Happiness Tears & War
Chapter 4
By Geor-Sama
A Nekoshipper
January 24, 2002
Explanation note: This is a first, but some changes have been made to the layout for this story, so here we go.
1) Thoughts are italicized.
2)Flashbacks are italicized, in these any thoughts are still italicized but larger than the rest of the font.
3)Telepathic thoughts are italicized and in bold.
These changes will make for a better story. Now then on with the regularly scheduled FanFic, enjoy.
Slowly, the different family members drifted away. Katsuhito, after a few moments of sad silence, went back to the shrine. He was, once again, enshrouded in his "old man" guise. Nobuyuki followed behind him asking questions a mile a minute. Washu turned and gently escorted a now quite upset Sasami back into the house. Her mind was working on ways to help the young princess. This left Tenchi and Ryoko alone in quiet contemplation as they gazed where Aekea had been. Tenchi placed his arm around Ryoko's shoulder, turned and guided her back into the house.
She stopped just in the door way, turned to him and smiled,
"You know I am going to miss my fights with Aekea."
Tenchi nodded his head in agreement. He had to admit he would miss them to. With out thinking he spoke,
"Well now, I guess you're going to have to find another way to work up a sweat."
Ryoko blushed slightly at the innuendo; it was so unlike him. She glanced over at him to see that he had a blush too. Ryoko decided to make him blush even more; he was just so cute when he blushed,
"I can think of a few things."
Tenchi gulped and his blushed deepened when he noted the particular fire in her eyes. It was the kind they held when she was trying to seduce him.
Ryoko, grinning, leaned over and whispered in his ear. Tenchi blushed even darker. She smiled broadly at his reaction. It was just so much fun to tease him.
The peacefulness that had descended was broken by a loud splash. Ryoko and Tenchi turned to each other and smiled.
In unison they said,
"Mihoshi's back."
They turned and rushed outside, making their way to the lake. They stopped when they saw Mihoshi sitting on the ground, drenched and balling. Another girl with teal hair and dressed in a galaxy police uniform was shouting at her.
"Mihoshi, you air-headed... What kind of landing was that?"
The girl cut herself short when she noticed Ryoko and Tenchi approach. They heard the girl mutter something about interfering with native inhabitants. Mihoshi let out a happy shout and rushed forward to hug both Tenchi and Ryoko. She let them go and hurried over to the now emerging Sasami who was followed closely by Washu.
Mihoshi froze when she saw Washu and slowly a look of confusion on filled her face.
"Um, excuse me who are you?"
Washu smiled happily. At the question she thought, 'Leave it to Mihoshi to relive the stress.'
"It's me, Washu."
The blonde put her finger to her mouth and tilted her head to the right. Washu's smile faded as she waited for Mihoshi to say something. Everyone was watching them, curious as to what Mihoshi's next question would be. Mihoshi leaned in and raised her hand to the side of her face and whispered.
The others watched in confusion and then smiled slightly when Mihoshi jumped slightly as Washu shouted at her,
"Mihoshi, you ditz."
Mihoshi's face filled with confusion.
"Oh! I'm Mihoshi, not ditz."
Washu let out a loud frustrated growl and the others began to chuckle.
Tenchi turned his attention from their conversation and smiling, walked towards the other girl. He reached his hand out when he was an arm's length away. She took it and smiled politely, wondering from where she knew this man.
"Hi. Do you remember me? I'm Tenchi Masaki."
Kiyone smiled in realization; at least she wasn't completely alone. Still, she was worried about the others.
"Oh, I knew you looked familiar, um, who's that?"
Tenchi smiled and looked over his shoulder seeing her gesture at Ryoko.
"That's Ryoko, my girlfriend."
Kiyone looked at him as if he had grown a third arm. Noting her reaction, he continued on. He nodded his head at Sasami, redirecting her attention,
"And that's Sasami. She's the Second Crown Princess of Jurai."
Tenchi lowered his voice to a whisper and added,
"Her sister, Princess Aekea, is the First Crown Princess. She just went home today so it's a touchy subject."
Kiyone nodded her head in understanding and let him continue.
Tenchi smiled and nodded his head,
"That one over there, arguing with your partner, is Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the universe and also Ryoko's mother."
Kiyone shook her head, this was almost too much. Now it made some sense as to why contact with Jurai was required before contact with the planet, and why all information about concerning this area was restricted, but something was still missing.
Tenchi sighed and nodded towards the hill at two figures coming down the stairs,
"That's my dad, Nobuyuki. He's an architect. The other one is Katsuhito, my grandfather. He's a priest and a prince of Jurai."
Tenchi cleared his throat. Kiyone knew he was important in the universe, she figured he was a knight or a personal bodyguard. Kiyone interrupted him before he could continue. She had to know exactly who he was.
"Tenchi, um...I really don't get why you're so important. Our regulations say that we are to contact Jurai before any dealings with you and all information concerning this area is restricted."
Tenchi smiled and nodded his head in understanding, not that surprised that she didn't know who he was.
"I'm the First Crown Prince of Jurai. The next in line to take the throne should something happen to Aekea or if she were to refuse it. Although, after what happened with her, I think I maybe disavowed."
Kiyone was stunned. Her mind was reeling with all of this information. He was royalty, true royalty and she had tried to arrest him.
*******
The living room was filled with people. Across from the couch where Mihoshi and Kiyone were seated, Ryoko hovered next to the right armrest of Tenchi's chair. Sasami sat on a small chair next to Tenchi with Ryo-ohki sleeping peacefully in her lap. Washu sat on her cushion next to Sasami. Katsuhito stood in the corner watching with detached interest. Nobuyuki sat in a wooden chair from the kitchen; his arms crossed his interest evident. The house was unusually quiet; the only noise was Washu grousing occasionally at Mihoshi.
Tenchi glanced at Ryoko and then asked the question everyone else wanted to ask.
"So, how did you and Mihoshi get partnered up?"
Kiyone smiled warmly at him and got a look from Ryoko that could level a mountain. She gulped and quickly answered his question, doing her best to ignore Ryoko's stare,
"Well, commissioner Morran called me into his office..." she told the story as the memory came back to her.
"I'm reassigning you. But I must warn you: your new position will be highly dangerous and mentally trying."
Kiyone stood straight saluted and smiled confidently.
"I'm sure I can handle it, sir."
Morran smiled and nodded,
"Yes, I am sure you can, too. Otherwise, I would not have sent for you. You will also be getting a new partner who is already on the scene. I believe you are familiar with Detective First Class Mihoshi?"
Kiyone's jaw dropped,
"Yes, sir. I knew her at the academy. She was the single most annoying individual I have ever met. She clung to me because I was her roommate."
The marshal nodded. Mihoshi always did annoy people (mostly because she never seemed to have anything to worry about).
"Well, Miss Kiyone, she is also my granddaughter."
Kiyone bit her lip and started to apologize when he raised his hand.
"No need. I know all about it. Now, when you leave my office, you are to go straight to the hanger. Your new partner is there, waiting for you."
Kiyone saluted smartly, turned on her heel and left. She walked down the hall to elevator and stepped in. Her finger jabbed the button for the hanger, the doors closed and she began to descend.
Outside, her body looked calm and cool like always, but inside she was fuming, silently asking, 'Why me? What did I ever do to anybody? Why did I get partnered with Mihoshi?' She remembered back to the academy when Mihoshi hung around and forced her way into becoming her lab partner. Kiyone's grades had taken a nosedive from having to deal with Mihoshi's bumbling and screw ups, but amazingly Mihoshi's had never changed. After a period of coping with Mihoshi, her own returned to normal.
The doors opened and she stepped out into the hanger and made her way past the other ships. She passed other officers who smiled at her. She returned their smiles absently.
Kiyone approached the ship that was holding her worst nightmare: Mihoshi. She palmed the boarding door open and entered to be embraced in a bone-crushing hug by Mihoshi, who was shouting,
"Oh Kiyone, I'm so happy to see you! We'll never, ever be apart again."
Kiyone fought against the embrace, her face turning blue from the lack of oxygen. When she finally freed herself from the hug, she began to breathe in huge gasping breaths. At last, she managed to gasp out,
"L...let's just go."
Mihoshi smiled and nodded her head, blissfully unaware of anything untoward.
Kiyone bowed her head and wondered, 'Why, oh why, couldn't a criminal shoot me? Would that have been so bad?' She then resigned herself to her fate and followed Mihoshi to the cockpit.
The memory left and Sasami asked,
"Did he tell you why you got reassigned?"
Kiyone shook her head. Mihoshi slowly raised her hand. They all smiled nervously at her and then finally Tenchi spoke,
"Um…yes, Mihoshi?"
Mihoshi smiled and said quiet serious,
"I know why she was reassigned."
Tenchi motioned for Mihoshi to continue. She smiled broadly and complied willingly,
"She got reassigned as my partner because of Galaxy Police Article 0112546, which states that no Galaxy Police Officer shall be allowed to patrol any area in which A1 class criminals have been located without a partner. Also, because I asked for her,"
Everyone's mouth dropped opened as she continued, her eyes filled with tears,
"I just couldn't stand it anymore. Ever since we got separated from each other after graduation, I just felt so lonely without my best friend."
They all sat there in stunned silence, until Kiyone roared in anger. Mihoshi smiled and flinched back slightly. Kiyone stood, shaking with rage. Mihoshi instantly took off on a dead run out of the room with Kiyone chasing behind her. They ran all over the house, through the kitchen, back through the living room, up the stairs and finally Kiyone chased Mihoshi into the hallway broom closet. Kiyone smiled evilly and opened the door, sure that her prey was cornered. Instead, she found herself standing in Washu's sprawling lab.
The others blinked in surprise and then Washu hopped off of her pillow and ran towards the door to her lab.
She shouted the top of her lungs,
"Mihoshi, get the hell out of my lab!"
*******
Tenchi sighed in uncertainty he didn't know what to do. He had finally asked Ryoko out on a date but he had absolutely now idea of where to take her, to the movies? Dinner? Tenchi, in all his 17 years, had never been on a date. Now he was rushing all over the place, asking everyone from Katsuhito to Washu for suggestions. It had been a week after Mihoshi and Kiyone had arrived before he had asked. The memory played out in his mind…
The house was quiet, the birds were chirping, but all of this was lost on Tenchi as he sat outside on the steps leading to the house. He had a problem. Not a huge one, but one that bothered him. He wanted to ask Ryoko out on a date. He quietly chuckled to himself; he didn't understand why he was so nervous about asking her out. He knew she would say "yes" when he asked her, but, for some strange reason, he was terrified of asking. It didn't make any sense. Sighing, he stood and made his way into the house. He figured that a part of it was that since he had told Ryoko that he loved her, he had felt ready for everything she had ever suggested but it never felt like the right time, so he kept waiting. However, he didn't know how much longer he could keep her or himself waiting.
He kicked his shoes off and walked though the hallway. He didn't see any of the girls around and for some strange reason, possibly left over survival instincts, that set him on edge. He was about to walk into the kitchen when he caught the sound of female voices. He stopped and listened carefully, not able to stop himself from listening in. When he heard Ryoko's voice he smiled.
"I love Tenchi and all, but if he doesn't ask me out soon…"
She let the sentence hang there and the other girls laughed. Tenchi silently made his way up to his room. He would ask her out tonight. For some reason, he wasn't that scared anymore.
At dinner, as the others ate, he leaned over and whispered casually, as if it were nothing, into Ryoko's ear,
"So, do you want to go out?"
Ryoko choked on her food and the others turned their attention to her, wondering what was the matter. When she finally managed to swallow her food, he smiled a at her. She nodded her head and smiled back. A cough from Washu brought their attention back to the others and Tenchi continued eating. After a few minutes of silence, Ryoko did the same.
As the memory left him, he sat down heavily at his desk and began reading the list of places he had thought of taking Ryoko. Movies, dinner, dancing, a party, they were every place he remembered other guys talking about taking their dates. He shook his head and sighed, they just weren't good enough. He picked up the piece of paper he had written the other's ideas on where to take her and frowned only two were even conceivable.
He wasn't sure why Washu had suggested the Intergalactic Scientific Exposé. Ryoko would get bored and so would he. The Juraian Cook-off Extravaganza was one he was actually considering, but he wasn't sure if he should take Ryoko there or not. The Space Police Policemen Convention was next. He shook his head and wondered why he had bothered to ask Mihoshi. Not that Kioyne's suggestion was much better. The Galaxy Shooting Range didn't sound like a lot of fun to him. He didn't ask his father. He was afraid of what kind of response his dad would give him. Tenchi sighed and looked at the last thing on his list: The annual Christmas party at the mall in Tokyo. This was the only other one that Tenchi would consider. This and Sasami's were the closest to something he could see Ryoko doing with out any problems. He scooted his chair back and stood. He stretched and shook his head. Exiting his room, Tenchi went downstairs to get something to eat. He needed to think about this carefully.
Nobuyuki slid the door to his son's room open and cautiously entered. He scanned the room and when he was sure nobody was there, he quickly made his way over to his son's desk and read the list. He sighed; he knew perfectly well why his son hadn't asked him for suggestions on where to take Ryoko on their first date. After all, as far as his son was concerned he was just ecchi. Still, he had to give his son his suggestion. It was his obligation as a father and his son needed all the help he could get. Reaching into the front pocket of pants, he pulled a small slip of paper out and dropped it on the desk. Quietly, he slipped back out of the room and returned to his office. He had to get back to work on his latest project.
Tenchi walked back into his room and sat down. Biting into his sandwich, one that he had made for himself, he went back to reading the list. He noticed the little piece of paper on top it. His curiosity getting the better of him, he sat his sandwich down and picked it up. He read the note and immediately recognized the handwriting. To his surprise, this was his answer; this was the perfect date. Tenchi silently took back every unkind thing he had ever thought or said about his father.
*******
Ryoko sighed as she sat next to Tenchi on the warm beach watching the beautiful sunset. This had been the perfect date. He had taken her to a winter carnival. She remembered seeing them when she was trapped in the cave. She had loved it. He had played a game and won her a stuffed animal and other prizes. After that, he had taken her to dinner at a restaurant, which she had found beautiful. The food had been exquisite. She had remarked that if she didn't know that Sasami was at home, she would have thought that she was in the restaurant's kitchen cooking the meal. Next he had told her there were two other things he wanted to do with her. Tenchi had taken her home for a moment leaving her to wonder if the other thing he wanted was to follow up on her offers. She had smiled to herself when he returned with Ryo-ohki and threw the cabbit into the air. It transformed into ship form. She scolded herself for thinking such thoughts about Tenchi when, obviously, the date wasn't over. They had gone to a planet that, Tenchi had heard from Kiyone, was having a carnival. It was some place called Fetelucios, a planet that was known for its parties and carnivals. They never made it to the carnival, though. Instead, they had been walking along in its general direction when, to Ryoko's surprise, she heard an alien shout,
"There he is That's the one."
She spun around dragging Tenchi with her. The smile he had on his face disappeared and she heard him whisper,
"Kuso."
She narrowed her eyes and stared at the approaching figures. They were rather large and the one in the lead had bright green eyes, yellow skin and black hair. He was dressed in a suit that reminder her of a gangster's suit from the old American movies. Quietly she chuckled and thought, 'So, these are the guys Tenchi stole from, huh?'
Tenchi tensed as they came to stop a few feet away.
" I want my money."
Tenchi sighed; he wasn't sure how to handle this. He frowned and thought 'Great. We only have enough for the carnival. Now what?'
Ryoko smirked. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, reminding him of her presence,
"Ten-chan, are you playing space pirate again?"
Tenchi looked at her and shook his head. He was just trying to get out of this without ruining the date. Sure, he had added the carnival to his dad's idea, but it had been going good until now.
"Hey, boy that girl looks a little too much for you to handle give her to us and I'll forget about the money."
Tenchi felt his blood boil and narrowed his eyes. His anger was rising. He had almost decided to give them the money, but that remark had gone to far. He handed Ryoko the small cabbit that had been sitting happily on his shoulder and whispered,
"Excuse me, I have to go and talk with those gentlemen."
Ryoko grinned and shook her head. Her voice held amusement,
"From prince to pirate with one sentence."
Tenchi smiled at her and then turned to face them. Before he could do anything, Ryoko put her hand on his shoulder and whispered,
"Try and not go too far."
Tenchi nodded his head and walked forward. The five aliens started to laugh but were cut short when Tenchi pulled Tenchi-ken out and ignited the blade. The leader pulled his gun and fired a yellow blast. It bounced away from Tenchi's shield. Ryoko chuckled slightly at their faces when Tenchi leapt up preformed a front flip and landed in their midst, scattering them. Tenchi was about to lash out with his sword when he found himself onboard Ryo-ohki. Confused, he held his sword at the ready, then let the blade die and turned to see Ryoko smiling at him. He walked over to her and smiled gratefully,
"Domo."
Ryoko waved her hand dismissively and smiled back,
"You're welcome."
Tenchi had brought them back to earth. He said that he was going to make up for the incident on Fetelucios, after which he had taken her to a beach where they sat watching the sunset.
Tenchi stood and extended his hand to her. She took it and he lifted her to her feet. Smiling, he pulled her close and kissed her. She melted into the embrace. She pulled away and stared with him at the now clear night sky dotted with stars. Tenchi leaned over and whispered in her ear,
"Ryo-chan, I think it's time to end the date and I'll make up for Fetelucios with it."
Ryoko looked back to him and smiled. She didn't know what this was, but it was more than she had expected.
"So what's the last part?"
Tenchi shook his head and laughed, causing Ryoko to raise an eyebrow.
"Not here we need to go to my room for it."
Ryoko blushed brightly and smiled happily. He was ready; this was it. She nodded in agreement. This had been the perfect date and now it was going to end perfectly. She was certain of it.
*******
Tenchi sighed as he shifted the bags full of presents. He had waited until the last minute to do his Christmas shopping. He glanced around at the street. It was lavishly decorated with colorful displays and wreathes. People were rushing to and fro, in and out of department stores doing their last minute shopping. Silently, Tenchi wondered why he hadn't done his shopping with Ryoko the day after their first date, or when his father and the rest of the family had went into town to buy the tree. Which, even now, was sitting in the corner of their living room in the process of being decorated by his family. He shook his head and smiled as he made his way through the parking lot to his fathers van. He opened the side door and put the gifts in the seat. He closed the door and sighed. He was not looking forward to the long lonely drive back to the house. He made his way around to the driver side and got in, the engine revved and he put the van in gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
Mentally he ran though his list of presents for each of his family members:
He had bought Sasami an apron, a new set of cooking utensils and some new romance novels. He had gotten Washu a couple of science books that he knew she would use as joke books. After an hour's worth of hunting he had also found a ceramic red crab. For Mihoshi, he purchased a copy of the movie of her favorite show and a stuffed rabbit. For Kiyone, he had found something he knew she needed a bunch of stress relief dolls and a book covering the criminal law in Japan. She seemed like the kind that would want to know the local laws. Katsuhito's was the most perplexing. He didn't celebrate Christmas and he didn't buy anyone anything. Tenchi still bought him something, however. His grandfather had all of the philosophy books so he had bought him instead a book on ancient Samurai and their European counterparts. For Nobuyuki, he had made a special gift purchase. After all, he owed the man. So, he had pushed his own embarrassment aside and bought his father several new periodicals and, for a surprise when he woke up on Christmas morning, a picture of Achika and him when they were young, framed in silver and gold, for his room. It was a picture that his father had put away and forgotten about after his mother had died. Lastly, for Achika he bought some white roses for her grave. The next thought brought forth a smile. He had gotten Ryoko a couple of things, but they were for Christmas Eve. She had only two real presents and one was for later. After everyone had opened their Christmas Eve presents and went to bed, he was going to give her gems back to her. For Christmas morning he had bought her a nice necklace. It had a small silver chain with an arrow-shaped crystal, which had a small purple gem in the top of it. The small book of Earth history he had bought her was to be presented before he gave her the gems. He had bought the book because she was going to be attending school with him. He had a special dinner planned at a restaurant where he was going to give her the last Christmas present. At his father's urgings and Ryoko's subtle hints, he had booked an expensive hotel room for the night. Tenchi laughed and enjoyed the rest of the long drive home.
Ryoko had been given the honor of putting the star on top of the tree, but she had given it to Sasami and had lifted the little princess up to the top so she could do it. The family had spent the entire day decorating the tree and, after several Mihoshi accidents, it was done. The presents were then placed under the tree. Ryoko was a little disappointed that Tenchi hadn't been home in time to enjoy the fun. The rafter that had formerly been Ryoko's bed was now nothing more than a napping spots since, after her date with Tenchi, she was sharing the same room with him. She lay on it now, thinking. A slight smile graced her face at the memory of the day after…
She woke up and for a moment, was unsure where she was and what had happened. Then it hit her and she smiled widely. She had been right, that was the perfect end to a perfect date. Silently, she rose from the bed and slipped into one of his school shirts. It was long sleeved and big. It reached to the middle of her thighs and was yellow in color. Ryoko sighed; she was in seventh heaven. Deciding to let Tenchi sleep, she gently kissed him on the cheek and left the room. She padded down the hallway and made her way to the kitchen, expecting to see Sasami. She was surprised to see only Washu and Kiyone. Smiling, she went about hunting in the fridge for something to drink and eat. All the while, listening absently to the other girls conversation. She found the last slice of the cake that Sasami had fixed last night and a glass of orange juice. Ryoko made her way over to the other girls and sat down and began to eat.
She had just put the first bit of food in her mouth when Kiyone spoke,
"Washu, did you hear all that noise last night?"
Ryoko looked up, slightly confused, and watched as Washu nodded her head,
"Yeah, I heard it. And you know what? It was coming from Tenchi's room."
Ryoko became slightly uneasy and thought through her link with Washu,
' Don't you dare.'
Washu answered simply,
'I'm your mother. I can tease you all I want.'
Kiyone sipped her coffee and as she sat it down she nodded at Ryoko and smiled. Ryoko returned to her food nervously and nearly choked on it when Washu spoke,
"Ryoko, next time try and keep it down."
Before Ryoko could say anything, Kiyone spoke with amusement in her voice,
"Yeah, some of us try and sleep around here."
Both of the girls broke out into a fit of laughter. Ryoko, blushing more than she would have thought possible, quickly phased out of the kitchen and to her beam. The entire time, thinking very violent thoughts.
Ryoko sat up the memory fading when she heard the front door open. Tenchi was home. No sooner had the door closed, than she went to greet him. She stopped short when she saw that he was burdened with bags of gifts. Ryoko quickly took a number of them and proceeded into the living room. Setting the bags down, she turned in time to find Tenchi right behind her, a huge grin on his face.
Ryoko cocked an eyebrow and said mockingly,
"Well, well it's 'I'm just going out for a few last minute gifts. Be back in an hour.' You're exactly five hours late."
Tenchi smiled and sat down the bags he was holding. He took a few steps towards her with his arms opened wide and a smile that matched and said,
"I can explain."
Ryoko crossed her arms and waited for him to continue. A slight frown drawn on her lips. Tenchi stepped even closer, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
When they broke the kiss she smiled and winked at him,
"That was one of the best explanation's I've ever heard."
Tenchi chuckled,
"That was just the beginning."
Ryoko blushed and laughed slightly,
"How'd you go from shy boy to mister bold so fast?"
Tenchi shrugged the best he could since he was holding Ryoko and answered,
"Your influence I guess. But I'm still shy."
Ryoko chuckled,
"I don't think your shy anymore."
Tenchi cocked an eyebrow and Ryoko continued,
"If you were you wouldn't let me do this."
Tenchi turned several shades of red as she whispered in his ear. She pulled back; satisfied that she had proved her point. Tenchi smiled despite his red face.
"Hmm. I think everything you mentioned could be done now."
Ryoko grinned victoriously and Tenchi leaned in to kiss her again when he heard a giggle and cough. Letting her go he turned around to see Sasami and Katsuhito standing there with Washu, Kiyone, his father and Mihoshi.
It was the little red haired scientist that broke the silence,
"Get a room, you two."
Tenchi felt his redness deepened and he glanced over at Ryoko. She had a slight blush in her cheeks.
He turned back in time to see his father whisper into Washu's ear she grinned and said
"Never mind."
Katsuhito sighed as he listened to the laughter from Washu's comments and forced himself to keep from smiling. He had something important to speak with Tenchi about. Quickly, he strode over to the young prince and nodded his head in greeting to Ryoko.
He then turned back to Tenchi,
"We need to talk."
Tenchi nodded his head. After a quick, reassuring glance at Ryoko he quietly followed his grandfather out, leaving the others laughing and putting the gifts which he had had wrapped at the stores, under the tree. All except for the picture for his father, he had that with him. Tenchi followed his grandfather out of the house and to the lake. The entire time, he was silently worried that Katsuhito would yell at him for not marrying Ryoko first.
He was slightly taken aback when Katsuhito spoke,
"Tenchi, are you going to give Ryoko her gems back tonight?"
Tenchi was confused at how he knew that but answered him honestly he had found it was the best course of action with the old man.
"I was planning on it."
Katsuhito nodded his head and turned to look at him, a slight worry frown on his face.
"You do realize that when you give them to her that Funaho will die?"
Tenchi nodded his head and answered,
"Yes, and you've claimed that you will too."
Katsuhito cocked an eyebrow. Now why did Tenchi say that? His grandson continued,
"Grandfather, something tells me that you have a way to keep Funaho alive without the gems."
His curiosity was piqued. What had lead his grandson to that conclusion?
"Why do you say that?"
Tenchi looked at the old man. His face was as serious as Katsuhito's.
"Because you always have something up your sleeve."
Katsuhito smiled and chuckled slightly, bemused that his grandson was so astute,
"So you've noticed?"
Tenchi nodded his head and laughed. He then proceeded to quote his grandfather,
"Be prepared with other courses of action so that you are not dependent on a single path."
Katsuhito nodded in agreement. He was proud that his grandson had remembered the lesson.
"So it's OK if I give her gems back?"
Katsuhito nodded his head and Tenchi smiled, relief flooding his senses. Katsuhito slipped back into his Shinto Priest role leaving Tenchi silently wondering how he did it.
"So, have you two set a date for your wedding?"
"Err...not yet."
The old man frowned slightly and continued, not looking at the young man,
"But, you two are discussing it?"
Tenchi sighed and bowed his head, quietly answering,
"We have not talked about marriage, yet."
The priest suddenly laughed and put his hand on his grandson's shoulder causing him to jump slightly, surprised. He wondered how his grandfather could slip from serious priest into the role of grandfather so easily.
"Tenchi, don't worry. Just remember that after your 18th birthday, you will have to have a fiancée, it's Masaki tradition."
Tenchi nodded his head in understanding and they both turned and walked back to the house in silence.
Just as they were about to enter, his grandfather offhandedly spoke,
"Tenchi, make sure that you take a sound dampener for tomorrow night in town. You two make a lot of noise when you're excited."
Tenchi blushed and stood outside the doorway leading to the house waiting for his embarrassment to fade.
The house was quiet. The house lights and the lights on the tree were out. Only the pale moonlight fell on Tenchi and Ryoko's bed. They lay there, wide-awake under the covers. Ryoko resting her head on his chest and Tenchi with his arm wrapped around her. They had lain there all night quietly discussing this, that and the other.
Finally, Ryoko asked what Tenchi had been secretly hoping she would.
"So where are the presents you promised me?"
Tenchi looked at her and smiled,
"What presents?"
Ryoko propped up on her elbow and faked a hurt, innocent voice,
"No presents? You dare lie to an innocent girl to get her into bed? Have you no shame?"
Tenchi shook his head and laughed,
"1) There are presents. 2) You aren't an innocent girl and I didn't have to lie. You came willingly enough. And 3) Not since I meet you."
Ryoko pushed him lightly and Tenchi rose, smiling and walked over to the closet. He started to turn around to give her the presents, but stopped and decided to tease her a little.
After all, turn about is far play.
"I think you just slept with me to get at the presents."
He heard her huff and then mutter threateningly,
"Keep it up and I won't sleep with you tonight or tomorrow."
Tenchi quickly smiled and shook his head,
"Now, now, no need for threats."
Ryoko smiled and shook her head causing her cyan bangs to swing side to side. Tenchi grinned and watched her. Right then, with the moonlight highlighting her face and figure, she looked even more beautiful than normal. Finally, he forced himself to walk back to the bed and hand her the box. It was wrapped in cheery paper with a big bow on top.
Ryoko took it and sat it down, waiting for him to settle in before she giddily tore the paper and opened the box. She glanced at him and he smiled. She lifted out the book and glanced at the title, "Basic Japanese History." She looked at him again, a questioning look on her face.
Tenchi smiled and nodded at the book,
"I thought that since you're going to school with me, it would help if you knew the history."
Ryoko smiled and nodded in understanding and opened the book. She skimmed though it and put it back inside the box and set it to the side. She turned back to him and smiled,
"So, is that all my presents?"
Tenchi shook his head and smiled,
"Oh no, I think you have two more."
"Really. Well can I have them now or do I have to wait?"
"I guess you can have one now. You'll get the other tomorrow. Now, close your eyes."
Ryoko willingly closed her eyes and waited tensely. She had an idea what one of her last presents was going to be and she would gladly accept it. Silently, she wondered what the other one was; it was beginning to bother her.
Tenchi quickly reached over and slid Tenchi-ken out from where he had hidden it earlier. He held it in one hand and gently put his other hand on Ryoko's shoulder. She opened her eyes and they went wide in surprise. He closed his eyes and gripped the sword in both hands and the handle glowed. She felt the tingle of power and then the tingle became a rush, a flood of power and then it faded. Tenchi let Tenchi-ken drop to floor beside the bed and slowed his breathing, slightly tired. He opened his eyes to see Ryoko staring at her wrist and touching the other gem at her neck in amazement. He smiled slightly happy that she liked the present.
Ryoko was shocked. She hadn't expected this. Never in a million years would she have expected this. He had given her back her gems. She focused her eyes on him and smiled wickedly. Her golden eyes gleaming with desire.
Her gems making her feel even more complete. In a low sultry voice she said,
"Ten-chan..."
Tenchi nodded his head and smiled back,
"Of course."
*******
Washu left her lab and yawned. She stumbled into the kitchen to see Sasami, Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Nobuyuki sitting around the table. She wasn't sure why, but they all looked tired. She greeted them and they answered. They sounded like the living dead.
Sitting down she reached for her drink and, after taking a sip, sighed and asked,
"So, what's the matter? You all look dead on your feet."
They groaned and Kiyone answered,
"They were at it all night, last night."
Washu looked at the ragged looking, teal haired GP detective, a look of shock and disbelief on her face.
"You mean…"
Nobuyuki answered,
"Yes."
Washu whistled. She shook her head and under her breath mumbled
"Didn't know Tenchi had that much stamina."
Nobuyuki sighed and rose. His clothes looked clean but he was bleary eyed and his hair was a mess.
"Excuse me. I have to go and put the last of the presents under the tree."
Sasami nodded wearily and Washu sighed. This was going to take some getting used to.
Suddenly, Mihoshi cried out,
"Please stop, I need sleep."
Washu shook her head as Kiyone patted the blonde officer on the head.
Kiyone spoke, causing Washu to shift her attention away from the blonde.
"Little Washu, couldn't you do something? Like, build something to stop the sound?"
Washu nodded her head in understanding. She was about to say something when they two culprits came down the stairs. Tenchi looked haggard, his clothes were wrinkled and his hair stuck out at odd angles. Ryoko wore one of Tenchi's shirts it was long and a dark blue color. She rubbed the back of her head and pushed her cyan bangs out of her eyes. They both stopped and yawned.
Washu swore that if the others were tired from listening to them, then they to had to be absolutely worn out. Washu laughed as they stumbled over to the table and sat down.
Wearily, Tenchi said good morning. Silently, he began to eat his breakfast, as did Ryoko. Washu stared in amazement the more they ate the more energetic they became.
She nearly choked on her drink when Ryoko looked over at Tenchi with a slight gleam in her eye and asked,
"Want to take a bath?"
Tenchi smiled and his eyes seemed to gleam the same as Ryoko's when he answered,
"Of course."
The two lovers stood and left the house, headed for the onsen. When they were gone Washu sighed and rose.
She bowed her head and in a frustrated voice spoke,
"Excuse me, I have a few things to do before we open presents."
The others nodded in weary understanding and watched as the short little red haired scientist strode off to make the Masaki house quiet again.
When Tenchi and Ryoko entered the house, they entered to the sound of loud snoring. They shared a look with each other and followed the noise into the living room to see a sight they never would have believed: Kiyone was passed out on one end of the couch with Mihoshi snoozing on the other. Sasami was stretched out across the arms of a chair, her head dropped back. Ryo-ohki lay on her stomach.
Her own little snores adding to the overall noise. Ryoko leaned over and whispered to Tenchi,
"Wonder what they did to wear themselves out like that?"
Tenchi shrugged and shook his head. They both nearly jumped out of their skin when Washu spoke from behind them.
"It's because you two have been at it like rabbits."
They turned towards the voice. Ryoko blushed slightly and Tenchi turned several shades of red, he scratched the back of his head.
"I guess we have been kind of out of hand. Maybe we should tone it down some."
Washu shook her head and laughed.
"No need for that Tenchi I just finished dampening your room and the onsen so you two can have fun."
Ryoko and Tenchi nodded their heads and smiled gratefully at her. Washu grinned back and winked,
"No need to thank me. It's the least the Universe's Greatest Scientific Genius could do. After all, I was in love once too."
Tenchi turned back to the others and sighed. Looking back he said,
"Umm, Washu do you happen to have another dampener"
Washu held up a hand and produced another one,
"Here, just flip the switch to turn it on."
He took it.
"Domo."
Ryoko sighed and asked,
"So um, what time is it?"
Washu reached her hand out and her holo-computer appeared. She typed a few deft strokes and brought up a clock. She looked at it and smiled slightly.
Looking back up at the two, her smile widened,
"It's about 10:30 AM"
Tenchi bowed his head and sighed. Ryoko patted him on the back. Washu chuckled slightly and called over her shoulder as she walked off to her lab,
"Let them sleep we'll open the presents around 5."
Tenchi silently crept into this father's room; his dad was asleep so he was trying to not wake him. He knew that he had another hour before his father woke up so he wasn't pressed for time. He smiled at the man and then pulled the framed picture from his pocket and placed it on the night table. He held his breath when his father rolled over as if he was waking up. When his father rolled back over and continued snoring Tenchi slowly exhaled his breath and then quickly and quietly fled the room. He had other things to do, like getting his last present for Ryoko without her knowing.
At around 5, the family gathered in the living room to open presents. The atmosphere was warm and cheerful. The tree looked beautiful with the lights and tinsel on it.
Tenchi was sitting on the couch opposite the tree, a warm smile on his face. Ryoko was beside him. Her legs were curled up and she was leaning on his shoulder, a happy smile on her face. She was lazily tracing a finger up and down Tenchi's arm. Sasami and Ryo-ohki were sitting on the floor chatting happily. Every so often, Sasami's eyes would dart towards the presents and then back to the cabbit. Washu was sitting on her floating cushion, typing away on her holo-computer she was smiling. Tenchi had the sneaking suspicion that she was scanning the presents. Katsuhito was standing beside her watching the screen. His expression was one of indifference. Mihoshi and Kiyone were sitting on two chairs from Nobuyuki's study.
Tenchi's father came into the living room smiling. He approached the tree and began handing out presents.
Ryoko took the long, thin jewelry box and opened it. She squealed in delight and pulled the necklace out. It was a gold heart-shaped pendant with diamonds set on the outside edges, hung from a silver chain. She turned, looked at Tenchi and hugged him a tight embrace. Tenchi was torn between enjoying the embrace and struggling for air. Ryoko let him go and turned to the other girls, who in turn commented on how beautiful the necklace looked. Ryoko undid the clasp and put it on. It rested on her chest as if it had been designed just for her.
Tenchi glanced at Katsuhito and the old man nodded. Smiling, Tenchi looked over to his father who grinned broadly and gave him a thumbs-up. Tenchi smiled and opened the present Ryoko had gotten him. He looked at it for a moment then smiled and pulled the watch out. It was heavy and was made of gold and silver. He was surprised, he hadn't expected something like this. He slipped it on his wrist and smiled. Turning to Ryoko, he kissed her on the cheek.
The others presents were nice and he was rather surprised to find that he had one from Kiyone. It was a relatively large box and he looked at her, curiosity written all over his face. She merely smiled and indicated that he should open it. He undid the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside was a statue, about as tall as Ryo-ohki, of a samurai in armor. He smiled in appreciation and thanked her.
After the presents, Nobuyuki poured 7 cups of sake and handed one to each family member. He raised his glass and said,
"Now for the traditional Christmas toast. Tenchi if you would be so kind."
Tenchi stood and looked rather uncomfortable as the entire room focused their attention on him. He pushed his discomfort to the side and raised his glass, a smile finding its way to his face.
"To friends and to family."
The others repeated what he said and then they all tipped their bowls back and drank their sake. Tenchi sat back down next to Ryoko and shared in the family merriment.
Ryoko crossed her arms and silently wondered what could be keeping Tenchi. After all, if they didn't hurry, they would be late for dinner.
She was dressed in a red velvet bandeau dress that molded itself to her body. She had used a hair gel that Washu had created to straighten her hair for the evening. On her wrist was the small gold bracelet that had been given to her by Nobuyuki. The gift had shocked her she as had expected another bottle of expensive sake. The necklace that Tenchi had given her was still around her neck and on each ear, instead of the usually red gem that floated there, were two earrings that looked like miniature stars. Knowing her mother, who had given them to her, she wouldn't put it past her for them to be just that.
Tenchi sighed as his father gave him some last minute advice and thanked him once again for the new periodicals. Tenchi found it rather irritating that he had went through all trouble of getting the picture for his father and he hadn't even noticed it. Finally, Nobuyuki finished what he was saying and handed Tenchi his credit card, Tenchi took it and thanked him for letting him use it.
He turned to leave when his father reached out and touched his shoulder. Tenchi paused for a moment and turned to see what his father wanted now. He was immediately taken aback by the look on his fathers face. It was surprising. His father was smiling at him but instead of the usual perverted smile, it was a genuine and loving smile. Tenchi noted that although his father was smiling, he could see tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Nobuyuki bowed his head and when he spoke, his voice was full of both happiness and sadness.
"Thank you, Tenchi. For the picture, I mean. I would have said so earlier, but I did not have the words to properly express myself."
Tenchi half smiled and half frowned. He hadn't thought that his father would be quite this way when he found the picture.
"Father, it's all right. You're my dad and I love you, I am glad that you liked the present. I thought it was the least I could do. After all, I used you're suggestion when I took Ryoko out on our date."
Nobuyuki looked at his son and smiled. He clapped him on his shoulder and with a loud happy laugh, said,
"Glad to hear that I was of some help. Merry Christmas, Tenchi."
Tenchi smiled and nodded his head.
"Merry Christmas, Dad."
Tenchi turned and started for the door. He stopped when he reached it, turned around and waved at Nobuyuki who waved back and then Tenchi was gone.
Nobuyuki turned and started back up the stairs. He really should have been getting to work but he just went to his room, closed his door and picked a tape up. He put it in his VCR and hit play. He sat down on his futon after turning the light off. He picked Tenchi's present up, kissed his fingers and pressed them to the picture of Achika and himself. Focusing his eyes on the TV as two teenagers appeared on the screen, he smiled and whispered,
"I love you, Achika"
He fell asleep watching the images of a younger self and Achika.
*******
Tenchi stepped out in to the cold night air happy that his father had liked the present. However, all thought was chased from his mind when he saw Ryoko standing there. She turned and smiled at him. He just stared at her. She was looking at him and he felt himself smile. He quickly walked forward until he stood next to her. He took her hand and kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear,
"You look beautiful."
Ryoko blushed slightly, glad that he thought so.
"Domo."
Tenchi felt the gut wrenching of her teleporting and he doubted that he would ever get used to the feeling. No sooner had it came than it faded and he noticed where they were standing. It was just outside a cozy restaurant. Smiling, he opened the door and she led the way. As she walked by, he found himself enjoying following behind her.
The restaurant was small and warm with a soft, low light and soothing music. There were quiet conversations everywhere. Tenchi smiled as he and Ryoko were led to a corner table. They sat down and the waiter handed them their menus and left to take care of some of the other customers.
Tenchi opened his and absently said,
"Order anything you want."
Ryoko nodded her head. She opened her menu and began to read. It all sounded good to her. She didn't know why, but, since Tenchi had given her gems back to her, she found that she craved food anytime it was present. Washu had assured her though, that it only meant that her body was recharging its self. It would pass in a short time.
Tenchi closed his menu and looked around at the restaurant, a slight smile playing on his lips. Ryoko sat her menu down and quietly asked,
"So, what are you having?"
Tenchi turned to her and smiled. She could tell that he was keeping a secret from her and she loved it. It just meant that she would have to work to get him to tell her.
"The onigiri and gyudon don buri with some O-cha. You?"
Ryoko grinned back and shook her head. She may have loved him keeping a secret from her, but she wanted to know what it was.
"Well, I think I'll go with yakitori and sake."
Tenchi nodded and laughed,
"Sake, I should have known."
Their waiter returned, interrupting them, and took their order. Tenchi rattled off their order and then turned to Ryoko and asked,
"Want desert?"
Ryoko shook her head and laughed slightly. Under the table, she laid her hand on his knee.
"No, I think I'll have desert later."
Tenchi nodded his head, a slight blush beginning to show. The waiter left, smiling to himself. Tenchi turned back to face Ryoko. He needed to give her last present to her before she did something that would be enjoyable but ultimately illegal.
"Ryoko, it's Christmas."
Ryoko grinned and squeezed his knee slightly.
"I know."
Tenchi gulped and continued on like nothing was wrong,
"Well, you have one more present tonight."
Ryoko grinned and her eyes lit up. She slid closer to him and purred. The entire time, her hand was moving up from its spot on his knee.
"What is it, Tenchi?"
Tenchi felt his blush start to deepen and he was beginning to have to fight to stay concentrated. He also found that his old habits were still there, just diminished somewhat. Tenchi smiled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small black box and slid it in front of Ryoko. She stared at it a moment and then removed her hand from his leg which caused a sigh that was a mixture of relief and disappointment. She picked the box up and, with slightly shaking hands, opened it. She knew what it was yet worried that she was wrong. Inside, she found a small ring with a small diamond set in the center. She cast an inquisitive glance up at Tenchi; she wanted him to confirm what it was.
He smiled and kept his voice as neutral as possible.
"Well, I have to get married and I can't think of anyone else that I would want to marry."
Ryoko quickly pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. She heard Tenchi whisper,
"I'll take that as a yes."
Ryoko nodded her head vigorously and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. She had dreamed of this moment for as long as she could remember, almost as long as she had dreamed of getting him to fall in love with her. And now it was true. She was happier than ever. The only thing that compared with the feeling was when he had admitted how he felt about her. But even that seemed dulled when compared to this.
When they broke the kiss she smiled.
"You're damn right that's a yes."
Tenchi smiled and was about to move in for another kiss when their waiter came back with their food and drinks, a knowing smile on his face.
Tenchi absently played with the corner of the blanket. He was becoming impatient for Ryoko to hurry up and put on what she claimed would be the perfect present for him. They had checked in an about an hour ago and had spent the next half an hour kissing and hugging and doing other things that would have made him blush at the mere mention of them before. Sighing, he lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. As the thought occurred to him, he rolled over and flipped the switch on the audio dampener Washu had given him.
Tenchi felt a hand caress his back. Slowly, he turned around and was struck dumb by what he saw. Ryoko stood in the doorway leading from the bathroom. Her cyan hair was still straight, but that was lost on Tenchi. He was focused on what she was wearing. It was a sheer and beaded gown that almost hid the pair of thong panties beneath it. Over top of the gown was a sheer robe with long sleeves and shimmering sequin trim. Tenchi's mouth fell open slightly. It left nothing to his imagination and he was speechless.
Ryoko grinned and spoke in a husky voice,
"So, do you like this present?"
Tenchi nodded mutely and silently thanked whatever spirits he had honored for this wonderful present. Ryoko grinned and walked over to the light switch and flicked it off leaving the room bathed in the soft glow of the bathroom light. Quietly, she floated over to the bed. She hovered there for a moment and then dropped straight down onto the bed. She giggled as Tenchi whispered,
"Unwrapping this one's going to be fun."
********
Aekea stood facing the door leading from her room. It had been a couple of weeks since she had left Earth and she had been in her room for the majority of the time. Sighing, she brushed her dress smooth and nodded. The door slid open and she stepped out into hall. The hallway was very different from her room. It was curved and its walls were bare except for two screens which were there to provide access to various ship commands.
Now that she was out in the corridor, she fought down the urge to go back in her room. She was still upset but she was the First Crown Princess of Jurai on her way back home and she would not let herself stay in her room. It simply was not the proper thing to do. She steadied herself, turned to the left and began her walk down the hall, towards a lift.
Aekea stood in the lift as it rose up through the decks, her head held high and no emotions showing. She may have felt like breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably, but she wouldn't. She was a princess and she would not do it. She would not, could not, show her weakness.
In the time she had spent in her room, she had mulled over everything. Every emotion, every action and though she had gain some closure, she was still emotionally hurt. She found that even though she accepted Tenchi's feelings for her, she was still nowhere near getting over her love for him or how betrayed she felt. No matter what her rational mind told her heart, it would not accept it, it clutched to the love she had for him.
She snapped out of her inner deliberation when the lift stopped. She glanced at the number indicating the floor it was on and found that she was a floor beneath where she should be. The doors opened and a young man entered. The outer hallway was filled with other crewmen that she had not seen on Earth, but knew had to be here since this was a battle cruiser. The young man stepped inside and bowed. She smiled, hiding her emotions, as the young knight stepped up to stand beside her, yet with enough distance from her as to not give the impression that he was trying anything. Silently, she was trying to place his face, she couldn't see it anymore but it was familiar. His hair also struck her as familiar. She knew it wasn't Baiko, he had come by to see her to make sure everything was fine. She didn't trust that one. There was just something off about him. She accepted his presence, however, and didn't think all that much about him he was a knight and that was simply how he acted, nothing more and nothing less. He didn't try to be friendly or understanding. He just didn't seem the type that one would want to confide in about anything. Even as she thought about Baiko, she felt the lift stop again and heard the knight speaking to her. Recognition slowly dawned on her. His voice was enthusiastic and friendly; it was the other knight, Ukyo. She smiled pleasantly and nodded. She exited with Ukyo following behind her.
For his part, Ukyo was confused. He had expected to be treated as any other knight that the princess would meet. Instead, he found her asking that he sit with her as she ate in the cafeteria. He found this to be unusual since the other royals and indeed most of the nobles usually ate in their own rooms or, when the occasion called for it, in the cafeteria after it had been cleared. Even though he sat with her, he had expected her to be quiet and reserved. He had figured she wanted some sort of company as she ate and he happened to be a familiar face. But soon after they had started to eat, she proved that wrong also. He looked at her in surprise when she spoke, her voice was pleasant and had a friendly tone.
"Ukyo, is it not?"
"Yes, Princess"
He was unsure why she was speaking with him in such a manner.
She smiled and continued,
"I was contemplating something and I was wondering if you could help with it."
Ukyo nodded, again uncertain. When he spoke, his voice didn't hide his confusion.
"Of course, Princess. I will assist you as best I can."
Aekea frowned and for a moment Ukyo wonder if he had said anything wrong.
"Ukyo, would you mind not calling me that?"
Ukyo nodded and became curious as to why she didn't want to be called by her title.
Aekea, noting his curiosity, debated whether or not to explain herself. Deciding to, she said,
"It is just that my sister used to call me that, and it reminds me of her."
Ukyo's face filled with confusion and he spoke without thinking,
"You mean Princess Sasami used to call you Princess?"
Aekea smiled slightly and shook her head.
"No, my other sister, Ryo… Maybe I should not tell you. I mean, I can barely accept it."
Ukyo smiled in realization and lowered his voice so that only she could her him.
"You mean Lady Ryoko used to call you that."
Aekea nodded, slightly surprised that he knew about Ryoko's status and that he didn't act like he was upset.
Ukyo continued to explain,
"I met her on Earth. She saved my life."
That brought a lot of questions to her mind but she pushed them down and got back to what she wanted to know.
"Ukyo, tell me something and answer truthfully."
Ukyo nodded and Aekea continued,
"Does anything seem off about Baiko? Do you get the feeling that something is wrong?"
"Yes, I do. I can't place my finger on it, but something does strike me as off about him. I told Lord Tenchi of my feelings and all he said was just that I should watch him."
Aekea inwardly flinched at the mention of his name but she didn't show any outer signs of it. She nodded and said,
"He is right, you should watch him. But I want to ask a favor of you."
"Of course, Princess, anything you want."
Aekea frowned and glared at him
"Ukyo, I thought I asked you to call me something else?"
Ukyo gulped and bowed his head
"I am sorry, Is there any particular thing you wish me to call you?"
Aekea paused and thought about it, if she was telling him not to call her princess, what did she want him to call her.
"Aekea, just Aekea."
Ukyo mentally shrugged but frowned for a moment, He was not used to addressing royalty by their given names.
"Of course.. Aekea as you wish."
Aekea smiled in appreciation and continued
"As I was saying I will be touring the ship and I want someone with me. Someone I do not feel is 'off'."
Ukyo nodded. He was already figuring where this was leading.
"Do not worry Prin.. err Aekea, I will be pleased to escort you wherever you wish to go."
Aekea nodded and went back to eating. Ukyo waited a moment and then followed suit, he was silently trying to adjust to having to call her by her name and not by her title.
*******
Sasami sighed as she cooked the osechi ryouri. While Tenchi showed Ryoko, Mihoshi, and Kiyone how to make the displays for New Year's Eve, she was busy doing all the cooking. Yes, she did enjoy cooking but she wanted to have fun, too. But, she was the only one who enjoyed cooking, that meant she did it.
She heard the door leading to the kitchen open and glanced behind her to see Washu. She was carrying a machine under her arm. From what Sasami could see, it had a red orb in the front and it was round. Sasami smiled and turned back to her cookbook to look up the next recipe. Silently, she wondered how she could get the universe's greatest scientific genius to do the cooking.
"Great news, Sasami."
Sasami responded, already trying to come up with a plan to get her to cook,
"What's that Washu-chan?"
Washu answered, causing Sasami to drop her wooden spoon and turn around to stare blankly at her.
"I am going to do the cooking."
"Y...you are?"
Washu grinned, unnerving the princess.
"Yes, I am."
Sasami frowned slightly.
"Why?"
Washu smiled at the little princess and held the machine up. Her face filled with pride.
Sasami looked at her and then at the machine.
"What's that?"
"This is one of my inventions. It is the Artificial Subsistence Cyclotron!!!"
"Err… What is it?"
"The Artificial Subsistence Cyclotron or the A.S.C. for short."
A feeling of trepidation came over Sasami and she didn't want to ask but did so anyway.
"What does it do?"
Washu grinned broadly and approached the counter.
"Glad you asked. It scans an image and the information on how to make it. The image and the information are sent to its cybernetic cyberspace CPU. It then proceeds to bond atoms together to form the various molecules required. These are then sent through its bio-electrodes, which use the Boson's duplicator to build the item molecule by molecule. It is then converted into energy, beamed out and rematerialized."
Sasami stared at her, lost. She was silent for several seconds, then slowly spoke,
"O...OK, so, um, can you say that any simpler so I can explain it to Mihoshi?"
Washu bowed her head and sighed. Slowly and evenly she spoke. She was disappointed that nobody seemed to be able to grasp what she was talking about.
"It takes an image and the information and then produces it out of thin air."
"Oh, so it can cook?"
Washu frowned and nodded.
"Of course it can cook. That's why I'm cooking, it needs to be tested in a real world situation."
Sasami backed away as Washu approached the cookbook. As she stood over it, she smiled at Sasami,
"This is what you're going to fix next?"
The little princess nodded,
"Yes."
Washu turned a knob on the side of the machine and then pushed a button on back of it. The device whirred and a red light shot out and scanned over the image as well as the directions. After several seconds, it dinged and a blue beam shot out. Sweet jam appeared and it looked just as it did in the book. Sasami stared at it in surprise. Washu smiled triumphantly.
Sasami rushed forward and hugged the scientist.
"That was great, wonderful, I love it."
Washu smiled appreciatively and nodded her head, convinced that the appreciation made up for the lack of understanding. Sasami moved over and tasted the sweet jam she turned around, a smile on her face,
"Perfect, it's perfect."
Washu bowed and smiled.
"Thank you. But it still has one bug in the system."
Sasami looked at the scientist. She didn't know what the problem was, but she was curious to find out.
"What?"
"It takes too long."
Sasami shook her head and smiled,
"No, it doesn't. It's perfect."
"Well, what else did you expect?"
Sasami laughed nervously and slowly backed towards the door. She opened it and was free. She could have fun with her family at last.
"Well, then I'll leave you to cook. I have a list of things to make. It's on the fridge."
Before Washu could say anything else, Sasami was rushing out the door, laughing. Washu sighed and turned back to cookbook. She found the next recipe and pushed the button again. She was convinced that her genius wasn't appreciated as much as she thought it should be.
Sasami laughed as she watched the three bamboo poles, which they had spent a good part of the day decorating with flowers and pines, get knocked over by the natural disaster that was Mihoshi. Sasami wasn't upset at all, she was with her family and having fun.
Tenchi sighed and Ryoko patted him on the back. Kiyone was franticly squeezing one of the stress dolls Tenchi had gotten her for Christmas. Mihoshi was now staring absently at the polls as they laid in the dirt. Tenchi shook his head and lightly kissed Ryoko on the cheek. He then waved goodbye to the rest of the group. Sasami knew exactly where he was going. He was going to the shrine; it would be busy since it was New Year's Eve. Ryoko and Kiyone both turned and walked over to Sasami, leaving Mihoshi thinking about taking a nap.
"So, you're done with New Year's Eve dinner already?"
Sasami shook her head and laughed,
"No, Washu's doing the cooking today."
Ryoko looked at her a frown on her face and Sasami had to smile.
"What!?! Washu??"
Kiyone reached out and touched her forehead, looking at her worriedly.
"Sasami, are you feeling alright?"
Sasami smiled and waved her hands in assurance that she was fine and explained,
"Relax, she's using one of her machine's. It's called an Artificial Subsistence Cyclotron."
Ryoko frowned and crossed her arms.
"Sasami think about what you just said. Washu's invention cooking."
"It's alright. I tasted its first creation. It was perfect."
Kiyone threw her hands up in the air and let out a long sigh. She was now convinced that Mihoshi was less of a headache. Ryoko smiled nervously at the small princess and patted her on the back, trying to decide if she should skip dinner or not.
*******
Tenchi swept the shrine area for the hundredth time. There had been more visitors to the shrine, than ever before. He almost jumped when he felt the familiar breath on his ear. He shook his head and said with a smile,
"Ryo-chan, what are you doing?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself materialize and float in mid air. Feigning a hurt voice she said,
"Ten-chan, you're not happy to see me?"
Tenchi shook his head and chuckled slightly,
"Of course I'm happy to see you."
Ryoko nipped his ear and smiled,
"Really? Maybe you're hiding something from me. Like another girlfriend."
Tenchi smiled and took her hand in his and kissed her palm.
"Ryo-chan, tell me how to prove that I love only you."
Ryoko smiled and whispered in his ear.
Tenchi blushed several shades of red. When she was done, she nuzzled his neck and he shouted,
"WE CAN'T DO THAT HERE!!!!"
Ryoko lightly pushed him and laughed,
"Not if you keep shouting like that, we can't."
"But…but," Tenchi stammered.
Ryoko began to hum lightly against his neck and then spoke,
"What happened to the Tenchi from Christmas?"
Tenchi laughed and rubbed her palm, her humming against his neck was nice, very nice.
"Come on, Ryo-chan. What you just suggested would make any body shout like that."
Ryoko quit humming and Tenchi felt a pang of disappointment.
"So you're not going to prove yourself."
Tenchi shook his head and smiled. Already thinking of ways he could prove himself.
"I'll prove myself, just not here."
Ryoko began to hum again, then paused and asked,
"Where?"
Tenchi smiled slightly as she began humming again and he pointed at the trees.
"Over there."
Ryoko smiled and started pulling Tenchi behind her. Tenchi let his broom fall and willingly followed her.
Katsuhito slid open the door to his office and looked around for Tenchi. He had heard him shout and was curious as to what had caused it. He couldn't see the young prince, but he smiled slightly to himself when he saw the broom lying on the ground. He forced himself to quite smiling and walked out to where the broom lay. He stood there a moment and then shouted,
"Tenchi!!"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some branches move on his left and then abruptly Tenchi came crashing through, anxiously pulling his shirt back on. The young prince stopped when he saw the old priest standing there, an unreadable look on his face. Tenchi quickly finished fixing his shirt and ran forward to the priest and bowed his head, desperately hoping he would not get into too much trouble for this.
"Sorry Ojiisama, something in the forest caught my attention and I went to investigate."
Katsuhito nodded his head, fighting to keep the laughter out of his voice,
"Did you find it?"
Tenchi gulped and nodded
"Yes Ojiisama, I found it."
At that moment, Ryoko floated out of the forest where Tenchi had just come from. Her smile disappeared from her face as Katsuhito frowned at her then at Tenchi. Tenchi's heart sank. He was in so much trouble. Sighing, Katsuhito bent over and picked up the broom then held it out to Tenchi. He took it apprehensively and Katsuhito smiled at the young man and then at Ryoko.
He chuckled as he shook his head and sighed,
"Put it up and go home. Your mind is elsewhere today."
Tenchi felt a rush of relief and smiled at the old man.
"Gomen nasai, Jiichan."
Tenchi took Ryoko by the hand and started to walk towards the steps leading down to the house. Katsuhito stood there watching for a moment, before Tenchi disappeared down the steps he shouted,
"I expect to see you just after sunrise tomorrow."
Tenchi bowed his head and waved his hand in agreement.
*******
Mihoshi yawned and listened to the other girls chat about this and that. She stretched since she had just risen from her nap. She left them and walked into the kitchen and looked at all the food. Mihoshi smiled and walked to the counter and looked at all the different types of food. She paused when she came to the A.S.C. She studied it for a moment and then picked it up, unsure what it was. She turned it over in her hands and noticed the button she pushed it and the machine whirred and she stared blankly for a moment then looked down to see a red light flashing over the page of an open cookbook. Mihoshi began to whimper and she tossed the machine over her head out an open window. An explosion rocked the entire house. The girls rushed into the kitchen to see Mihoshi staring out the window.
She was silently whispering,
"No, please don't."
They ignored her for now and raced out the back door they skidded to a halt and stared in amazement at what they saw before them. Tenchi and Ryoko came down the last few steps and came to a dead stop at what they saw.
Washu was cursing in several different languages. Sasami stared in shock, as did Kiyone.
Ryoko gently tugged on Tenchi's shirt and said in an urgent confused voice,
"What now?"
Tenchi shrugged and sighed. This was something he had never expected to have to handle. Super villain criminals and the Empire of Jurai coming after him for picking Ryoko over Aekea he could deal with, but this? He had a huge conglomerate of food with pieces of grass sticking to it. Somewhere deep inside, Tenchi cried uncontrollably.
Dinner had been a quiet affair, Washu was still angry over what had happened and Mihoshi was still passed out from Kiyone strangling her. It had taken Tenchi and Ryoko to pull her off the blonde police officer.
After she had calmed down, Washu proceeded to place the conglomerated food and grass into a subspace hole, until later. Sasami served dinner and they ate in silence. Nobuyuki had managed to make it home for dinner and Katsuhito had joined them.
After dinner, they all made their way to the shrine to hear the ringing of 108 bells to drive off the 108 sins of the human condition. There was a huge crowd waiting for their turn to pray for happiness and prosperity.
Tenchi took the amazake Ryoko offered him and drank it; the cold and waiting was definitely not his favorite part about New Year's. The other thing he was dreading was taking down the various New Year's decorations. Ryoko, on the other hand, found it the perfect opportunity to hang all over Tenchi in the excuse of keeping warm.
*******
The moon in all it's glory hung high over head as Tenchi and Ryoko sat on the roof. They were the only ones left awake, except for maybe Katsuhito. Ryoko had asked him why they had gone to the shrine to hear the bells and he had explained it all. He did so twice, making sure everything was covered.
As they sat there, she spoke, her voice filled curiosity,
"So why are we staying up until morning?"
Smiling, he squeezed her shoulder and explained,
"It's a tradition, It's done so that we can see the first sunrise of the New Year. This is to ensure health and prosperity."
The silence was nice and since they were sitting there in each other's embrace, neither was worrying about the cold. Ryoko smiled and nuzzled his neck and began to hum. Tenchi smiled and, doing his best to ignore her humming, he spoke,
"Of course, according to another superstition, which I happen to agree with, is that what ever your doing, whoever your with, that is where and who you will be with next year."
Ryoko's smile broadened and then she snuggled closer to him and began to hum even more against his neck. They sat there and watched the sun rise in the new year.
A/N:
Once again it's time for the infamous Authors notes that you all love and enjoy so much. Just kidding, but this is the Authors notes so lets get on with it shall we? Ok First Happy new year one and all this is the first official chapter of HT&W since sometime before Christmas, I hope you enjoyed it, and found it helped to relieve the tension of the last chapter. I found it fun to write this and I hope you had fun reading it and that you will continue to do so until this fic is done, I would also ask that you reviewed me more it's not necessary but I would appreciate it.
Other than that read my previous chapters where I put the disclaimers they apply to this chapter also.
Sincerely,
Geor-sama
A Nekoshipper