By Chronos
"Good morning, Lord Tenchi."
Tenchi jumped out of bed in shock, at the sight of Ayeka floating over him.
"What's wrong, Tenchi? Oh, it's this body, isn't it? Not quite as nice to wake up to Ayeka's face than mine, is it?" she said, a look of feigned sympathy on her face, as she floated down to the floor, her feet landing lightly.
A sweat-drop formed on Tenchi's head. Please, don't fight! he thought.
Luckily, Ayeka was in a good mood. She just closed her eyes and shook her head. "My dear Miss Ryoko, your jealousy is quite inappropriate in this situation.
"—Say what?!
"We both know I have the superior appearance, you should enjoy sharing it with me while you can.
"YOU? Superior?! Give me a break, Ayeka. I'M the one jealous?" Ryoko (it could only be her making this last statement) sounded taken aback.
That's strange, Tenchi thought. I don't remember Ayeka coming up with such good comebacks before…
While Ryoko apparently was trying to come up with a better comeback, Ayeka walked forward demurely, and said, "I apologize, Lord Tenchi, for intruding upon you like this. You-know-who wanted to see you, and teleported us here before I could stop her…"
She scowled. "Like hell! You WANTED to come!
"—I most certainly did not! How could you suggest such a thing?!
"—Oh, yeah? Well, I didn't hear you protesting any once we got here!
"—Well, that was because… because…
"—Yes? We're waiting."
Another sweat-drop formed on Tenchi's head.
"…My goodness, I'm starving! Let us go eat breakfast, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said, as if the previous subject were closed. Tenchi thought he saw a smirk on her face, just before she put her arm around him and pulled him out of the bedroom.
…
Down in the dungeon, Noboyuki laid back on his bed and sighed in boredom. The least they could have done was let me have some of my manga, he thought.
…
While Tenchi got changed, Ayeka/Ryoko reluctantly left him to change out of their nightgown.
This is all you have to wear?! Ryoko thought-spoke when Ayeka opened up her dressing room.
What is that supposed to mean?! My wardrobe is quite extensive—and, I might add, probably contains more articles of clothing than you've worn in your entire life!
You'd be surprised… But that's not my point! These dresses and robes—they're all the same!
They most certainly are not! This section is for highly ceremonial occasions, she thought-spoke, pointing to one section of the room, this section is for non-ceremonial formal attire, this is for my every-day royal robes, this section is for semi-formal attire, and finally, this section is for when I want something non-formal to wear.
You call that non-formal?!
A touch of sadness touched Ayeka's face. Even at rest, a Queen must look her best…
Tough break. Now where do we find some clothes that *I* can wear?
I'm afraid that's not an option, Miss Ryoko. I am the Queen, this is my body, and thus, WE must dress accordingly…
To her surprise, Ayeka felt a wave of emotional pain, as if she were bothered by her own words. Is this what Ryoko is feeling? Ayeka wondered.
But when Ryoko's voice next filled her head, its tone was defiant. Sorry, Queenie, but nobody tells me what to wear. I'm going to find Ryo-Ohki—I should still have some clothes stored in her ship form.
As Ayeka's body turned and began to float, at Ryoko's command, Ayeka protested, Not like this, Ryoko! If anyone were to see me in my nightgown…
They'd know you sleep sometimes, Ryoko thought-spoke dryly, and teleported them to Sasami's room.
Ryoko glanced around the room, but there was no sign of either Sasami or Ryo-Ohki. They're not here?!
What did you expect? You know Sasami always gets up early.
Even when she doesn't have to cook?!
She LIKES to cook—and generally insists upon cooking her own meals. Entirely improper for a princess, but Mother always let her…
Right. Well, let's check the kitchen, then.
As Ryoko prepared to teleport them there, Ayeka thought so strongly she spoke it out loud, "NO!"
But…
I told you, I will not be seen in public in my nightgown!!!
That's not what I… meant… --How the hell did you stop me from teleporting?!…!!!
Ayeka just stood there for a few moments, the shocked look on her face belonging to both of them.
Ayeka lifted her arms up and stared at the gems on her wrists. A smile slowly spread across her face. Washu did say I'd possess your powers, in addition to your soul…
No way! These powers are mine, and mine alone!
Ayeka closed her eyes and concentrated upon her own rooms, and how it had felt when Ryoko had teleported them.
No… Ryoko thought, as she felt a familiar disorientation.
Ayeka opened her eyes. They were back in her dressing room.
Ayeka could feel Ryoko's spirit drooping, and decided to drive her point home by letting out a triumphant laugh. She became so caught up in her triumph, in fact, that she didn't notice her sticks appear around her without her summoning.
At least, she didn't notice, until they zapped her.
Even as both Ayeka and Ryoko recovered from the shock, Ryoko took up laughing where Ayeka had left off. Well, well, well. You can use my powers, and I can use yours. Neat.
Ayeka scowled. That was *not* funny, Ryoko.
This just sent Ryoko –and with her, Ayeka's body—into another fit of laughter.
…
Several days later…
…
Noboyuki was sitting in his cell, bored, when all of a sudden, a glowing hole appeared under him. "What the--?!"
Before he could say anything else, he fell through, landing hard on a metal floor.
As the hole closed above him, Noboyuki sat up, disorientated. He looked around. "Why, this almost looks like…"
"Hello, Noboyuki," Washu said.
"Washu's lab?! What am I doing here?!"
"I needed a sample of human DNA, so I could make sure Tenchi and the new Ryoko are biologically compatible—just in case, of course."
"Uh, of course!" Noboyuki agreed, having no idea what she was talking about.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," Washu said, as she stuck a needle in his arm and began drawing some blood.
Noboyuki quickly looked away, afraid he might pass out. "No, nothing important at all."
Washu took out the needle, and headed over to a towering contraption Noboyuki didn't recognize—and was sure hadn't been there a moment ago.
"I assume you can find your way out?" Washu said absently as she pumped the blood into the contraption.
"Er, well, actually…"
"Good."
…
"This just isn't working," Ayeka said with a sigh. She and the others (except Washu) were once again gathered in the royal garden, and since she wasn't handling royal responsibilities right now, she was wearing one of Ryoko's outfits. (Ayeka had decided it wasn't worth fighting over—they had more important things to fight about.)
"What isn't working?" Sasami asked.
"Performing the duties of Queen, with Ryoko inhabiting my body… I just can't keep her under my control. –Well, what did you expect, Queenie? I'm not the sort to just to follow orders."
"Oh," Sasami said. "So what are you going to do about it?"
Kiyone speculated, "Are you going to have Washu switch her to Tenchi or Sasami?"
Ayeka stared at Kiyone for a moment, as if the idea hadn't even occurred to her. Finally, she said, "No. My reasons for undergoing the procedure are still valid." She shrugged. "--Besides, I never would have thought it before, but this body really isn't all that bad. Don't get me wrong, I want my own body back, but there are worse bodies I could be stuck in, in the meantime…"
Sasami whispered to Kiyone and Mihoshi, "Was it just me, or did Ryoko and Ayeka both agree on something?"
"They sure did!" Mihoshi said cheerfully.
Kiyone agreed, in a more serious tone, "It sure sounded that way."
Missing that conversation, Tenchi asked Ayeka, "So, what ARE you going to do about it, then?"
"I shall have to put aside my duties as Queen for a time…"
Sasami wondered, "Do you think that'll be all right?"
Ayeka nodded. "My Chamberlain shall handle things here while we're gone."
"Gone?" Tenchi and Sasami asked.
"Why yes, of course. –You don't think I could stand to be cooped up here in this stuffy tree house of a palace for long, do you? – Indeed, it would be a challenge to keep Ryoko out of trouble here. That is why I –we—have decided to return to Earth with Tenchi. …If that would be all right with you, Lord Tenchi?"
"Of—Of course!" Tenchi said, surprised to have any say in the matter, but not needing to think about the answer."
"Oh, thank you, Tenchi!" She said, overjoyed, and flew to him, spinning him around in a hug. "It'll be just like old times!"
A sweat drop formed on Tenchi's head, and he said under his breath, "I wouldn't quite go that far…"
…
Noboyuki wandered through Washu's lab, trying to find a way out. "How big IS this place?!" he wondered, as he entered yet another cavernous room, this one filled with towering vats of chemicals.
About fifteen minutes later, he reached the center of the room, where a door stood. Noboyuki walked around it. It seemed to be just an ordinary door, aside from the fact that it was standing in the middle of the room, without even a frame to support it.
"I wonder which side you're supposed to use?" He opened the door, and gazed out upon an endless grassy field, with several rabbits hopping along and grazing peacefully. Suddenly, the field shook, and tore apart violently, leaving behind only a few globs of dirt floating in empty space before a field of stars.
Noboyuki quickly shut the door, and walked around to the other side. "Maybe this side…"
Blood shot from his nose at the sight before him. In a daze, he walked forward, into the room, in the middle of which stood a glass tube filled with some liquid, in which floated, what appeared to be an exact replica of Ryoko. Of course, what really interested Noboyuki was the fact that she was naked.
He tentatively walked up to the glass, and put his hands on it. The replica didn't stir. Growing more confident, he pushed his face up against the glass, staring at this vision of (as he saw it,) perfection.
…
"Washu!"
"--Yeah!!!" Washu said in surprise, as Mihoshi's voice interrupted her thoughts. Washu turned around. "What are you doing here?!"
"Well, I thought you should know, we're planning on heading back to Earth later today."
"Ah. I see. Doesn't surprise me. …But why'd they send *you* to tell me?!"
"Oh, nobody sent me, I just figured, since everybody else was so busy packing, I'd help out by letting you know."
"Don't you have any packing to do, yourself?"
"No, Kiyone's handling it."
Washu rolled her eyes. "Of course she is."
As they talked, Washu's computers continued their work on the Ryoko replica…
…
"AHHH!!!" Noboyuki screamed, as waves of energy flowed down around the tube, shocking him with each pass. Finally, the waves stopped, and he stumbled back.
"I guess I can look, but not touch," Noboyuki summarized weakly, as he sat down to recover.
…
"Look, Mihoshi, all I have to do is switch where my main door opens up from the Palace to Tenchi's house. No big deal. Now, will you leave? I have important work to do here!"
"Oh, fine," Mihoshi said, annoyed by Washu's attitude, but used to it.
…
A bit later…
"You have everything you'll need?" Kiyone asked Ayeka, Sasami, Azaka, and Kamidake (the logs, not the warriors).
They all said they did.
"What about you, Tenchi?"
"I wasn't sure how long we were staying, so I didn't really move anything out of the house," he said with a shrug.
"…And I double-checked with Washu to make sure she'd gotten Mihoshi's message that we'd be returning to Earth… so I guess that's it…"
"WAIT!"
Kiyone sighed. "What is it, Mihoshi?"
"I can't find my Red Space-Police Policeman action figure!"
Kiyone rolled her eyes. "Try under your seat in the cockpit."
"You think it might be there… ?" Mihoshi bounded off, to check.
Kiyone told them, "Well, then, I guess we'll be off." She headed after Mihoshi, at a more leisurely pace.
…
A few minutes later, after Mihoshi had found her action figure (and tossed it in a corner with the rest of her toys), Kiyone informed the palace officials they were heading out, and Yagami departed for Earth.
…
"It's good to be back here," Sasami said, as the girls became reacquainted with Tenchi's house.
Ryo-Ohki meowed in agreement.
Ayeka nodded. "Yes. It's like coming home, in some strange way…"
"Yeah," Sasami agreed.
"…Say, I wonder…" Ayeka headed to the bathroom that Washu had converted into a fancy hot-springs spa back when they were on Earth.
She smiled. "It seems Washu has moved back in!" Steamy air flowed out of the room, and they could smell the waters of the hot springs. "Sasami, I think the perfect way to celebrate our return to our home-away-from-home would be a nice dip in the bath. Wouldn't you agree, Miss Ryoko? –You know it, Ayeka!"
…
And so, before long…
…
"Ah, this is the life," Ayeka said, as she laid back in the hot water.
"You said it, Ayeka," Mihoshi agreed. "Isn't it great, Kiyone?" All the girls had gathered in the bath-room. Even Washu had decided to take a break join in this Japanese-inspired female-bonding-ritual (and to relieve the stress of all the extra work she'd been putting in recently).
Ayeka glanced at Mihoshi, and said emotionlessly, "That was Ryoko, Mihoshi."
"Oh. I couldn't tell. But don't you think this is great, too, Ayeka?"
"… Sure she does. She just wishes Tenchi could be in here with us. –I DO NOT!!! That was your thought, Ryoko, and you know it!"
Sweat-drops appeared on the heads of all the other girls, and not because of the heat.
…
Tenchi was wandering around the house, bored, when the thought struck him—"Hey, where's Dad?"
…
And in Washu's Lab…
Noboyuki gazed across a landscape of strange devices covering the floor of yet another cavernous room.
"There's got to be a way out of here, somewhere!"
Author's note: Gee, I'm starting to feel sorry for Noboyuki!
…Hope things didn't move too quickly in this chapter—I had a hard time coming up with events to take place…
Well, more to come!