Chapter Two

It was a little chilly today, but the late morning sunlight on Tenchi's shoulders kept him warm, despite the brisk wind. He swept the broom back and forth across the path to the Funaho shrine, thinking about last night's events.

Sakuya had slept on the couch, Washu promising to build a room for her, off the lab underneath the stairs, as soon as she could get around to it.

Ryoko had told him about the argument with Ayeka, but despite both their fears, the princess had behaved herself well this morning, only giving the newcomer the occasional resentful glance over the breakfast table.

Tenchi's night had been full of bizarre dreams, probably a product of going to bed so late, and with such overwhelming emotions racing through him. In one such dream, he had watched Sakuya stumbling about, fourteen months pregnant, her belly so enormous it could hold a grown man. In another, he had been millimeters from kissing her, when she suddenly became, of all people, Mihoshi. Mihoshi/Sakuya had then gone into labor on his living room floor.

He hummed a tune, smiling to himself as he swept his way up the steps, wondering what lay in store for the family in general, he and Sakuya in particular.

He heard the crackle of leaves underfoot behind him, and turned around. There she stood, holding two glasses of lemonade. He was relieved to see that she possessed neither a four-foot-protruding abdomen nor curly blond hair. She was dressed in her little white t-shirt with the letters KM on the front, and a pair of blue jeans.

"Morning, Tenchi," she said brightly, strolling up and handing him a glass.

"Hello, Sakuya," he greeted in return, sipping his lemonade. She followed him over to the steps, and together they sat in silence, holding hands and enjoying the beautiful morning weather.

"So, are you getting used to things here?" He then chided himself for asking such a silly question. She hadn't even been here for twenty-four hours yet.

"Not really," she replied, "I'm still trying to put names with all the faces. But that tall girl with the silver hair..."

"Ryoko," he supplied.

"Yes, Ryoko. She showed me around the house a little, so I'm starting to learn my way around. She's really nice."

Tenchi laughed. "Well, that's good. Her and Ayeka really had it in for you the last time you were here."

Sakuya remembered the incident well. Tenchi had come home briefly from Tokyo for a visit, bringing her along. Upon Tenchi's introduction of her, Ryoko and that other girl had immediately accused her of all sorts of terrible things she would never have even dreamed of doing.

"But Ryoko's changed a lot since all that happened," Tenchi went on. "I think you two will get along pretty well." He decided to change the subject, before she asked about Ayeka. "So, what are you going to name the baby?"

"I don't know yet," she said thoughtfully. "I kind of like the name Ryu, or maybe Miyako if it's a girl."

They were silent for another few minutes, basking in one another's company. Then Tenchi asked her something he had been curious about.

"Sakuya?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's it like, being back? I mean, uh, I guess what I really mean is, what was it like when you came back? How exactly did Yugi do it? Before, she told us you were--"

"Just a shadow," she interrupted, "I know. It was only partly true."

She turned away from him, gazing at the sunlight sparkling through the trees. Her voice sounded a little forlorn.

"My people are spirits, immortal and free-roaming. We did much as we pleased, never hurting anyone. Then Yugi came, and enslaved us. We don't even know where she came from."

Tenchi did know, but he didn't want to interrupt her.

"She did cruel things to all of us. Those who opposed her, since she couldn't kill them, were imprisoned inside energy barriers, meant to cause pure pain, and left there, to scream."

Tenchi tried to glance at her face, hoping she wasn't crying as she spoke.

"Some of us were put to her use. She gave me the body you see now, and sent me here to distract you, to make you fall in love with me. My physical body was, and still is, her creation."

She turned and smiled at him. "But I fell in love with you, too, and Yugi realized her plan had messed up. So she pulled me back to the spirit realm, and took away my old body.

"When you defeated her, after our last talk, I returned to my people, and we went back to the way things were, roaming about freely, playing and celebrating our freedom.

"But I wasn't really very happy. I missed you, and when Yugi awoke, I asked her to send me back. She even gave me my body back, though a little different."

"So what was it like?" Tenchi asked.

"Have you ever gone to sleep in one place," she asked, "and when you drift off you start to think you're somewhere else?"

Tenchi nodded; it had happened to him several times.

"It was kind of like that. Everything around me kind of faded, and suddenly I felt cold. Then I opened my eyes, and I was there," she pointed at a spot on the far side of Lake Funaho. "It was raining, and I was naked, so when Washu found me, she took me back to your house and gave me some clean, dry clothing."

Tenchi was shocked. "You mean Washu was...!"

Sakuya laughed, "Yep. She was in on it all along."

"I should have known," Tenchi said with mock indignation, "that little stinker. She could have just told me you were here!"

"What's the matter?" She put down her drink and draped her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, placing her face inches from his. "Didn't you like our little reunion?"

"Mmmmm," Tenchi mumbled as she pressed her lips against his. He released her momentarily, and said, "I'd like a few more reunions." They shared a few more quick kisses.

"Hey, do you two need a room, or what?" A familiar female voice asked in a dour Midwest accent.

Tenchi quickly extricated himself from Sakuya. "Washu," he said irately to the little red-head at the bottom of the steps, "you old bat, you knew what was going on the whole time!"

"Of course I did," she quipped with a confident grin. "How could the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe have not known? But I couldn't spoil your surprise, now could I? Anyhow, you two need to come back to the house for a minute. Family meeting."

"Okay," Washu said, in the living room back at the house. "Here's the deal. Sakuya, I've finished your room. I designed it according to your tastes, so you ought to like it." She turned to the others. "I shouldn't have to say that I had better not catch anyone back there without both her permission and mine." Tenchi was relieved that she did not stare at him as she spoke.

"Now then," Washu went on, "I have only one major ground rule here." She looked at Ryoko and Ayeka as she continued: "Sakuya is a member of this family now, and I expect to see her treated with the same kind of respect as Ryoko, or Mihoshi, or myself, or any of you. If I see any of the kind of crap I saw last time, I promise the perpetrator will be in deep kimchi. Everyone understand?"

The others all nodded, except for Ryoko.

Sorry, Ryoko, Washu telepathed to her daughter. It's nothing personal, but I couldn't say it to Ayeka without saying it to you, too.

Yeah, Ryoko thought back, I know where you're coming from.

"Alright, then," she said, standing. "Meeting adjourned. I'd like to let everyone take a gander at the new room just once, just to kill off any burning curiosity."

The family filed into Washu's lab, and over to a door on the left that had never been there before.

Washu opened the door, and they peered inside.

The room was softly lit, since there were no windows, but other than that, Tenchi thought it bore a striking resemblence to his own. There was a big double bed in the far left corner, and a small desk on the near wall, to his left. On the right side of the room were two doors. One was obviously a closet, but he wondered what the other one was for?

Sakuya entered the room and looked about. "Like it?" Washu asked.

"It's terrific!", Sakuya said, gazing about at her surroundings.

"Check out the closet." Washu said.

Sakuya opened the closet, and inside were several outfits that looked familiar. But her eyes were drawn to one garment in particular. She gave a gasp of surprise as she lifted down a large kimono from a hook. It was dark green, with blue and silver dragons embroidered on either side, on the front. "It's beautiful!" she marveled.

Washu shrugged. "I picked that one because it matches your eyes and hair so well. The other stuff is all of your old outfits, only adjusted for size, and a dress for special occasions. Try the other door now."

Behind the other door was a little washroom, complete with toilet, sink and shower stall.

"Wow, a private bathroom!" Mihoshi said. "That's really cool, Sakuya!"

"But why does she get her own bathroom?" Ayeka objected. "The rest of us certainly don't, and I see no reason why she should be any different."

"As a matter of fact, one of us does," Washu replied without batting an eye. "Tenchi has one in his room, and for a damn good reason." She had installed Tenchi's private shower a while back, so that he would be protected from Ryoko's constant invasions. Sorry again, Ryoko, she thought, but you know it's nothing against you.

I hope not, *Mom*. That's two now; I'm a forgiving person, but don't push it.

"In this case, the private facilities are more for my benefit than anyone else's. This way, Sakuya, you can take care of your business without having to go through my lab. Okay," she turned back to her audience, "everybody's seen the place, now scat! And remember, this area is off limits."

As they were leaving, Ryoko elbowed Sakuya. "Hey," she said, giving her a wink, "I've got something cool to show you now. Come on."

The onsen was another miracle of Washu's. The huge hot tub had been added extradimensionally, like Washu's lab, in place of the old downstairs bathroom. The old toiletries could be recalled by a simple act of will on the part of the person entering the room, but Ryoko wanted to unwind right now, and the onsen was the perfect place. As she entered, Sakuya in tow, Ryoko pulled a towel down from the nearby rack, and tossed it to the other girl. "You'll need that," Ryoko admonished, "especially since you're the bashfull type." She then proceeded to undress, smirking as Sakyua's eyes widened. "This," she explained, "is where me and the other girls come to relax, blow off steam, you know. Come on, step in," she invited, sliding into the hot water.

Sakuya's face turned slightly pink as she undressed, wrapping the towel about her, and slipped into the tub, across from Ryoko.

"Now," Ryoko began, holding up a finger, "rule number one: there are no secrets in here. You want to tell us something, anything, that you couldn't get away with out there, this is the place. And anything we say stays in here."

She then picked up a bottle and a small glass that sat on the linoleum behind her. "Number two: all newcomers must pass initiation." She filled the little shot glass halfway, and held it out to Sakuya, who looked at it in shock.

"Yeah, I know," Ryoko sighed, "you're a good girl and all that. But it's not much, not even enough to mess you up. Come on," she offered again, "in the interest of tradition?"

"Well, okay," Sakuya agreed, taking the glass of liquor.

"Excellent," Ryoko said, and clinked the bottle against Sakuya's glass. She then turned the bottle up and drank straight from it.

Sakuya took a dainty sip from the glass, and promptly spat it into the air. "Uhhhgh," she moaned, "how can you drink that stuff? It's terrible!"

Ryoko laughed, despite her minor irritation; that sake was expensive. "It's an acquired taste," she explained, watching as her protege forced down the bitter liquid. "A few more rounds, and you'll get used to it. That little bit shouldn't hurt you, though you might fall face down in the pool and drown." Sakuya gasped. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Ryoko laughed heartily, enjoying her practical joke, "it'll just make you more relaxed."

At that moment, Kiyone and Princess Ayeka entered, already towel clad.

"Shit!" Ryoko muttered to herself, as Ayeka stepped into the water, "Here comes trouble. Why didn't I think of that?" She sidled over to Sakuya and whispered, "rule number three: don't bug the princess. That's my job."

"How's it going, Ryoko?" Kiyone asked, sitting on the edge, dangling her feet in the water.

"Peachy," Ryoko replied nonchalantly, leaning back against the edge of the tub. "Just showing the ropes to our newbie here. Oh yeah, introductions. Sakuya, this is Kiyone Makibi. Kiyone, you know Sakuya, right?"

"I heard about you," Kiyone said with a smile as they shook hands, "but we missed each other by a few light-years last time. I was out on patrol."

"She's a cop," Ryoko explained.

"Galaxy Police," Kiyone affirmed. "So, this is what you look like. You like it here so far?"

"It's incredible," Sakuya praised. "You guys have everything here!"

"Well, not everything," Kiyone corrected, "but you see, Katsuhito, the old man who owns this house, he's Tenchi's grandfather. He's a priest, and he's got buku money, so we can afford to splurge now and then. But stuff like this," she gestured around her at the onsen, "not to mention your bedroom, Washu builds. It only takes her a few minutes, and it's free."

As Kiyone and Sakuya continued talking, Ryoko glanced over at Ayeka, who was now up to her shoulders in the water, on the other side of the tub. Her hair was pinned up in a neat bun, so that long tendrils framed her face. She had an emery board in one hand, and was examining her nails through a pair of tiny magnifying lenses perched on the end of her nose.

Ryoko couldn't resist a jab at the ever prim-and-proper princess. "Hey," she called, "nice specs, grandma. Why don't you come over here with us white folks? We don't bite."

"No thank you," Ayeka said politely.

"Suit yourself," Ryoko said with a shrug. "Hey, Kiyone, where's Mihoshi?"

"She wanted to come along," Kiyone replied with a chuckle, "but I got rid of her easily enough. Gave her a piece of paper with the word 'Over' on both sides."

Ryoko gave a gasp of mock horror. "That's awfull!"

"I'm just kidding," Kiyone laughed, "She's watching TV with Sasami."

"Mihoshi," Sakuya muttered thoughtfully, "is she that blond girl you hang around with?"

"God, don't remind me," Kiyone groaned. "Yeah, that's her, and she hangs around with me. The girl is a walking bomb, a disaster waiting to happen. You give her a pair of scissors, and she'll manage to blow them up."

"Or de-sex someone with them," Ryoko added.

"Yeah," Kiyone laughed, "poor Noboyuki. He'd better get himself a cup."

"Bad idea," Ryoko warned. "Those are metal."

"Damn, you're right," Kiyone said, snapping her fingers. She winced. "That would give new meaning to the words 'blow job'."

"You know, I can actually picture that," Ryoko said thoughtfully, hand on her chin. "Poor guy is over here, his nuts are clear across the room, one here, one there..."

Kiyone was laughing hysterically, the tears rolling down her face. "That's...mean, Ryoko," she wheezed. "You've got me...picturing...old man Katsuhito just calmly...putting the guy's balls back on, like it happens everyday!"

"Okay," Ryoko continued. Now she was cracking up, too. "Now imagine this: Tenchi walks in on them, and thinks..."

Sakuya's eyes were getting bigger and bigger as she listened to the conversation. She wondered if Ryoko was drunk.

"You two are disgusting," Ayeka commented derisively from her spot on the other side of the tub.

When dinner time came, Sakuya was starving. Tenchi hadn't been around very many pregnant women, and he was shocked to see what a ferocious eater she was. She had been through two platefulls already, and was working on a third. "What is this?" she asked around a mouthful of food, gesturing to her plate with the chopsticks. "It's delicious!"



"Chicken katsu," Sasami replied proudly with a bright-eyed smile. "It's one of my specialties."



"You made this?" Sakuya asked Sasami, more clearly this time, since her mouth wasn't full.



"She certainly did," Katsuhito replied. "You should try her mu-gu-gai-pan! She's quite a little cook!"



"Yeah," Ryoko agreed, "she can really--hey!" she objected when Sakuya reached for yet another helping. "Save some for the rest of us!"

"Nonsense," Washu interjected, as Sakuya's hand paused over the serving bowl. Washu pulled the bowl of hibachi rice over to her side of the table. "Remember, she's eating for two now." The scientist beamed at her. "You take as much as you want, honey."

"Ohhh," Sakuya groaned in response, hands on her stomach, "thanks, Miss Washu, but I just changed my mind. I think I'll pop if I eat another bite."

"Well, in that case," Washu recanted, looking at her with concern, "you might very well want to lay off for now. You don't want to give yourself a cramp."

Good grief, Tenchi suddenly realized. He hadn't thought of it that way. If Sakuya ever showed the symptoms of a mild stomach cramp, grunting and holding her belly, it would look just like she was losing...no, he didn't even want to finish *that* thought.

"Well," Tenchi said, standing, "I think we've all had enough to eat. Great meal, Sasami," he beamed at her. "Alright, everyone. I'll be upstairs."

He was at his desk, finishing up the last of his homework, when he heard the door creak. He looked up to see Princess Ayeka's head sticking through the doorway. "Lord Tenchi?" she asked. "May I come in?"



"Hi, Ayeka," Tenchi said warmly. "Sure, come on in. What's up?"

"Well..." she began awkwardly, "I just wanted to talk to you for a moment. It's about the living arrangements, and our new guest..."

"You mean Sakuya?" he asked, a little defensively.

"Yes," she admitted. She paused for a moment, then finally blurted: "I don't understand it, Lord Tenchi! You are the king of Jurai, you could have anything you wanted, including me. You could rule the universe, but instead you choose to hide on this backwater planet with some ordinary human girl..."

"This backwater planet," Tenchi began angrily, "is my home, and that ordinary human is my girlfriend, and..." he paused for a moment. No, he couldn't pull any punches with her, he had to give it to her straight. "And I love her, Ayeka."

He felt a pang of sadness when he saw the hurt in her eyes. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, but I've chosen now. And it isn't you or Ryoko. I love Sakuya very much, and I want to marry her someday, when we're both ready." He put a hand under her chin. "But who knows?" he said, "Cheer up, Ayeka. I still care about you, and Ryoko, and everyone else, too. Who knows what the future holds?"

"But what about us?" she asked plaintively. "What about you and me, Lord Tenchi?"

"There is no 'us', Ayeka!" Tenchi said wearily. "That's what you don't understand. I don't want to rule the universe, or live in a palace. I just want stay here and farm carrots, and eat Sasami's food, and..."

"But it's not that simple!" Ayeka interrupted. "Politically, you have no choice, Lord Tenchi. If you marry Sakuya, do you know what will happen?"

Tenchi made no reply. He wan't certain what she was getting at.

Ayeka suddenly laughed. "She would become the Third Princess of Jurai!"

Tenchi realized Ayeka was right. Good god.

"Can you see her?" Ayeka went on, "a princess? Your mother was one thing, at least she was old enough and wise enough to rule, but Sakuya? Lord Tenchi, she has no idea how to behave like royalty, our people would laugh her to scorn! She she doesn't know the first thing about being a princess."

"She doesn't have to!" Tenchi shot back. "Because she's not going to Jurai, and neither am I."

"Very well, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka conceded, bowing her head. "But I want you to remember that you are a king, and you have a responsibility to your people. I ask only that you think carefully before you make any choice that might affect their future." With that, she left, quietly closing the door behind her.

That night, Tenchi lay in his bed, the lamp on his nightstand still on, reading a novel. But he couldn't concentrate, and found himself reading the same sentences over and over. Ayeka's words kept on haunting him.

So, he thought, Princess Sakuya. Certainly, Ayeka was correct in saying that Sakuya was hardly up to the task of ruling a planet, even with his guidance. But would that even be an issue? He had no intention of ever returning to Jurai; that he had known long before he had even gone to Tokyo.

He decided that it really was a moot point. She would be a princess in name only, never having to even see Jurai, let alone make decisions regarding its welfare. 'Princess' would be little more than an affectionate nickname for her, used by him and the family.

"Tenchi?"

He started a little; he hadn't even heard the door open.

"Sakuya?" he asked, "What are you doing up here? Aren't you going to bed? It's late."

"Well," she explained, looking a little embarrased, "I wanted to take a shower first, but the one in my room doesn't have any hot water yet. Miss Washu said she would have it working by tomorrow morning. May I borrow yours?"

"Uhhh, sure, I guess," Tenchi replied quizically. "Just don't take long."

"I won't," she promised, disappearing into his bathroom. "Thank you, Tenchi."

As he heard the spray start, Tenchi decided he wasn't going to get anymore reading in tonight. He turned off the lamp, and snuggled under his comforter, closing his eyes.

After a few minutes, the sound of the water stopped, and she emerged, her dark green silk kimono wrapped about her slender figure. "Thanks, Tenchi," she said.

"Sure," Tenchi replied, lifting his head up off the pillow. "See you in the morning."

But when she reached the door, her hand on the knob, she had a sudden impulse, manifested as an odd, warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Tenchi watched, mystified, as she turned around and walked over to his bed, standing over him.

"Tenchi," she whispered, her voice a little deeper.

"What is it, Sakuya?" he asked, his own voice barely above a whisper, as he looked up at her.

Silently, she reached down and tugged at the sash of her kimono, sliding it back off her shoulders. The garment whispered down over her hips to pool on the floor about her feet.

Tenchi had once stumbled upon Princess Ayeka in the nude, bathing in Lake Funaho, while on his nightly stroll, and been roundly chastised for it. Sakuya's body was roughly similar in shape to Ayeka's, but the few inches of height she lacked on the princess made her breasts appear slightly larger, and unlike Ayeka, she had a small amount of downy hair at her groin. Her breasts, hips and thighs made perfect curves that his eyes followed all the way down to her feet. Good god, but she was beautiful.

Tenchi knew he couldn't possibly turn her away, didn't want to, even though he knew that he should. After the courage it must have taken for her to show herself naked to him, he would be an utter bastard to tell her no.

He held out his arms, and she crawled into his bed, pressing her body gently against his.

He wound one arm about her waist, and with the other reached for his nightstand drawer, about to search for the small box. But Sakuya grabbed his hand in midair, brought it to her lips and kissed it, twining her fingers through his.

"There's no need for that, Tenchi," she said, smiling. "I'm pregnant already. You can't give me another baby."

She was right, of course. Silly of him. He put his hands on her hips, and drew her over to lie on top of him.

She was shy at first, making only the most conservative of moves. She dropped light kisses on his mouth, along his neck and shoulder, her fingers lightly grazing his chest. He gave a small mumble of pleasure and, emboldened, she took his mouth in a long, deep kiss, using her tongue to wonderful effect, and ran her open palms over his chest and stomach.

Their lovemaking was slow and lazy, and absolutely incredible.

Tenchi's first, and only time, had been with Mihoshi, in a moment of mutual depression, both of them seeking solace in the wrong place. That had been frantic, the two groping for one another wildly, and it was over in a few minutes. The next few days after the incident had been terribly awkward for both of them, though they had promised one another it would never happen again, and none of the others had ever found out.

But this time, there was no cause for worry. Sakuya was quiet in her pleasure, but showing it nonetheless, and when it was over, Tenchi was thoroughly satisfied. The only drawback, he thought, was that she could not stay till the morning, allowing him to awaken to see her dark hair draped over his chest, one delicate arm thrown about him.

Instead, she rose from the bed, treating him to a lovely view of her bottom as she slipped her kimono back on, and tightened the sash.

"Good night, Tenchi," she whispered. She dropped a quick kiss on his mouth, and then left for her own room.

That night, he slept like a dead man.