I do not own any of the Tenchi Muyo characters and in no way am I making any money from writing this story. I write these stories for the fun of it, so please don't sue. Thank you.

Shogun Muyo - Chapter 10: Winds of Change

Clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun from shining down and brightening the earth. A gust of wind blows through the trees and a cold feeling of loneliness and fear crept over the body of Tenchi Masaki, like the icy hand of death passed over him. The broom that was firmly in his hand falls to the ground without him trying to catch it. The only sound is the bang of the broom hitting the stone of the stairs.

"Your. . . . .leaving. . .?" He asked in a distant gaze to Ryoko.

She lowered her head to avoid eye contact. "Yes."

"What do you mean it's for the best?"

She looks at him wishfully. "Tenchi, I have been telling myself that you are in love with me and that I'm in your heart. And I came to believe that it was true." She pauses for a second. "But when Ayeka was gone, I came to finally see that Ayeka is the one in your heart. Not me."

"Ry. ." Tenchi was cut off from talking by Ryoko holding up a hand. "Please Tenchi. . . .let me finish this."

"I know that I am nothing more than a demon to you Tenchi. And don't say" She paused, raising her finger at him. "Don't say that isn't true Tenchi. I know from hearing you from your dreams. . .I scare you. All I'm doing is hurting you Tenchi. I want you to be happy, I only wanted to be the one that makes you happy."

* She heard me from my dreams? Oh no, this can't be happening. I really am losing them. Don't just stand there like an idiot. Say something!! * Tenchi's mind yelled at him.

"No, Ryoko. You can't leave, I need you here."

Ryoko shook her head. "No Tenchi, you don't need me. You have Ayeka."

"You can't just leave, what about the others?"

"I've already said goodbye to them, in my own way. All that was left was for me to say goodbye to you. .Tenchi. Saving the hardest thing for last. Goodbye Tenchi." Ryoko said turning around and floating up the stairs.

* Say something. Stop her! * His mind demanded.

"Ryoko, you can't go. I. . .I. . .I love you."

Ryoko came to a stop; he had said the words she had wanted to hear him tell her for a long time. But she knew he didn't mean it, he couldn't. She turned around to face him.

"Please Tenchi. Don't say that. . . .this is hard enough for me to do. I'm trying to do the right thing for you."

"Please Ryoko." He pleaded grabbing both her hands in his. "I want you to stay. I want all of you here. I couldn't picture life here without any of you."

Ryoko looked shocked. Could she be so important to him?

Tenchi was able to see that she looked shocked or confused, but either way it looked like she was considering staying. Now all he had to do was really convince her to stay.

"Come back to the house with me. I'll prove that I want you to stay."

Tenchi grabbed ahold of Ryoko's hand and ran with her down the stairs to the house. He asked her to remain outside and to stay there. He ran up the stairs and grabbed the Tenchi-ken from a dresser drawer he kept it in. Running back outside to find Ryoko was still in the spot that he left her. She saw the Tenchi-ken in his hand and looked at him in wonder.

"To show you that I truly want you to stay I'm willingly giving you back all three of your gems."

Ryoko felt like she was about to pass out. He was trusting her to have all three back. All to show her that he really wanted her to stay. She thought that he wanted her to stay so her feelings wouldn't get hurt, but perhaps he really wanted her to stay, because he enjoyed having her company. Perhaps there was still hope for her to win his heart. Tenchi held the Tenchi-ken out with both hands and closed his eye's to pray that Ryoko gets her gems back. Ryoko closed her eyes and extended her hands in order to receive them back. The gems in the Tenchi-ken glow red and disappear one by one from the swords hilt. Both gems reappear on her right wrist and the other on the base of her neck. Both open their eyes as Ryoko feels the power of all three gems running through her body once again. She looks both gems in her wrists over in disbelief. He wasn't afraid of her, he trusted her to have the power of all three gems again. She felt like she was going to cry from being so happy. She looks at Tenchi and can't hold back anymore. She throws herself onto him cheering and feeling totally content. Both share the hug for what feels like hours. Ryoko was crying.

"Are you alright Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, unsure if she was ok.

"I couldn't be happier Tenchi. Let's just share this for another minute." She asked.

"We'll take as long as you need Ryoko. Just don't leave."

"I'll stay as long as you want me to Tenchi. I will never leave your side. I'll be there as long as you need me. That I promise you." She finished putting her face down onto his shoulder.

Not all participants in this joyous moment feel happiness and love. By one of the trees, unnoticed eyes were taking in this moment with mixed feelings of anger, hurt, and betrayal. Her hand clenched the bark of the tree she was behind, squeezing to vent her frustration quietly. Mireya's usual tranquil eyes, burned with a fire as she watched both Tenchi and Ryoko embracing each other.

* How could he just embrace this woman only a couple of hours after Ayeka has left? He doesn't deserve to have Ayeka's love. You do not care for Ayeka's heart Tenchi Masaki. I won't let you hurt her, hurting her will be your last mistake. *

When she watched Tenchi and Ryoko break their hug and walk off talking to each other, Mireya notices she took some of the bark off the tree from her anger. Mireya decided to keep an eye on both of them until Ayeka returns, she wanted to make sure that Tenchi behaved himself.

*********************

The door opened and Sasami walked into the room, taking Daimyo some snack food that Mihoshi had stocked aboard Ukonojo. She didn't like that he seemed to be more distant than usual, she guessed he didn't take Ryoko beating him that lightly. She didn't like seeing anyone sad around her, she always wanted to make others happy. Especially him, she had often found herself looking at him during dinner at the Masaki house. She was taken with Daimyo, but she knew he didn't feel any feelings she had for him. He would think that she was too young to know what love is. She turned the corner to see if he was still in the same area he was in a few hours earlier. She found that he was in the same spot that she had left him in, apparently he didn't move around during the time. He seemed to be meditating, so she was unsure if she should leave him alone for a little while longer. But Daimyo must have felt her presence in the room, because he opened his eyes and saw Sasami holding some packets, that he assumed was food. He smiled a little and motioned her to come over.

"Hi Sasami. Is that food?"

Sasami seemed a little shy with him smiling at her. "Hm. .yes, it isn't the best food, but it was the only thing onboard to eat. Mihoshi seems to like sugary foods."

"So were you here to offer me some food or were you going to make me watch you eat them?"

Realizing she hadn't offered him any of the food she had brought for him, she scuttled over next to him and offered him some of the sugary snack food. She held out a couple of the packets and he picked two of them and thanked her for thinking of bringing him some food. Sasami felt like she was about to blush from his smile and his gentlemanly manners around her. Then she remembered to offer him something else.

"Would you like anything to drink Daimyo, this kind of food always makes me thirsty?"

"I'll take some water, here I'll come with you, I should try to make my way around this ship of Mihoshi's."

"Ok, just follow me, I'll show you around the ship."

"You know I've never been on a ship that can fly into space. What does it look like in space?"

"You mean you've never seen space before? It's breathtaking. I'll show you what it looks like from the next room."

Sasami leads Daimyo into a room that has a small couch, table, and a Vid screen. It was a recreational room for the officer's onboard to relax while taking a break from work. Daimyo looked at the room and thought it was a nice little room, but there wasn't anyway for them to see outside the ship, he didn't see a window or anything.

"Sasami, I don't see where we can look outside at space."

Sasami walked near the couch and stood next to the wall of the ship. She flipped a switch Daimyo failed to notice when surveying the room. A panel on the wall opened up and revealed a glass window, which showed the vast ocean of space beyond. Daimyo walked over and took in the sight of seeing what laid beyond a planet's atmosphere. He couldn't seem to find a way to describe it, it looked scary and bleak outside, but it also showed gentleness and beauty at the same time. It was a sight that was rarely seen on Draka, after the emperor took over anyway. He couldn't remember the last time on his world when he took the time to look up into the night's sky to look at it in marvel. He was always too busy staying alert and listening to hear anyone approaching him in the cover of darkness. Seeing something so wonderful, seemed to make him feel a little sad at the same time, giving thought to other people on Draka experiencing what he used to. He suddenly gave thought to what Mireya had said to him the evening that he and her met for the first time in a long while. When she told him how selfish he had become, he didn't want to wish all his experiences onto someone else growing up among the ruins and decay of most of his world.

Sasami looked at Daimyo and noticed that he seemed to be saddened more; she didn't understand why he was saddened. "Daimyo, is something wrong?"

"No. . .nothings wrong Sasami. . . .just having some thoughts. Hey, let's say we try some of that food you brought." Daimyo said changing the subject.

They opened the wrapping from the junk food and sat on the couch eating the food while watching the stars slowly pass by from the window. Sasami rested her head against his arm, snuggling up to him. He didn't feel comfortable, knowing that Sasami seemed to have some mixed feelings for him, but didn't want to upset her, so he allowed her to keep her head there. He just needed to watch out for her suddenly grabbing him and planting a forceful kiss on him again.

***********************

An eerie familiar laugh echoed in the darkness that faced the first- born princess of Jurai. The laugh that held no soul in it, from a heartless creature that now seemed to haunt her dreams. It seemed whenever she closed her eyes; he was there behind her eyelids waiting to torment her in her mind.
Then there was light and she saw him standing in front of her towering over her small form. She looked into his face, seeing the coldness of his eyes from the way he looked at her. She wanted to reach out and strangle him to death, but again she wasn't able to move against his power. He pushed her down onto the ground, she feel like a rag doll unable to move any muscle. He began to rip her kimono off of her, all she could do was cry out at him to tell him to stop. But her pleas for mercy fell upon uncaring ears; he continued to remove her clothing.
Within what seemed to be a second, she was naked and exposed to him. He began to ravage her body again. She wished that she could die so she wouldn't experience this again. But she didn't have the strength to move against him. She screamed out when he began to force his way into her again.
She awoke in her futon in a room on the ship that was currently carrying her and her sister back to her home world. Not even in a galaxy police ship did she feel safe from Voog. He desecrated her body, robbed the one thing that was important to her, to show her love for her husband by giving herself completely to him. Now she wouldn't be able to show that to whoever she would eventually marry to strengthen the throne of Jurai more.
She must have been pleading in her sleep, Sasami was sitting up in her futon looking caringly at her sister. "Ayeka? Are you alright?" She asked her sister, unsure of what had scared her so.

"Yes Sasami, I'm alright, I just had a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

"Are you sure Ayeka?"

"Yes I'm sure. Go back to bed." Ayeka's reply was forced and possessed a commanding tone.

Sasami laid back down, feeling slightly hurt by Ayeka's reply to her concern for her sister. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep

Ayeka laid back down on her futon and looked up at the ceiling. Contemplating on where her future could possibly lye now. Before what happened on Draka, Ayeka could have any pick of countless princes and noblemen wanting to become heirs of the throne of Jurai. But now she knew that that reality would be gone. With her innocence robbed from her now, no nobleman would want to marry a woman that hadn't saved herself for her husband. Now she would be lucky to find one man with noble blood in his veins that would be willing to marry her. Even if some man wanted to marry her, she wouldn't be able to welcome his touch.

* Damn you Voog.* She thought to herself as tears began to run down her face. She turned onto her side to face away from her sister, she didn't want Sasami to discover her crying. * Damn you, you monster!* Her mind cried, as she continued to cry until she feel back to sleep.

*************************

A few light years away, another dream was occurring. One that seemed to be like a memory, but was unfamiliar to the dreamer.

"This isn't the way we agreed to do this."

"This IS the way we will run things. Your way is too trusting with these creatures, with my way, we will gain the respect that we deserve."

"Your way seems to be to enslave everything and declare us superior to them."

"We are Superior. We determine how they live, where they live, and when they die. We should rule these creatures."

"NO!" A third voice joins the conversation. "We were given the responsibility to serve them, not to rule them. That was the wish of the one that breathed life into us all."

"That being left us to do as we wish and I for one think we should have dominance over them."

"I cannot accept that idea. I will not partake in this."

"I will not go along with your idea either Tokomi." The second voice made itself known again.

"Then I believe there's only one way to settle this. . . ." The voice that was identified as Tokomi said.

The darkness of the dream is suddenly replaced with light, then the focus comes in and the interior of the Masaki home is shown to the dreamers eyes. She shifts on her favorite support beam where she likes to take her catnaps. She yawned and stretched her entire body to get into the mood to wake up. She tried to remember the dream that she just had, but can't seem to recall it. She knew there were three different voices, all of them sounded unfamiliar, except for one. But she couldn't recall the dream much to really dwell on it. She was awake now and wanted to enjoy life at the Masaki home. She was in good spirits, knowing that Tenchi still wanted her around. And he seemed to be more trusting of her, by giving back all three of her gems. Thinking about her newly reacquired gems, she looked down at both her wrists to see two of the gems she had back. It had been a long time since she saw both gems in her wrists and felt the power from within them flow through her again. Thinking about other things she wanted to see Tenchi again, or to just be in his presence. She couldn't imagine going a whole day without seeing the face of the young man she had desperately fallen in love with. She had watched him grow up during the last fifteen years of her imprisonment in the cave, she felt her heart melt for him the day she laid eyes on him. Now she just couldn't take her eyes away from him.

"Tenchi?" She called from the beam.

Not getting any reply told her that he wasn't in the house, so she would have to go find him. She teleported from the beam to the front of the house and called his name again. Still no reply. She then thought to check in Washu's lab, maybe he was there. She teleported back inside the house in the living room and walked to the hallway closet that was the entryway into the laboratory of the greatest scientific mind in the universe. She opened the door to be greeted by the usual darkness that shrouded the geniuses lab in mystery.

"Tenchi?!" she called out.

She didn't receive a reply in there either. Perhaps she could ask Washu where he was.

"Washu?!"

"What happened to mommy?" Washu asked from the darkness. Her child form was barely visible in the dim light.

* I hope Ryoko can't see my face, it still has a little bit of the bruise visible. If she notices it, I'll have to make some excuse up. * Washu thought.

"Mommy?!" Ryoko repeated.

"Yes, little Ryoko?" Washu poked fun at Ryoko.

"Don't call me that! I said I would call you mom or mother, but I'm never going to call you mommy. Forget it!"

Washu turned around and slightly hunched over. "Awe you hurt your mommies feelings." She said adding a couple of mock sniffling at the end.

* I don't need this. * Ryoko thought to herself.

"Mom do you know where Tenchi is?" She asked wanting to get her information and get out.

Washu began walking to her floating futon, where she conducted most of her work seated from. "Don't tell me that you only came in here to get some information from me. You didn't want to talk with me and share stories or experiences with me?"

* Normally that would be what I would want, but thanks to some reverse psychology I'll have her out of the lab in no time. * She thought, smiling at her genius.

"Look. . . .mommy." She said with great difficulty. "I would like to talk with you, but I would really like to know where Tenchi is right now. Perhaps I can come back later and we can talk."

"Alright, I'll tell you where he is, but I want you to come back in five hours please. I want to get to know my daughter personally more."

"Deal."

"Alright, he's up at the office of the shrine. Since his grandfather is gone, he's keeping the place up there clean until Katsuhito returns."

"Ah, thank you." She said so relieved that she got the answer from her that she hugged Washu without thinking about it. Thankfully for Washu, she grabbed and hugged the side that didn't show the bruise, so her head was turned to conceal it. Ryoko realized she was hugging Washu and didn't find the situation to comfortable. She released the petite redhead and readjusted her position.

"Ok, I'll be here when you come back and remember you agreed."

Ryoko flew backwards a couple of feet. "Yeah, I know I agreed, I'll be back in five hours." She turned and flew for the door and exited Washu's lab.

* That went well. She didn't notice the bruise and in five hours this thing should be gone. * She thought looking toward the bruise that was on her left cheek.

"That reminds me." She said aloud to herself. She reaches into a subspace pocket and pulls out her facial cream to doctor up her bruise again. She called up her computer to display a picture of what was occurring at the shrine. She watched Ryoko phase into the picture while applying the cream.

***************************

The door opens and allows the first-born princess of Jurai to enter the cargo hold that Sasami and Daimyo were currently in. She had noticed that her sister and Daimyo weren't around with Mihoshi and herself, so she had been looking for them. She noticed Sasami was asleep leaning against Daimyo's arm. He was looking out the window into the vast sea of space. He averted his gaze at the stars to the doorway when he heard the sound of the door opening. Seeing Sasami alone and asleep next to him made Ayeka's eyes burn. To think that her little sister was trying to befriend an animal from that accursed planet, she had to keep herself from running across the room to tear his arm off. She had to remind herself that her sister was innocent and did not know of the darkness that existed in the universe. She walked over to Daimyo and Sasami; Ayeka's approach awoke Sasami as she looked to see her sister was in the room. She noticed that Ayeka's eyes seemed more narrowed than usual, the warmth that was always there before wasn't present in her eyes now.

"Hi Ayeka." Sasami greeted her sister, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Ayeka's face seemed to instantly change from a look that Sasami hadn't seen on her sister's face to the face she had grown up with. "Sasami, I was wondering if you were going to spend any time with your sister. Surely you haven't grown tired of having me around already?"

"No! No, I'm eternally grateful that your back and I wouldn't ever want to be without you again Ayeka." She said running over to hug her sister.

"Come along Sasami, we'll have some time to ourselves." She said glancing over at Daimyo.

"Sorry Daimyo, but I'm going to go spend some time with Ayeka. I'll come back and talk to you later."

Ayeka nearly had to bit her tongue to keep herself from saying that she refused for Sasami to speak to him. Knowing the curiosity of her sister, she would inquire as to why Ayeka wouldn't want her talking to him. So she faked a smile to Sasami and led her out the door, away from Daimyo. As they went down the hallway in the interior of the ship Ayeka tried to find the words she wanted to tell her sister, but not to make her sound different from her normal self. She knew she had to be more conscious of her actions pointed out by Washu, but she found it hard to concentrate more on anything but getting back at Voog. "So Ayeka what would you like to do?" She asked in her cheerful voice?

"Sasami?"

"Yes, Ayeka?"

"I would like it if you didn't hang around Daimyo. At least alone."

Sasami was a little shocked by her sister's request. "But why Ayeka?"

"Because I don't trust him, I saw how his people are. They're all savages and I don't want you conversing with him. Am I understood?"

"But Ayeka. . .?"

"Sasami?!" Ayeka said turning to face her, with a sturn look about her face.

Sasami's head tilted down a little. "Alright Ayeka, I won't." She said in defeat.

"Good, now let's go find something to eat."

****************

Tenchi had cleaned his grandfathers' office out nicely. After cleaning the dirt out of the place, he had to straighten everything back into order. Keeping the paperwork for the shrine in order was harder than he thought, so it was taking a little longer than he had planned.

He wiped some sweat from his forehead. " I didn't know Grandpa had so many papers to keep for the shrine." He spoke to himself looking at the pile of papers that he just stacked on his grandfather's desk. "Now just have to put these back into the drawer here."

He picked up the papers and was about to set them down inside the drawer when the sudden noise from behind him caused him to loose his grip on the papers. He turned to see Ryoko phasing through the wall looking down at the mess that now cluttered his grandfather's office floor. Tenchi felt himself feeling like he was going to vent fumes, but knowing what had nearly occurred earlier in the day, he calmed himself down before saying something he may end up regretting.

"What did you want Ryoko?" He asked trying not to sound unhappy to see her, but failed with the small tone his voice was in.

She floated around the back of him and curled herself around him, making herself look like a skin coat on his back. "I just wanted to see you Tenchi. Your always so busy with your chores that you don't seem to have time to spend with me."

"Ryoko, you know that I have to do my chores, they're a part of my training under grandpa. Besides, someone has to keep this place clean, otherwise it'll become a real chore when we have to clean it. Speaking of a real chore, I'm going to have to get all these papers out of the floor."

"If we get the papers straightened up, will you spend some time with me?" She asked placing her finger under his chin to get him to look her in the face.

"Yes, I suppose I'd have some free time."

He would have said more, but Ryoko placed her finger on his lips to quiet him. "Well then I'll help."

She lifts her index finger up, a small white ball shines on the tip. The papers in the floor shuffle around and stack themselves into a pile and lift up into the air and land on top of the desk.

She looks at Tenchi and smiles. "Well now it looks like you have some free time. Come on let's go Tenchi." Ryoko said pushing him out the door.

*************************

The castle seemed to be becoming a living, breathing entity. Guards roamed every hallway and security was double reinforced. It was considered suicide to try to attack the castle before, but now with the increased alertness of the area, it should now be considered an impossible task.
Voog watched the guards around the outer perimeter scurry about like ants from his view from a window in his quarters. He still couldn't understand why the emperor was so cautious about this silly legend. The empire had remained sustained on Draka for hundreds of years and it would most likely remain for several hundred more.
Even though he knew nobody in their right minds would try to attack, he couldn't help but feel that there would be a fight coming. He smiled at the thought of a battle.

* It would be entertaining if there were an attack. Things have gotten a little boring around here without that pretty little flower that damned Mireya had to leave with. But for the time being, I think I'll pay the cellblock a visit. * He thought to himself with a grin on his face.

********************

Sasami was dreaming of a time when she was on Jurai, before Ayeka departed on her search for her half-brother Yosho. She was in a wide field of flowers, running along the field to watch the flowers speed by her to see the effect of the blur the flowers became. She remembered her sister was there, Sasami had brought her there to cheer her up while her brother was gone. She was beginning to run to Ayeka, when the dream suddenly disappeared from the small princesses head. She was standing in a void, there was nothing around her. She looked around to figure out what had occurred and she caught sight of another figure standing in the darkness with her.

"Tsunami?" She asked, seeing her goddess standing before her.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your dream Sasami."

"That's alright Tsunami, what did you want to say?"

Tsunami tilted her head slightly. "Now what makes you suspect that I come here to say anything Sasami? Can't a goddess visit with her bondmate from time to time?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Tsunami, but you usually visit me in my sleep to tell me something."

"It's alright Sasami, I was only playing, I did have something I have to tell you. Sasami. . . .it's nearly time."

Sasami gasped in fear, she knew what the goddess was referring to. "S. so soon?"

"I'm sorry if I've frightened you Sasami, but you've known this would have occurred sooner or later."

"I know Tsunami, but I feel like it was really fast. When will it happen?"

"The assimilation will take time for us to completely bond together, you'll find yourself getting taller than normal, but don't fear Sasami. No harm will become of you."

"I know I'll be fine Tsunami, but I'm not sure how everyone else will take it."

"Sasami, your family loves you for who you are. It wouldn't make any difference on how tall you are that would change that. It was like what your sister said that day they discovered our bonding, she loves you no matter what. Don't you feel that way for her?"

"Yes. Yes, I love my sister very much. I would love her no matter what."

"It's good to know you feel that way for her Sasami. I feel your sister is going to be in need of that love of yours soon.

Sasami was about to ask her what she meant, but the dream she was having reappeared and Tsunami wasn't there anymore.

"Tsunami?!" Sasami called to her, but didn't receive any reply.

Sasami awoke from her dream and shifted in her futon to look over toward her resting sister. She was still asleep, it felt like it was early in the morning still.

* I wonder what Tsunami meant by my sister needing my love for her? I guess that means I should watch out for Ayeka, I don't want anything happening to her. *

Deciding it wasn't time to dwell on things at the moment, she laid her head back down onto her pillow and returned to her dreaming.

Next Chapter: The Rhythm of My Sorrow