his mind flashing back to when he was watching them hold hands on the couch. "What happened?"
"You know full well," Washu said. "And I can prove it. Here, watch this."
She tapped around on the laptop, and what looked like surveillance footage appeared on the screen. In fact, it was surveillance footage, starting just after Tenchi left the room earlier, leaving the two girls to talk, and finishing just after he interrupted their hand-holding.
"Well?" she asked.
"Does this mean you've got hidden cameras all over the house?" Tenchi asked. "Why?"
"That's not the point," Washu said. "The point is that my daughter and the First Crown Princess of Jurai are in love with each other."
"At least they're friends," Tenchi mumbled.
"I just want to know what you think of all this," Washu asked.
"What's there to think about?" Tenchi asked. "So they're, um, you know, like that. Why should it matter so much?"
"You would say that, wouldn't you?" Washu said. "You're a guy, at least genetically."
"Are you saying I'm a girl?" Tenchi asked.
"Sometimes you act like one," Washu said. "But that's not the point. The thing is, all guys have a one-track mind. You can't help it if you happen to like the idea that my daughter is a lesbian."
"That's not true!" Tenchi exclaimed. "Most other guys only think about two things: sex and sports. I'm compleings: sex and sports. I'm complee sports."
Washu just looked at him.
"Okay, so I've got testosterone. So what? In that case, why should it matter what I think, if you've got me all sussed out anyway?"
"I just wanted to know what you thought," Washu said. "Besides, do you know what caused these feelings to manifest themselves?"
"What?" Tenchi asked.
---------------
While Washu was explaining vaguely what happened with the mind swaps, Ryoko and Ayeka were outside, looking at the destruction still there.
"At least Washu's going to fix it tonight," Ryoko said.
"Yes, well, that's very kind of her," Ayeka replied.
There was silence for about as long as it takes to read this sentence, which is going to end now, so get ready for it, okay? There.
"You did tell Washu to keep what happened between us a secret, didn't you?" Ayeka asked.
"But I thought you did that?" Ryoko said. "Seriously," she added as Ayeka looked at her. "I didn't tell her."
"What if she tells everyone else?" Ayeka asked. "I do not want Sasami at least to know."
"Know about what?" Ryoko asked. "That we're both on the other side of the fence? That we're hiding in the same closet? That we're in love?"
"Love?" Ayeka asked. "You think it's love?"
"Do you?" Ryoko asked.
There was another silence, about twice as long as before, during which the princess and the pirate stared at each other.
"But don't you think we should tell Washu not to tell anyone?" Ayeka asked.
"Oh, yes," Ryoko said. "We probably should. I trust her as much as I trust Tenchi to make a proper decision."
"But Tenchi did offer to kiss us earlier," Ayeka remarked.
"Oh yeah," Ryoko said. "Still, we should tell her not to tell anyone."
---------------
By then, of course, it was too late. Tenchi knew everything that had happened.
"Actually, I suspected something like that had happened," Tenchi said. "Ever since Ayeka, well, Ryoko came up to me in the garden yesterday, I thought something wasn't right."
"Yes, well, now you know what happened, you can't help but to have suspected something, can you?" Washu asked. "But now we have this to think about. What are we going to do?"
"What should we do?" Tenchi asked. "They haven't announced it, so I guess they want to keep it a secret. In that case, we shouldn't do anything. Let's just see what happens."
---------------
Tenchi left the lab, just as the two girls entered the house. They greeted Tenchi, and went straight into Washu's lab.
"Washu, have you told anyone about us?" Ryoko asked as soon as she entered.
"Ryoko, hi," Washu said. "And no, I haven't told anyone about you."
Although Tenchi knew about them anyway, without Washu's help. But Washu didn't tell them this.
"Good," Ayeka said. "Little Washu, could you please not tell anyone about what happened? We would rather it remained a secret."
"Sure, I won't tell anyone," Washu said. In the sense that 'won't' equates to 'will not', that is, from the present onwards, she wouldn't tell anyone. Washu had a habit of reading into things too much. "But only if you answer this question. Do you two love each other?"
"Mom!" Ryoko exclaimed.
"Calling me mom?" Washu asked. "I think I hit a sensitive spot there. Well, do you?"
"Miss Washu, I can't believe you just asked that," Ayeka said, similarly shocked.
And Miss. Obviously Ayeka was too busy thinking about something to think about her safety from any stone gnomes that might happen to drop around unexpectedly. Maybe she was thinking about Ryoko. "Okay, you two," Washu said. "I promise I won't tell anyone. Now go bug Tenchi. I have work to do."
"Thanks, mom," Ryoko said, before they both turned and went out.
---------------
Tenchi was relaxing in a chair in the main room when the two girls left the lab. He didn't notice, however. He was too busy doing nothing. His head sagged slightly to the left, and his mouth opened slightly. His breathing became slower and his body became limp.
Ryoko and Ayeka caught sight of Tenchi. Ryoko was just about to fly over to him, and she would have, were Ayeka's hand not grabbing her arm. Ryoko looked at Ayeka, not in annoyance, as she would have done before, but merely with a questioning gaze. Ayeka shook her head and pointed at Tenchi. Ryoko followed the direction and saw that Tenchi was asleep. Realising, she nodded and drifted quietly over to the other couch, where she silently sat down. Ayeka followed and sat down next to her.
"It's probably all that work he was doing this afternoon," Ayeka whispered. "He's exhausted."
"And it didn't make any difference anyway," Ryoko whispered back. "Mom's going to do it up tonight."
"Do you think we should wake him?" Ayeka asked. Ryoko shook her head. "I didn't think so either," Ayeka said. "Let him sleep until dinner, at least."
"That's only in a short while, anyway," Ryoko said. "Boy, this afternoon just crawled along, didn't it?"
"It certainly did," Ayeka agreed.
There was another one of those silences, you know, the ones you get when one line of conversation runs out and you're trying desperately to think of something else to say before it becomes a prolonged and awkward silence. Too late.
"So what do you think?" Ryoko asked. "You and me?"
"I don't know," Ayeka replied. "I really don't know."
"But do you love me?" Ryoko asked.
"Love?" Ayeka exclaimed, and suddenly shut up when Tenchi stirred and rolled his head across to face them. Luckily he appeared to be still asleep. Ayeka continued. "Why do you think it's love?" she asked.
"Are you saying you don't feel how..." Ryoko trailed off. "How I feel about Tenchi?" she said.
"Well, it's not like that," Ayeka said. "It's just... I am Ayeka, the First Crown Princess of Jurai. When I am older I shall sit on the throne of Jurai and rule over millions of billions of people. What would everyone say if they found out I loved a space pirate, a most wanted criminal?"
"Yeah?" Ryoko said. "Well, what about me? I've got friends. Admittedly, I haven't seen or spoken to them for years, but what would they say if they knew I'd fallen for a princess?"
Tenchi stirred again, and his right leg jiggled slightly. The two girls watched him for a minute, before returning to their conversation.
"Even if we forget about everyone else," Ryoko said. "What will Tenchi think? How will he react if he finds out that the two women he thought adored him the most were actually each other's lover?"
"How would I know?" Ayeka mused, thinking about how he might react. "He could totally freak and never speak to us again. He could throw us out."
"Probably not that far," Ryoko said. "Who knows? He might actually not be bothered. He'd just let us do what we wanted. Maybe he wouldn't be disturbed by it at all."
They looked at each other. "Nah," they both said.
"Tenchi would have a reaction," Ayeka said. "And besides, before Mihoshi came home, he was talking about how he wouldn't mind kissing us. Perhaps he's just starting to become bolder now, and he's ready for a relationship. We couldn't just tell him we're not interested any more."
"Maybe he'll go for Mihoshi," Ryoko said. "Maybe we can get him to go for Mihoshi."
Ayeka sat up. "Yes, that's possible. If Tenchi falls in love with Mihoshi, he'll forget about us."
"So then when we tell him, he won't be as bothered."
"Or disturbed," Ayeka said.
"Then that's what we do," Ryoko said. "We get Mihoshi and Tenchi together, and then we tell everyone, right?"
"Right," Ayeka nodded.
"So that's the plan, is it?" Tenchi asked. He pulled himself up from the slumped position he was in and vigorously rubbed his right leg. "Cramp," he said to explain.
"Tenchi, you're awake?" Ayeka asked, a question rather than a statement.
"When did you wake up?" Ryoko asked.
"Just after you came in," Tenchi said. "So, this plan. Get me to fall in love with Mihoshi, and then you two can tell me that you love each other, right? You still going to give it a try?"
"Pretty pointless now," Ryoko muttered.
"You, you know?" Ayeka stuttered.
"Yes, I know," Tenchi sighed, yawning. "I knew ages ago, just before Mihoshi landed. Well, crashed."
"And you didn't say anything?" Ryoko asked.
"Well, I wanted to know all the facts," Tenchi said. "And Washu very kindly dragged me into her lab and told me about yesterday. Everything about the mind swaps. That was just before you went in there."
"So..." Ayeka said slowly.
"So, I'm wondering why you need to go to all these lengths before you can tell me," Tenchi said. "Why didn't you just say something right at the start? Don't you trust me, or something?"
"We thought that..." Ryoko said.
"Oh yes," Tenchi answered for her. "That I would freak and tell you all to leave. I'm not like that. To tell you the truth, now that I'm used to the idea, I don't see what's wrong. Lots of people love each other, and two of those people just happen to be you."
"Oh," the two girls remarked. Somehow, they weren't expecting that.
"I can never be the one to stand in the way of anything like this," Tenchi said. "And I want you both to be as happy as possible."
"So, you're not disturbed by all this?" Ryoko asked.
"Why should I be?" Tenchi replied. "As I said before, people fall in love all the time."
"Wait, what do you mean? 'Fall in love'," Ayeka said. "We never said that we had."
"Well, from what I heard, there wasn't exactly much denial," Tenchi said.
"You mean you're not in love with me?" Ryoko asked.
There was a rather uncomfortable pause, during which Ayeka tried her best to remain neutral, not showing if she was or not.
"You know what, I'm going," Ryoko said angrily. "When you come up with an answer, you let me know."
With that, Ryoko raised up and disappeared. Ayeka watched her go silently, a look of conflict on her face. She sighed and sat down.
Tenchi decided it would probably be best if he didn't hang around, and so he left Ayeka to think.
---------------
Tenchi, for some reason far beyond his understanding, went down to Washu's lab. He had no idea why he would willingly go in there ever again, but against all odds, he did. Before he knew what he was doing, he had opened the door and walked in.
Washu was busy staring at her laptop, as if trying to see if it was still there. She frowned and smashed her fist on the keypad. But the keypad was only made of light, and her fist passed silently through and impacted sharply with her thigh. She groaned in pain and keeled forwards off her big red cushion, landing on the grass below.
"Are you okay, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked, walking towards her.
Washu looked up and completely forgot about the pain in her leg. Without anyone noticing it, the pain decided to go away, disappointed that it wouldn't be missed. Washu was completely shocked at something else. "Tenchi?"
"What?" Tenchi replied.
"Why are you here?" Washu asked, getting up slowly. "I don't even... why are you here?"
"I think I've just killed a relationship," Tenchi replied. "Tore it right up. And upstairs are the pieces."
"You mean Ryoko and Ayeka?" Washu asked. Tenchi nodded. "How did you manage to do that?" she asked. "Usually it's Mihoshi who breaks everything."
"She doesn't always break everything," Tenchi said. "But I told them I knew about them."
"You idiot."
"I'm sorry?"
"What did you do that for?" Washu asked. "You should never tell people you know things."
"You do, all the time," Tenchi replied, feeling rather humiliated.
"Yes, but that's different."
---------------
And while Washu was explaining how when she said she knew everything it was okay, but if Tenchi said he knew anything it was not, Ryoko was busy flying as fast and as far away as possible from the house.
"I was an idiot to ever think she loved me," Ryoko said angrily. "Well, it's her loss. She could have done much worse than me."
She flew on for a bit, clouds quickly moving out of her way to let her through. Even though they were only evaporated droplets of water, they knew better than to mess with an angry Ryoko.
"She never deserved me anyway," Ryoko said, her tone visibly worse than before. "She doesn't know what she could have had, and now she never can. I hate her."
Ryoko growled, and then shouted at the world in general.
"I HATE YOU, AYEKA!"
---------------
After a while, and another while Washu had taken up explaining why Tenchi should maintain his status as a complete idiot, Tenchi approached Ayeka's room. He was wielding a drink, of Ayeka's favourite flavour, in the misplaced hope that he could fix whatever he had done. He still wasn't sure what that was, but he was damned if he was going to give up repairing whatever it was he had done. He knocked on the door.
"Miss Ayeka?" he called hopefully. "Are you in there?"
She was, and they both knew it, but Ayeka didn't reply.
"Ayeka?" Tenchi called again. "I'm coming in."
There was no response. Tenchi grabbed the door handle and pulled the door open. Ayeka was in there, as they both knew, lying face down on her bed. Tenchi approached and sat down next to her.
"I brought you a drink," Tenchi said, hoping for a response. He didn't get one. "It's your favourite." Still nothing. "I hope I made it right, but I'm not sure how you like it. It's probably too strong."
"I like strong," Ayeka said quietly, her voice muffled by the pillow she was burying her face into.
"Oh, so you are alive." Tenchi sounded relieved. He reached out his hand and gently touched her shoulder. The shoulder tensed, but then relaxed. "Come on. Have a drink."
"I'm not thirsty," Ayeka said.
"I know you are, so I'll just put this here." Tenchi placed the drink down on the table next to the bed. He sighed. "Ayeka, what is it?"
There was no response, so Tenchi continued. "Is it because of what I said?" he asked. Still no reply. "Is it because I know?"
"No."
"Oh, good," Tenchi said, relaxing. It wasn't his fault. But something was still wrong. "Ayeka, do you love Ryoko?" he asked.
Ayeka clenched the pillow closer to her face.
"So you don't love her?" Tenchi asked. "Suits me. I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend, and that's all the better now that you don't love her instead."
Ayeka darted upright and stared straight into Tenchi's eyes. "What?" she whispered.
"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Tenchi asked.
"How... how dare you say such a thing?" Ayeka gasped.
"Is that a no?" Tenchi asked.
Ayeka sat staring at him for a moment, and then quickly got up and backed away from him.
"Why are you doing that, Ayeka?" Tenchi asked. "Don't you want to be my girlfriend?"
Ayeka's mouth just flapped open and shut.
"What's stopping you?" Tenchi asked. "You don't love Ryoko or anyone else, apparently. So why don't you want to be my girlfriend?"
"Because I love Ryoko!" Ayeka shouted at him.
"Really?" Tenchi asked. "Then why didn't you tell her that?"
Ayeka stopped breathing, and realised what she had just said. She slumped to her knees on the floor, her head sagged down, thinking about Ryoko. Tenchi got up and moved over to her, crouching beside her.
"Why didn't you tell Ryoko that?" Tenchi repeated softly.
Ayeka blinked a few times and cleared her throat. "I am a Princess of Jurai," she said quietly, her voice wavering. "Ryoko is a wanted criminal."
"So that's what all this is about," Tenchi said, leaning back. "Sooner or later, it always comes back to status. You're a princess, she's a pirate. You're afraid that if you admitted that you love her, everyone would think less of you. Right?"
Ayeka nodded dumbly. She couldn't quite believe that Tenchi was being so insightful. But he had got it right, though. She was afraid.
"I thought so," Tenchi said. He looked directly at Ayeka. "Look, Ayeka, where are you?"
Ayeka wasn't expecting that question, so she took a while to think about it. "Earth," she managed.
"Right. Is Earth part of this Jurai alliance thing? No, it isn't. That means that no-one on this entire planet has heard of you. They don't know who you are. They won't go around judging you if you choose to love Ryoko."
"I guess," Ayeka said slowly.
"Right," Tenchi replied. "So why not bring out your feelings, at least here? Nobody will know that they should judge you for who you are. I certainly don't."
"Really?" Ayeka asked. "You don't think any less of me?"
"Of course not," Tenchi replied. "In fact, I think more of you than before. You're starting to freely express yourself. I think that's great."
"So you really don't mind?" Ayeka asked.
"Again, no."
"Then why were you asking me to be your girlfriend before?" Ayeka asked angrily.
---------------
Having escaped from Ayeka, and content that he had fixed at least one half of this mess, Tenchi wandered outside. He had no idea where Ryoko could have gone, but he had a feeling that she was nearby. He started to walk towards the shrine.
As he approached the arch near the shrine, he spotted Ryoko. She was lying on top of the tall archway, her arms draped over the sides, facing up into the sky.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi called.
Ryoko turned over, away from Tenchi. She wanted to be left alone. "Go away, Tenchi," she said threateningly.
Tenchi sighed and looked round. There were no conveniently-placed trees he could climb up to join Ryoko at the top, but Tenchi spotted something else.
Ryoko hadn't heard anything else for a minute, and so turned back over, resuming her vicious stare at the sky. What the sky had done to make her so angry, it didn't know, but it was willing to change if it made her happier. Her scowl was just too discomforting.
Her scowl was completely interrupted when an apple landed on her chest. The sky was surprised: it hadn't dropped the apple. Ryoko was also shocked. She grabbed the apple and leaned over the side of the arch, to see Tenchi eating a similar apple.
"Mind if I join you?" Tenchi asked.
Ryoko looked at the apple she was holding, as if she had never seen one before. She breathed heavily and took a bite out of it. It was really rather tasty. "What do you want, Tenchi?" she asked in a dismissive tone.
"I was just wondering if you were okay," Tench replied, taking another bite. "Enjoying your apple?"
"I suppose so," Ryoko said, still eyeing the apple with contempt. The apple made an extra attempt to be even juicier and delicious than before. Unfortunately, as it was an apple, it managed to do nothing. "Why?" Ryoko asked.
"I was just speaking to Ayeka, and..."
"Don't talk to me about her," Ryoko said firmly. "I hate her."
"No you don't," Tenchi replied.
"What? Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
"Yes I... What's all this about?" Ryoko asked.
"Why don't you like Ayeka any more?" Tenchi asked.
"Well..." Ryoko started. "She doesn't love me. I'm fine with that, though. It just gives me more time to be with you, Tenchi."
Ryoko hopped off the arch and drifted down to Tenchi, and flung her arms around his next, holding his face inched from her own. They looked at each other for a while.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd be attracted to me again," Tenchi said. "I told Ayeka that I was sorry, but I'd decided to ask you to be my girlfriend. What do you say?"
Ryoko let go and stepped back. "What?"
"Do you want to be my girlfriend, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked.
"But..." Ryoko started.
"But you love Ayeka, don't you?" Tenchi said.
"What? No I don't."
"Yes you do. I can feel it," Tenchi added, before the dialogue became another dragged out string of two short sentences again. "I know it. You're still in love with Ayeka."
"So what if I am?" Ryoko said. "She doesn't love me, and that's the point."
"But she does love you," Tenchi said. "I talked to her. She told me she loved you. She just didn't say it earlier because she was concerned about her being a princess and you a pirate."
"Just like always," Ryoko said. "Always thinking about the throne. But you're not making this up, are you?"
"I wouldn't dare," Tenchi said. "Look. Go see her. She's waiting for you, back home. Just go and talk to her. If you still decide you hate each other, then fine. But at least you'll know for certain."
"Maybe," Ryoko mused.
---------------
Tenchi had a large grin on his face as he walked home. Using his amazing and inexplicable insight, he had managed to get two people who loved each other to talk. Not quite the ultimate feat, yes, but considering they were arch-rivals half a year ago, and then everything that had happened to them all since then, it was more understandably impressive. Especially when it was Tenchi that managed this. "Maybe I should be a psychologist," Tenchi thought. "I did quite well with those two, and they were nemeses. I'd do brilliantly with normal nutbars."
He met Mihoshi on his way home. She was lying on the ground, half asleep, although Tenchi wouldn't put it past her to be completely unconscious. He shrugged, and sat down next to her. He rubbed her arm, trying to wake her up. Mihoshi stirred and opened her eyes. She tilted her head and looked at Tenchi.
"Oh, hello Tenchi," she said, as most people would upon meeting Tenchi after not seeing him for a while.
"Come on," Tenchi said. "It's getting dark." Finally. This afternoon really had been full, not to mention dragged out.
They got up and walked back to the house.
---------------
Ryoko hadn't returned by the time they arrived. Dinner was ready, so they all sat down to eat.
"Where's Ryoko?" Sasami asked. Ayeka tried her best not to be bothered by that name, but a bit of feeling slipped her by. She poked a rice ball with her chopsticks.
"She's right here," Ryoko said, appearing at the doorway. Everyone turned around to see her, Ayeka quicker than the others. Seeing Ayeka, Ryoko expression wavered slightly, but she regained herself and went and sat down in her usual seat. She grabbed a plate and started getting food.
"Where did you go, Ryoko?" Sasami asked.
"Just out," Ryoko replied. "I realised something extremely important, too, but that's private."
"Fair enough," Mihoshi said. She reached for her drink.
If it were said that Tenchi was a little uncomfortable sitting between Ryoko and Ayeka, that being his usual position, then what was written would be a lie. He was really uncomfortable. They obviously hadn't talked to each other yet, and so weren't in the mood to fight with each other over Tenchi.
In retrospect, Tenchi experienced the quietest and most uneventful dinner ever that night.
---------------
Finally in this story, the day ended. Ryoko and Ayeka still hadn't talked, and so went to their separate rooms quietly, exchanging no words. Everyone else also went to bed. Tenchi had some trouble sleeping, as he was thinking about what the two girls were thinking about, but he remembered that he had sorted it all out. At least, he hoped.
Ryoko and Ayeka slept surprisingly well that night. Although they hadn't talked, they each knew that they loved the other, and somehow that the other knew that.
---------------
The Earth continued to rotate, but by a curious quirk of relativity, the sun appeared to rise from below the horizon. It inevitably proceeded further into the sky, casting its warm glowing warming glow over the area known to its inhabitants as home. These inhabitants were waking up.
"Good morning Sasami," Mihoshi greeted as she entered the kitchen. She yawned and looked around for a drink, while Sasami was kept busy stirring a bowl of soup. She did reply similarly, however, before resuming her task.
Tenchi was the next one to enter, followed rather quickly by Washu. Since Yosho pretty much lived at the nearby shrine, and Nobuyuki lived in town, they were only waiting for Ryoko and Ayeka to come down before they could start eating.
Once they didn't come down for perhaps twenty minutes, Tenchi took the initiative and went upstairs to look for them. He checked Ryoko's room first, but found nothing interesting. But as he approached Ayeka's room, he could just make out some voices coming from inside. Tenchi, forever curious, pressed his head against the door and listened to the conversation within.
Ironically, as soon as Tenchi began to listen to the conversation, it stopped. Tenchi couldn't hear anything inside, even though he knew that the two were inside. After a short pause, Tenchi risked knocking.
There was no response. Tenchi knocked again. And again, no response. Tenchi edged the door open and peeked inside, only to quickly shut it again. He cleared his throat rather apologetically, and spoke in a rather wavering voice through the door. "Miss Ayeka, breakfast is ready."
"Really?" Ayeka replied from within. "Thank you, Lord Tenchi. I must have overslept or something. I shall be down in a moment."
"Hello Tenchi," Ryoko greeted from behind him. Tenchi jumped and turned around quickly, only to see Ryoko's face immediately in front of his own. He tried backing away, but promptly banged his head on the wall.
"Ryoko," Tenchi exclaimed. He rubbed the back of his head, like he had done so many times before, but now it was because it hurt. "What are you up to?"
"I just want to thank you, Tenchi," Ryoko said, expressing the most genuinely happy face Tenchi had seen on her ever. She leaned forwards and gave Tenchi a hug, not a strong one like the others, attempted or otherwise, but a hug which suggested that she was finally happy with something. Tenchi could guess what, too.
"You're, um, welcome, Ryoko," Tenchi said nervously. Being the kind of guy who wants to know everything, even despite Washu's harsh lecture on the dangers associated by this, Tenchi just had to ask. "What for?"
"Just everything," Ryoko replied, letting go. "You know, for letting me stay here, even though I did try to kill you the first time we met, and for hijacking your house that second time. Thank you for being so kind to me, even though I'm a most wanted criminal. Thanks for understanding all of this. You know, just general thanks."
"Fair enough," Tenchi replied. "Look, Ayeka's just getting dressed. She'll be down in a second, so come on. Breakfast is ready."
---------------
Breakfast, like all other meals prepared in this house, was eaten fully and wholeheartedly. Sasami was a great cook, after all. Afterwards, for reasons that will not be gone into now, or indeed ever, Tenchi and Ayeka were outside, lying in the garden. Tenchi looked over at Ayeka and asked.
"Miss Ayeka?" he asked, obviously, to get her attention. Once she was looking at him, he continued. "Just before I came to tell you about breakfast, I heard a conversation going on in your room. Who were you talking to?"
"Oh, no-one," Ayeka replied. "I was just arguing with myself about how I overslept."
"Fair enough," Tenchi replied. He looked back at the sky. "It's just that, Ryoko met me outside just after, and started to thank me for everything I'd done. I just thought maybe you two had talked and made up."
"We haven't yet, actually," Ayeka said, also watching the clouds go by. Clouds were funny things. Large groups of evaporated clear liquid, but then turning white, floating effortlessly in space while people below stare at them and think about what they look like. But I digress.
"Really?" Tenchi asked. "So why are you two in such good moods?"
"Why shouldn't we be?" Ayeka asked. "It's a nice day. I'm just really happy with everything in general. Oh, that reminds me. Have I ever thanked you for being so kind and hospitable to me? All of us?"
"Are you at it too?" Tenchi groaned. "No, I don't think you have," he said louder. "But don't bother doing so. Just having you guys as friends is thanks enough."
"Are you sure? Because I really am grateful. I wouldn't want you to think we were not gracious for all your help and kindness."
"I'm sure," Tenchi said. As he looked up at the clouds he suddenly felt bored. "Ayeka, if you don't mind, could you teach me how to play Juraian chess?"
---------------
Ayeka did so. Explaining the rules, with a few practise games, took about half an hour. At the end, Tenchi knew all the basics, and some of the advances strategies of the game. They played for a further hour and a bit, before deciding, after Tenchi's third victory in a row, to quit. Tenchi went away to work in the carrot fields, while Ayeka reset the chessboard. Ryoko drifted in just as she had finished.
"Hey princess," Ryoko greeted. "Fancy another round of chess?"
"Sure, pirate," Ayeka replied. "Earth or Jurai rules?"
---------------
It was Earth chess. They played silently for a few moves, the only sounds the pieces tapping their way across the board. Ryoko decided to speak.
"Check," she said, placing her bishop down. "Get out of that one."
Ayeka countered by moving her own bishop to block. "Done."
Ryoko gazed around for a bit, before moving a knight around to the square next to her bishop. "You know, I think we need to talk."
"I agree," Ayeka replied, moving a pawn forwards.
"Well?"
"Well what? It's your turn."
"Not that," Ryoko said. "Don't you have anything to say?"
"Yes," Ayeka said. She took a few breaths before continuing. "I'm sorry."
"...?"
"I'm sorry for not telling you this before," Ayeka continued. "I just had to think about some things."
"Yes, Tenchi told me," Ryoko said. "Crown or me, right?"
"Um, something like that, yes," Ayeka said. "Anyway, after talking with him, I have decided to not keep this hidden any longer. Ryoko, I do love you."
Ryoko's face visibly lightened. "I love you too, Ayeka."
They both stood up and walked around the table they were playing at. As soon as they reached each other they embraced the other, holding them tightly.
The law of averages states that the probability that the one remaining person, Sasami, (Tenchi being off in the fields, Washu in her lab and Mihoshi back on patrol,) would come into that particular room at that moment are in fact quite small. However, the law of animé states that anything with a probability is ignored, and the outcome is going to happen anyway, and nearly always does at a particularly embarrassing time for the people involved. Which is why Sasami walked in at that moment. She stopped immediately in the doorway when she caught sight of the two already in there, of course, and begun the unstoppable process of staring.
Ayeka rather embarrassingly noticed Sasami at the doorway. She immediately let go of Ryoko and backed away several steps. Ryoko swivelled round and "erk"-ed to a halt.
"Sasami, what are you doing here?" Ayeka asked hurriedly.
"I live here," Sasami replied, still staring at the two. "What were you two doing here?"
Ryoko and Ayeka glanced at each other, trying desperately to think of a good excuse. A simple one should suffice, as Sasami was only a little girl. She probably wouldn't even understand what was going on if she knew the truth. However...
"She tripped," they both said together. They looked at each other.
"We both tripped," Ryoko said.
"We caught each other," Ayeka added.
"Quite a funny story, actually..." Ryoko started, but a look from Ayeka silenced her. They both looked expectantly at Sasami.
Sasami looked at the two for a moment, and narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked. "It looked a lot like you were hugging, and really hugging at that."
"Hugging? No!" they both exclaimed. "We tripped!"
"Okay, I believe you," Sasami said, a knowing look on her face. "Where's Tenchi?"
"Carrot field?" Ryoko suggested, surprised at this sudden change of topic.
"Okay," Sasami said. "I'll ask him if he knows anything about you two hugging, then." She turned towards the door.
Ryoko slid into view in front of her, hands raised in front of her, and a nervous smile on her face. Ayeka quickly joined her, and started to laugh nervously.
"Sasami, dear, why don't you get some rest instead?" Ayeka suggested.
"That's right," Ryoko continued. "I'm sure making that fantastic breakfast this morning took a lot out of you. Why don't you have a nap or something?"
"What don't you want me to find out?" Sasami asked. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at each other, and sagged their shoulders. They had to tell her, or she would just get it out of Tenchi, who wasn't the strongest-minded individual in the galaxy.
Ayeka moved forwards and guided Sasami to the couch in the main room. Once they had sat down Ayeka shuffled up to her.
"Little Sasami, we need to tell you something," she said. "You will probably not understand it, which is alright if you don't. Sometimes, when a man is attracted to a woman, he feels something special deep inside himself. Now, it is possible for two people of the same gender to..."
"Do you two love each other?" Sasami asked. After seeing their reactions, which would be too obvious to describe, she continued. "Yes, it all makes sense. Are you two lesbians?"
"Where did you learn that word?" Ryoko asked, dumbfounded.
"Come on," Sasami sighed. "I'm twelve, not a kid. I know all about this kind of thing. So, do you two love each other?"
"Well..." Ayeka started, trying to start thinking on a completely different level.
"..." Ryoko continued, still shocked that such a young girl would know about this kind of thing.
"...Yes," Sasami finished for them. Once the other two didn't reply, Sasami smiled. "That's great!" she said. "You two are in love! I'm so happy for you two!"
She might as well have been talking to an insole, for all the response she was getting now.
---------------
While Ayeka and Ryoko were trying to cope with this, Washu was at work. Well, when it said "work", read "spying on the conversation going on in the living room".
"So Sasami knows," Washu said. "Interesting."
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Please, always, tell me what you think. Do you think it's up to scratch with the quality of the first chapter? Please, reviews.
