Invasion

by Dreamr

An epic length continuation of the OAV manga storyline, after part 2.

3. Grudge Match

INVASION Volume 1, Part 3: Grudge Match.

DISCLAIMER: "TENCHI MUYO!" is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no rights to any of the characters. However, the events portrayed in this work are of my own imagination, so please don't copy it. Feel free to disseminate as widely as possible.

FOREWORD:

Originally, this part consisted of two shorter parts: the rooftop scene and the challenge scene. Both were rather short (for me), so I mashed them together and lengthened the scene in the Arboretum. I seem to recall there is another name for that holiest of holy places, but, in my opinion, it was rather uninspired, so I changed it. Arboretum sounds just about right.

AUTHOR: Dreamr

LAST REVISION: 06 February 2003

EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmil.com

BEGIN.

Tenchi emerged from the blackness of the dimensional hole Washu had provided so that he could access the roof of the Jurai Imperial Palace. The palace roof was a broad expanse of wooden material nestled within the highest branches of the Tree of Heaven. In the darkness of night, it was difficult to tell what kind of wood the roof was made from, but it looked like the same wood removed from the tree when the palace had been carved into it.

Looking through the soft glow of the city lights around him, Tenchi spotted Ryoko a short way down on the side of the curved dome, sitting by herself. She sat with her knees to her chest, apparently unaware of his presence. Carefully, Tenchi climbed up onto the roof.

"So this is where you went." Tenchi said by way of greeting as he approached. "I figured you'd be up here."

"You shouldn't be up here." Ryoko warned without looking at the young prince. "You could fall off."

Tenchi seemed unconcerned.

"Well, if I did I'm sure you would catch me." Tenchi rationalized as he sat down to Ryoko's right. She turned her face away so he would not be able to see the telltale redness that showed she had been crying.

"Ryoko," Tenchi continued. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I had no idea something like this was going to happen." He paused to see if she were responding to his explanation yet. Her lack of involvement seemed to indicate not, so he continued on.

"I really don't want to fight against Grandpa. And I know I'm not ready to get married. I guess I really messed things up, huh?"

"You did what you had to do." Ryoko finally answered.

Tenchi sighed in relief.

"I'm glad you understand."

Suddenly, Ryoko turned to face Tenchi.

"That doesn't mean I like it!" She shouted in his face.

Tenchi pulled back, his eyes wide. Ryoko looked away again, suddenly remorseful of her outburst.

"I'm sorry." Tenchi said again. There was a long pause before either could think of anything to say to the other.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked.

"I don't really know." Tenchi said, scratching his head. "We'll figure something out."

Instead of calming Ryoko as he had intended, Tenchi's words seemed only to distress her more. Once again, she turned and yelled at him.

"How can you say that? What if you win, huh? Will you marry that stuck-up princess and live happily ever after?"

Tenchi stared at Ryoko in confusion. She was taking this much harder than he had thought she would.

"What about me, Tenchi? Don't you care how I feel?" Tears began to well in her eyes again.

"Ryoko..." Tenchi stuttered. "I... um... well, uh... how do you feel?"

Ryoko looked at Tenchi in shock. He had never asked her how she felt about him. She had always assumed her actions made her feelings for Tenchi clear. Realizing she now had the opportunity to tell Tenchi exactly how she felt about him, she locked-up. Tenchi patiently sat, waiting for an answer.

The sky overhead suddenly bloomed with light. They both turned to see the start of the fireworks that were meant to celebrate the royal wedding. In all the excitement, apparently nobody had thought to cancel them.

"They're beautiful." Tenchi admired the explosive display. But Ryoko had already returned her gaze to Tenchi. The reflected colors in his eyes paled in comparison to the upwelling of emotions in her heart. Now that his attention was directed upwards instead of at her, she felt more comfortable telling him how she felt. But first things first. The ex-pirate moved closer to Tenchi, leaning into the crook of his arm and chest.

Sensing that Ryoko's action meant nothing other than a need for comfort, Tenchi put his arm around her shoulders to show her she was welcome there. His face colored slightly at the realization that he held a beautiful girl in his arms. He had never voluntarily let Ryoko get this close before, as if he had been expecting something really bad to happen. Yet, nothing did. The only thing odd was Ryoko. He could feel the stress in her shoulders. She was so tense it was almost tangible. Wanting to say something to ease her tension, but not knowing what, he simply kept silent, trusting her to tell him when she was ready to do so.

The tightness in Ryoko's chest grew. Slowly, so as not to scare Tenchi away, she moved her hand up to his neck.

Thinking things were getting a little too close, Tenchi started to object.

"Ryoko..." he began. Before he could finish, Ryoko grabbed hold tight and whispered into his ear.

"I love you."

In a different part of the palace, Washu was deep into her research on Royal Trees. She suddenly felt as if something were different. Taking a look around, she saw only the dark vertical shaft of the arboretum and the unnamed royal trees that it housed, around her. Out of habit, she carefully read the links she shared with Ryo-o-ki and Ryoko.

The warm fuzzy feeling from Ryo-o-ki meant she was probably playing with Sasami.

On the other hand, Ryoko had gotten good at dampening the link to hide herself from casual observation. Washu pushed a little, just enough to take a peek. She almost dropped her tools.

"Nothing wrong there." For once Washu decided to respect her daughter's privacy. The number one genius scientist in the universe resumed her work, letting the link fade to its normal intensity.

"Good girl." She said to herself. "But it sure took you long enough."

On the palace roof, Tenchi was flabbergasted. He tried to convince himself Ryoko meant love in a platonic sense. But, given the current circumstances, her state of mind, and the romantic setting, there was no way. His first instinct was to downplay what she had said. But, looking at the cyan-haired beauty, he realized that he would destroy every shred of humanity Ryoko had discovered within herself if he simply rejected her. Not to mention the palace.

"Ryoko, do you really mean that? For real? Like, long-term real?"

Ryoko looked down.

"You don't believe me." She sounded very disappointed.

Quickly, Tenchi reassured her that wasn't the case.

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant! It's just... I have to be sure."

She looked back up at him. They shared an awkward moment where neither of them seemed to know how to proceed. Tenchi truly felt she deserved an honest response. It was not every day that Ryoko admitted something so personal. But he knew that mentioning to her that he also had Aeka's feelings to consider, probably would not be a good idea. Then again, it was not Aeka he was talking to at the moment. He could hardly look at her to tell her the truth. The way she was still expectantly looking into his eyes sent lances of guilt stabbing through his chest.

"Jeez, this sucks." Tenchi thought to himself before taking a deep breath.

"Ryoko, I won't lie to you and tell you something that isn't true, yet."

Ryoko released her grip on Tenchi's neck. She leaned back on her hands, trying to consider what Tenchi had said. She had expected him to dismiss her entirely. In fact, she had been scared to death of it. To hope for such an outcome would have been preposterous. Then it hit her. The force that always carried Tenchi through so much had done the same for her! Hope had carried her, too. Tenchi himself had said it. She had not missed his slip. There was one thing she could count on with Tenchi. If he said something, he meant it. Ryoko closed her golden eyes and smiled.

"Ryoko?" Tenchi tentatively asked.

"All right." She answered. "I can accept that."

"Oh, thank God." Tenchi sighed in relief.

"Don't thank the gods yet, Tenchi." Ryoko smirked. For the rest of the evening, she would be content to watch the fireworks with the man she loved.

Too soon, it seemed the brilliant display was over. Tenchi stood with a groan. The stiffness in his legs was making itself known. He reached down to Ryoko, offering her a hand up. She put her hand in his with a smile and pulled.

As Ryoko rose, Tenchi caught a glimpse of something small and shiny flying towards them from the darkness beyond. Thinking quickly, he pushed Ryoko to the side. Something penetrated his left shoulder. It did not hurt as much as he had been expecting.

Ryoko objected to the rough treatment.

"What the hell was that for?"

Tenchi looked where the shot had come from. It was too dark to make out any details.

"Someone shot at us." He explained.

From her seated position, Ryoko looked in the same direction as Tenchi. Her keen eyesight picked out a dark shape running towards the edge of the palace roof.

"Bastard!" She angrily growled.

Ryoko's combat senses came alive. She sighted in on the assassin and let loose a terrific blast from her right hand. The energy bolt screamed across the distance, leaving a blackened scorch trail as it sailed across the wooden rooftop. The shot detonated on target, instantly annihilating everything within 50 meters, including the roof.

"That's what you get."

"Damn." Tenchi complained. Ryoko looked to see him scratching at his shoulder. She floated over to inspect his wound. Without a second thought, she tore the sleeve from his shirt, then gasped at the angry red lines that radiated from the small puncture wound. Tenchi fainted at the first sight of it.

"Tenchi!" Ryoko cried. Of all the emotions she had come to experience these past few years, she had ones she liked and ones she disliked. The one she felt now was her least favorite: panic. At the top of her mental lungs, she called for help.

"MOM!"

The mental call was so strong Washu nearly dropped her instruments again. She could even hear the call echoing through the other mental links.

On their way back from watching the fireworks, Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-o-ki, and the two guardians, Azaka, and Kamidake were just arriving at the royal chambers. Their mother had insisted to Azusa that their daughters needed some time to relax and that they should be allowed to move about freely again. When he agreed, Aeka had politely thanked her father for his consideration, then promptly left with her sister and the others in attendance.

At the moment, Sasami was serving as a transport for Ryo-o-ki as she slept on the princess's head. The fuzzy creature awoke with a start.

"Myaaaah!"

Concerned, they all stopped.

"What's the matter, Ryo-chan?" Sasami asked. Ryo-o-ki jumped to the floor.

"Myeow! Mya mya mya my mya myow!" Came the cabbit's reply as she started running at top speed back the way they had come. Sasami looked to her sister.

"Aeka?"

Aeka seemed just as surprised as her little sister.

"She does seem rather upset. Perhaps we had better follow. There may be trouble."

"Mm." Sasami agreed.

They both hurried after Ryo-o-ki. The two guardians flew close behind.

"The fun never stops, does it, Azaka?"

"Indeed."

Far off in space, someone else heard the call. Aboard her ship, a young female pirate was trying to decide which trade route to stake out next. The call was faint, but definitely there. The ship's computer noticed she was no longer paying attention to the star chart.

"Is everything all right?"

Without answering, the pirate altered her display to show a certain course. The result was less than satisfactory.

"Jurai? Why would she be there?"

"Who is on Jurai?" The computer queried.

"Ryoko." She answered thoughtfully. This girl knew first-hand how strong Ryoko could be when she wanted. Anything that could put her in a near panic must be serious. Perhaps this was a sign that it was time for a visit.

"Set a course for Jurai." She ordered.

The computer did not seem to think this was a good idea and said so.

"Is that a good idea? We are pirates, after all."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. We'll just have to sneak in, that's all."

"And how will we do that?"

"Hmmm." The captain mentally examined a list of recently stolen booty.

"Oh! I've got it. Didn't we, ah, acquire... some fancy new toys from that corporate big-shot transport last week?"

The computer nearly rebooted itself.

"Oh, no. You cannot be serious." It begged of its master. "Please don't do this to me."

"Hee, hee! Oh, yes!"

Back in the halls of the royal palace, Washu sent her reply through the link.

"Ryoko, what's wrong?"

"Tenchi's hurt!"

"Teleport here." Washu answered, sending a mental image of her current location. Using this method, Ryoko could use the image to teleport to the location as if she had actually been there before. Ingenious!

Before Washu could fully congratulate herself on her work, even though she had not planned it, Ryoko appeared beside her, holding Tenchi upright. She blurted out her story in one big string.

"Some guy shot at us on the roof and Tenchi saved me but he got hit and I think it's poison!"

Washu tried to absorb all the information Ryoko presented. She could see Tenchi's arm, and so focused her attention there.

"Looks bad, doesn't it?" She started tapping commands into her keyboard. A hole appeared in space just above Washu. An assortment of instruments on a tray floated out. Washu reached up and took a device in each hand. She passed the device in her right hand over Tenchi's arm a couple of times. She held the other one ready to administer an antidote. The diagnostic device bleeped. Washu looked at her monitor to verify the diagnosis. Then she looked a second time.

"That's odd." Washu said looking at the results more carefully.

"What? Would you just fix him, already!?" Ryoko snapped, growing more impatient by the second.

"Now, now." Washu scolded. She dropped the left device back on the tray and took another. "Human medicine is a delicate thing. If I were to shoot him up with the wrong drug, it could kill Tenchi instead of helping him."

By the horribly pathetic look on Ryoko's face, Washu could tell her attempt at medical humor was not appreciated. The little doctor dropped the diagnostic tool back onto the tray so she could adjust the new instrument with both hands. Washu tried to give Ryoko something else to think about.

"So. What exactly were you and Tenchi doing out on the palace roof, together?"

Ryoko dropped Tenchi Flop thump and grabbed Washu by the collar, lifting her off her feet.

"I thought I told you to quit spying on me!" She gave Washu a good shake to illustrate the point. Still holding her a foot off the ground, Ryoko turned and then dropped Washu almost on top of Tenchi.

"Now get back to work!"

"We need to work on your communication skills." Washu muttered as she righted herself, brushing the dust from her clothes. She waved a hand and a medical table rose up from the floor underneath Tenchi, who seemed to be recovering from his earlier faint and the rapid descent from five feet up.

"Just one more thing, dear." Washu asked of Ryoko who was sternly glaring at her. "You said someone shot at you."

"Yeah, so?"

"What happened to the assassin?"

"He won't be home for dinner." Ryoko gave her smug response.

"If you had left him intact, I could have analyzed his memories and discovered where he was from and who sent him. Next time, try to leave something for me to work with."

Despite the admonishment, Washu was concerned for her daughter. There were too many incidents occurring to attribute them to coincidence. Especially considering this latest development. The little scientist decided her research on the space trees might have to be postponed as she passed the freshly adjusted device over Tenchi's arm.

"Ryoko, someone tried to kill you, and you defended yourself. There's nothing wrong with that."

Ryoko did not disagree with Washu's reassurances. But neither did she totally agree. When she had learned the difference between right and wrong, she had also realized just how terrible a person Kagato really was. It was then that she had rejected her past. Killing someone brought a bad feeling to her stomach. She was still considering this when one of Washu's words suddenly jumped out at her.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean 'tried to kill ME'? Tenchi's the one who got hurt!"

"You're going to have to thank him for saving you life." Washu elaborated. "He took a shot that was meant for you."

Ryoko still looked confused.

"But I'm immune to poison."

Washu had her explanation all prepared.

"Ah, but Tenchi hasn't been poisoned!" She announced as if she had just revealed the Secret of the Universe. "The tissue damage was caused by a Nano-robot infection. The 'bots were tailor made for your cellular structure. When they activated in an environment they were not programmed for, they became confused and attacked Tenchi's nervous system. Since they weren't equipped to handle his cells, they couldn't do very much damage. He was never in any real danger. It just looked bad."

Washu beamed triumphantly at her daughter. Ryoko blankly stared back at her, completely lost. Put off, Washu tried another tack.

"Well, how about this then? If you had been hit instead of Tenchi, the infected cells would have started attacking the uninfected ones. You would have died in minutes, with a resultant explosion which would have destroyed the entire planet."

"Okay..."

Seeing that her daughter seemed to understand this, Washu continued.

"What concerns me is how someone knows so much about you. If they knew enough to create nano-bots capable of this, they must have known about the consequences."

"Hmmm..." Both Washu and Ryoko thought to themselves.

Tenchi's eyes flipped open as he finally awoke. He sat up with a groan.

"Ugh. What's going on?"

Washu decided her cute voice might relieve a little of the tension.

"Oh, Tenchi! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Tenchi looked at his arm. The redness and itching had substantially subsided. When he tried flexing his hand, it obeyed, albeit, slowly.

"Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry I'm such a bother."

"Oh, no trouble at all." The child-like scientist assured him. "We like putting you back together, again. Don't we, little Ryoko?"

Ryoko elbowed Washu in the side of the head so she could reach Tenchi to give him a hug. His eyes bulged out when she squeezed a little too hard.

"Thank you so much for saving me!" She over-dramatically thanked him.

"Sure." Tenchi managed to gasp.

Aeka and company stood in front of a towering portal door. She could not believe what she had just seen. Ryo-o-ki had just phased through the most powerfully shielded door in the entire Jurai Empire.

"This is impossible! No one can go through that door! I can't even go in there without permission. How could Lord Tenchi possibly be in there?"

Azaka offered a possibility.

"Perhaps it has something to do with Lord Tenchi's Jurai heritage."

Kamidake added another possibility.

"Or maybe it was because he has the Light Hawk Wings. In either case, I'm detecting no shielding energy present."

Aeka refused to accept their offerings.

"But this room is protected by the power of Tsunami, herself!"

Someone tugged on Aeka's sleeve. Looking down, she saw it was Sasami.

"Um, hi!" Sasami waved at her sister.

Aeka suddenly remembered something rather important.

"Oh! That's right. I'd forgotten."

"Shouldn't we get going?" Sasami urged Aeka to continue through the doors.

"Yes, of course. How poor of me to be distracted so easily. Azaka, Kamidake, open the doors, please."

"Right away, Highness." The two guardians chimed. Their considerable bulk drifted to the doors and pushed. The immense doors split, revealing the innermost chamber of the palace where the unnamed Royal Trees were kept. It was a place commonly referred to as the arboretum.

Perched on the upper level, Ryo-o-ki was looking around, wondering where to go next.

"Mya?"

The doors opened behind her, admitting the royal princesses and their guardians. They saw Ryo-o-ki as she peered over the edge of the walkway.

"Ryo-o-ki, wait for us!" Sasami called as she and Aeka finally caught up. They joined the little creature in looking down. The height was dizzying, but they could still make out the bottom from the other platforms suspended in the chamber. Though the details were difficult to see in the dim light, she could see three figures at the bottom.

"Tenchi!" Sasami called, waving. Only Washu waved back. Ryoko was busy with Tenchi. Tenchi was unable to answer because Ryoko had his arms pinned to his sides.

"Big sister..." Sasami began to suggest they continue own. She looked over her shoulder, but Aeka was already using the transport pad that would take them closer to the bottom. There was a flash of white light when she stepped on the pad, and then she was gone.

The guardians flew off the platform with due haste, trying to keep up with their charge.

"Princess, please wait for us!" Kamidake called to Aeka.

Little Sasami picked up Ryo-o-ki.

"Let's go." When they entered the pad, the light swallowed them, as well.

As soon as Aeka reappeared at the bottom, she hurried to Tenchi's side. Not only to ensure his safety, but to protect him from Ryoko's advances.

"Ryoko! Release Lord Tenchi at once!" Aeka berated the woman for her behavior. When she noticed the redness in Tenchi's arm, she shoved Ryoko aside to get a better look.

"Tenchi, you're hurt!"

Tenchi scratched the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah. Heh. Well, somebody shot at us on the roof and I guess I wasn't quick enough. But, I'm all right now. Really."

Sasami and Ryo-o-ki materialized on the same transport pad Aeka had used moments ago. They also followed the most direct route to Tenchi.

"I'm so relieved you're not harmed. But what were you doing on the palace roof?" Aeka asked.

"On the roof? Uhh..." Tenchi did not seem to want to answer Aeka's question.

"Oh, Tenchi!" Sasami greeted him. "What's going on?"

"I wish I knew." He replied, avoiding Aeka's question.

From behind him, Ryoko wrapped her arms around Tenchi.

"Don't be shy, Tenchi. Tell the little princess what we were doing on the roof, alone." She mischievously smiled.

"Ryoko." Aeka accused the floating girl. "You just can't seem to stay out of... wait a moment." She paused. "What do you mean 'alone'?"

Ryoko continued smiling at Aeka, hoping her rival would make the mental connection she was looking for. The connection closed. Aeka turned red.

"How DARE you try to steal my fiancée!?"

"Um, excuse me..." Tenchi tried to clarify the fact that they were not actually engaged, but Aeka ignored his interruption.

"You..." She stuttered. "You over-sexed, b-grade, movie monster!"

Ryoko stopped smiling.

"What did you just call me?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Aeka refused to repeat the name. She looked away, as if her rival were no longer important. Ryoko leaned across the medical table.

"Instead of Tenchi and his grandfather, maybe it should be you and me fighting tomorrow."

"Excuse me, ladies?" Tenchi interrupted again. "I don't think there's going to be a fight."

Both Aeka and Ryoko looked at Tenchi, their eyes wide.

"Look." He showed them his hand. "I can barely close my hand. How can I fight against anyone, let alone Grandpa?"

"Tenchi's right." Washu agreed. "While I was able to stop the nano-robots, they still caused some damage. The best treatment is to let Tenchi's body repair the damage itself. The human nervous system is very delicate, after all. He'll be back to normal in a couple days."

Aeka was thunderstruck. Her dreams came crashing down around her like broken glass. In her mind, there stood Ryoko, rocks in hand.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" She cried, shaking her head. "This can't be happening!" Aeka grabbed Tenchi by the shirt collar. "Pick a champion." She demanded of him. "There's still time. If I explain to father what happened I know he'll accept the change!"

"I guess... but, I don't know anyone who I could ask. Unless..." Tenchi looked at Ryoko. Everyone looked at Ryoko. Aeka looked sick.

"Me?" Ryoko asked, pointing at herself. "Oh, hell no! No way! I won't do it." She stubbornly looked away.

Tenchi did not want to ask Ryoko to do this. But, once again, he seemed to have little choice. There was no one else to ask. He slid off the table and put his hands on Ryoko's shoulders.

"Ryoko, Aeka needs our help. If we don't help her, she'll be forced to marry someone she doesn't even know. I tried to help her myself, but I failed. Please, help Aeka. Take my place tomorrow."

Ryoko could not believe what she was hearing. She was pleased Tenchi wanted her to fight for him. But she hated the reason why. Even worse, Tenchi was giving her The Look. It was the look that meant something was really important to him. Ryoko could feel her willpower crumbling. Her gaze settled on the redness of the arm he had injured saving her life, yet again. She closed her eyes.

"All right." Ryoko finally acquiesced.

Washu seemed pleased. Sasami jumped into the air.

"Yay, Ryoko!"

Ryo-o-ki imitated Sasami as best she could.

"Mya!"

"I'm doomed." Aeka groaned.

"I knew I could count on you." Tenchi thanked Ryoko. Opening her eyes, Ryoko looked back at Tenchi.

"I'm only doing it because you asked me to. I couldn't care less about Aeka."

"Sure." Tenchi acknowledged, smiling.

"Lord Tenchi, how can you entrust my future to a woman who makes a living out of getting into trouble?" Aeka's train of thought quickly changed tracks. "And speaking of trouble, I would like to know how the three of you got in here."

Washu went first, followed by Ryoko.

"The door was open, so I invited myself in for a peek."

"Teleportation." Ryoko stated.

"The door was... open?" Aeka asked in shock.

"Sure." Washu confirmed. "I thought it was going to be difficult to get in here. You really ought to put a guard on the door, or at least an alarm."

"Sasami," Aeka called her sister. "Remind me to have guards posted at the door."

"Right." Sasami answered.

"Where are we?" Tenchi asked, looking around.

"This is the Arboretum. Normally, no one is allowed access to this room, as the Royal Trees are grown here."

"So this is what Kagato was after." Ryoko remarked. "Hmm. Hey, Aeka. Which one is Tsunami?"

"I don't know." Aeka stubbornly refused to answer. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Very few people have ever been down to this level." Looking around, Aeka realized there were actually quite a few people present already.

"In fact, I believe this is more people than have ever been here in all of history."

Aeka herself had never been to this level. She looked around, just as curiously inspecting her surroundings as Ryoko was. The entire chamber rose up in a vertical column. The walls were simply constructed of the wood the chamber had been carved out of. Above, there were many circular platforms sticking out of the walls. From beneath, they looked like the backsides of hand mirrors. Aeka knew that on each platform stood a tree. In some cases, a tree would be missing; indicating it had been bonded with one of the Royal Family. Aeka noticed that there was a place for a tree here which had nothing standing where the tree should be.

"Oh!" Aeka approached the place. It looked like a baseball pitcher's mound, only larger.

"This must be where mothers Misaki and Funaho were bonded to their trees."

Tenchi was the first to join her, followed by Ryoko and Ryo-o-ki, who was now toddling around as a small girl.

"Do they share a tree?" Tenchi asked.

"No. Mother told me the story once. She said she and Lady Funaho were called simultaneously, which has never occurred before. When they reached this location, they found a double tree. Some believe the seed that was planted here split and grew into two trees. Others say they are the physical manifestation of Yin and Yang. Whatever the case, mothers Misaki and Funaho were the first to be allowed to this level. They named their trees Karin and Mizuho, respectively."

"That's nice." Ryoko quipped disrespectfully. "Hey, Sasami. Which one's... huh?" Realizing Sasami was no longer among them, Ryoko looked around for the little girl. She found her staring at a short, broad-leafed tree, surrounded by water, near the wall. Joining Sasami, she reiterated her question.

"Is this the one?"

"Yes." Sasami answered with a far-off look in her eyes.

"Hah!" Ryoko flew over the water and landed at the base of the little tree. "Well, I may be seven hundred years too late, but I found it!"

"Don't even think about it!" Aeka raced to the water's edge and bellowed at Ryoko. "I swear if you try to steal that tree I'll make you suffer!"

"Bwah, ha ha ha ha ha!" Ryoko laughed maniacally just to get Aeka's goat. She bravely put her hand against the side of the tree, fully expecting something interesting to happen. After a couple of seconds, there was nothing. As far as Ryoko could tell, it was just a tree. Puzzled, she phased her arm completely through the trunk and waved her hand on the other side.

Aeka screeched in shock, then passed out. Tenchi reached Aeka just in time to catch her as she collapsed.

"Ryoko, why do you have to tease Aeka like that?" He admonished Ryoko with a scowl.

"Oh, come one, Tenchi. I'm just playing. What would I do with a Royal Tree? Besides, I think this is just a normal tree."

Washu joined them next to the pool of water.

"I agree. Last time I checked, Tsunami was right here." She put her hand on Sasami's shoulder, causing her to look down in embarrassment.

Ryoko took a quick walk around the tree, just to see if there was anything unusual about it. She got a big surprise when she found Mihoshi sound asleep with her head against one of the roots.

"What the... Hey, bubble-brain!" The others watched in amazement as Mihoshi arose from behind the tree. She stretched her arms high into the air and yawned.

"Ohhhhh... Mmmm. What a great nap. It was so nice and comfy in here I just couldn't help myself. I hope nobody minds."

Ignoring Mihoshi for the moment, Tenchi reached into the pool and wet his fingers. He splashed a few droplets on Aeka's face to rouse her.

"Wha? Oh, dear. I must have ah!" She realized Tenchi had her in his arms. "Lord Tenchi! You mustn't! Oh! But now that we are engaged..." She let the sentence hang. She could pour it on just as thick as Ryoko when she wanted to. Aeka prided herself on her attempts at gaining Tenchi's attention being more adult and sophisticated than Ryoko's grotesquely flirtatious behavior. She let her eyelids float halfway between open and closed.

"You keep that up, princess, and I just might lose on purpose!" Ryoko yelled from across the water.

Aeka looked over to see Ryoko holding a bound and gagged Mihoshi in the air with one hand and a freshly stripped switch in the other. Mihoshi kicked and mumbled over a small pile of green leaves.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Aeka burst from Tenchi's embrace to give her arch-rival a thorough thrashing. "You fiend! How could you!" Ryoko stepped aside as Aeka, in full combat dress, jetted through the spot she had just been occupying. Dropping Mihoshi and the switch to the ground, she summoned her sword.

"All right! Stress relief! Hah!" She bared her fangs as her opponent spun around in mid-air.

Aeka was about to launch a devastating energy attack when she noticed someone she did not normally see standing at the edge of the pool.

"Tsunami." She released the power she was using as a gesture of respect and immediately fell into the water. Ryoko snickered as Aeka dragged herself onto the island, coughing and sputtering.

"This is all your fault!" Aeka accused her.

Tenchi and Washu jumped back when they noticed Sasami had been replaced by her alter ego. Ryo-o-ki lost her balance and fell backwards, reverting to her cabbit form. Tsunami smiled at them.

"It's quite all right, Princess Aeka. As Washu said, that tree no longer holds my essence. It truly is just an ordinary tree, now."

"But that doesn't mean someone can just go stripping limbs from it!" Aeka firmly insisted.

"It's not like I took a whole branch off!" Ryoko retorted. "God, you'd think it was the end of the world or something."

"Mm-mm-mmr." Mihoshi mumbled from the ground.

"But this place is holy! It's sacrilege to harm any living thing, here!"

To Aeka's surprise, Tsunami giggled.

"Aeka, you take yourself so seriously. If Ryoko had meant to harm one of the Royal Trees, it would have acted to defend itself."

"Well, then." Washu jumped in. "Does that mean I can take a sample from that tree?" She pointed at the tree the others were standing next to.

Tsunami nodded.

"I see a small pile of fresh leaves on the ground." She suggested to the scientist.

"Whee!" Washu leapt across the water in a single bound. She quickly vacuumed up the leaves into some sort of suction device that miraculously appeared in her hands. Picking up the switch as well, Washu held them both to her chest, a huge cat-like grin on her face.

"It's gonna be a hot time in the old lab, tonight!" She said before disappearing without a trace.

Tsunami giggled madly.

Aeka knuckled her forehead, trying to keep an oncoming migraine at bay.

"I can't believe this. A goddess without reverence."

"Hey." Ryoko suddenly called to Tsunami. "I've got a question for you."

"Will wonders never cease?" Aeka mumbled.

"Shut up, you!" Ryoko shot back as she flew back across the water. Once she reached the other side, she began her inquiry.

"When I was up in that tree the other day I heard a voice. Who was it?"

Tsunami smiled at her.

"It seems you've found a new friend."

Without warning, Tsunami transformed into a billowing column of cherry blossoms. They floated away on an unfelt breeze, leaving Sasami behind where Tsunami had been only moments before. She blearily looked up at Ryoko.

"I'm sleepy."

Ryo-o-ki, looking like a child once more, took Sasami's hand and began to lead her back to the telepad.

"Mya."

Aeka leapt across the small expanse of water and stood by her sister's other side.

"Yes, of course. It is getting rather late. Everyone out! This place is off-limits! No more visits, experiments, or naps. We all have much to do tomorrow, and I want everyone well rested."

Taking the lead in this very holy place, Aeka shepherded her comrades back to the telepad and out of the arboretum for some well-deserved sleep.

The big event had arrived. A large arena in the Capitol City had been arranged for this rare occurrence. Though not a part of the palace, the arena was the largest in the capitol. It frequently hosted major sporting events and entertainment figures.

Like most other large buildings on Jurai, the arena was domed, with several smaller outbuildings. The parking areas were full. People flocked to the entrances. Even on such short notice, people from all over the planet had dropped their affairs to see the spectacle.

The arena interior was a basic stadium setup. The center area housed the arena floor itself, which had been stripped down to basic stone flooring for the event. Circling around the ceiling were the enclosed box seats. The central and largest was reserved for the Royal Family, whose banner hung from the exterior.

An announcer's voice blared over the stadium sound system, acquainting the onlookers with the background of the events about to unfold. The male voice described how the challenge system had been used for thousands of years to allow the empire's pirate history and background to be maintained without the death and destruction that would surely have weakened the empire to the point of disaster.

Beneath the seats, in the guts of the stadium, the combatants were making final preparations. Tenchi strode through the stadium hallway. He pulled at the neck of his shirt, loosening it so it was more comfortable. The servants assigned to him (that had taken some getting used to) had assured him he must look like a challenging prince or the King would be embarrassed. Tenchi did not want to embarrass the King. Azusa had graciously accepted the last minute change. He had also not said anything about the big hole in the palace roof.

The whole thing seemed ridiculous to Tenchi, except for the assassin. It was not surprising someone wanted revenge against Ryoko for the destruction she had wrought during her attack seven hundred years ago. Still, there was too much going on. He could not wait to get back home where it was quiet and peaceful (relatively speaking).

Tenchi realized he had reached his destination: Ryoko's dressing room. To each side of the door stood an imposing Juraian guard.

"I'm he to see Ryoko." He announced himself.

Before the guards could react, Ryoko's head popped through the door.

"Tenchi!" She squealed, coming completely through the door. She grabbed Tenchi's arm and pulled him back through, making him look like he was drowning in the surface of the door as a sprite pulled him under.

In her dressing room, Ryoko gave Tenchi a big hug.

"Tenchi, you're so sweet to check up on me!"

"Whoa! You're sure in a good mood." Disengaging himself, Tenchi suspiciously eyed the girl. Ryoko was wearing the same dress she had on the day she attacked him at his school.

"Tenchi, do you like what you see?" Ryoko asked seductively.

Tenchi realized he was staring. The object of his attention giggled in a low, throaty manner that meant she was thinking inappropriate thoughts.

"It's the same dress I wore the day we met. I know you remember."

"Bingo!" Tenchi thought. "She's getting to know me too well."

Ryoko brought a hand to the neck of her dress.

"If you like, I can take it off."

"No! I mean..." He stuttered. "I came to see you for a different reason."

"Oh?" Ryoko put her hand on her hip. "What reason is that?"

"Oh. Um... well..." Tenchi seemed a little embarrassed. "I wanted... to wish you luck. And..."

"And...?" Ryoko prompted him.

"And ask if you could avoid hurting Grandpa?" Tenchi asked sheepishly.

Ryoko smiled.

"Is that all?" She asked him. "And you say I worry too much."

Suddenly remembering something, Ryoko slapped a fist into her left hand.

"Oh! But that does remind me. As much as it annoys me to admit it, the last time Yosho and I fought, he won." She looked at Tenchi, gauging his reactions. "So, how do you expect me to beat him this time?"

"Well..." Tenchi did not seem to have an answer. Ryoko, however, did.

"Tenchi, I need my gems."

"I don't know..." He did not like Ryoko's answer.

"Think about it." She pointed out to him. "You want me to win, right?"

"Yes." Tenchi confirmed, as she knew he would.

"Then you should give them to me. I can't even penetrate his energy barrier without them."

Tenchi thought hard. Ryoko had a good point. But something seemed out of place. She must be planning something. He just could not divine what it was. Then there was the issue of trust. Could he trust her? She had never done anything to intentionally hurt him. But she still seemed somewhat unreliable. Then again, she always came through when it was important. If he gave Ryoko her gems back, would she just leave? She had not said anything about the gems for months. He had been thinking that maybe she had forgotten about them.

Then there was last night. Ryoko had seemed very sincere in her admission. That had to have taken a great deal of trust on her part. If he could not return her trust now, then when? Tenchi dug into his pocket and retrieved the sword that he had been named after.

"All right." He told her. If he had been paying more attention to Ryoko's expression, he would have see her forlorn smile.

Tenchi held up the master key in his right hand. The two remaining gems seemed to sparkle with an inner light. Ryoko put her two hands over Tenchi's one.

"Do you remember what to do?" She asked him.

"Heh. How could I forget."

Ryoko's smile grew at the fond memory. The look on Tenchi's face when he had found her in his bed had been classic. She loved to see the expressions he gave her. Ryoko pulled Tenchi's hand to her chest.

"Hey, I don't remember this being a requirement." Tenchi tried to pull his hand back. But Ryoko would not let him.

"Uhn-uh. Just pray." Ryoko closed her eyes, cherishing the memories she had of Tenchi. She wanted to remember this moment, as well.

Tenchi also closed his eyes, trying to put his awkward position out of mind. All three gems began rhythmically glowing. They pulsed in time as if to some silent song. The two gems on the master key faded away, then reappeared, one on Ryoko's right wrist, the other on her neck, at the base of her throat, just above the collarbone. Instinctively, they both knew the exchange had been completed and opened their eyes.

"Can I have my hand back now?" Tenchi asked.

"Ah...ha, ha, ha! Sure." Ryoko laughed, letting go of his hand.

Tenchi had said what he wanted and Ryoko had her gems back. So he decided to excuse himself.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going." He turned to the door.

"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked from behind.

When Tenchi turned back from the door to see what Ryoko wanted, she pushed him back against the door by his shoulders. Before he could do anything to object, she kissed him. He tried to struggle, but Ryoko's passion overwhelmed him. If she were not so attractive, or if she were not pressing herself against him, he could have fended her off. A girl had kissed him once before. But it had only been a peck on the cheek. This was... better.

Despite his best effort, Tenchi found himself responding. But before he could get into it, Ryoko broke off. She rested her head against his shoulder for a moment. Tenchi said nothing.

"Tenchi?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"You're going to be late."

Tenchi's face turned red.

"What --" But before he could say more she pushed him through the door and out into the hallway. He stared at the door in confusion. For a moment he had thought she meant to try seducing him again. He scratched his head. Ryoko was acting really strange this morning.

On other side of the door, Ryoko let her forehead rest against the door. She looked down at the cold floor. There were no answers there. In two years, they had never been so close. But now her plan to get Tenchi out of this mess may drive him away forever. A tear struck the floor.

The royal family began filling their private box. The public announcer politely instructed all to rise until the King was seated. When Azusa had done so, he gave his permission to begin.

The male announcer had already given a great deal of background earlier, so he began introducing the combatants.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are in for a real slobberknocker. These combatants have a long standing grudge against each other."

The announcer sounded like a professional wrestling commentator. Tenchi did not approve of the way he was sensationalizing the match. The man continued, unaware of any objections.

"Both are returning to Jurai after more than seven hundred years of absence." The crowd quieted. They knew only the Royal Family lived so long. That meant both combatants must be royalty, as well.

"For the Defender, Seiryuu. The Crown Prince himself, Yosho!"

The crowd cheered. While Yosho had not been very popular due to his mixed heritage, much had changed on Jurai since then. He had saved the planet seven hundred years ago by driving away Ryoko. Many now considered him a hero. Thanks to the commentator, all knew of his martial prowess.

The escape doors at one end of the arena opened inwards into the hall. The long missing prince strode onto the arena floor. He wore the simple training outfit he used while giving Tenchi his lessons. Plain brown trousers held up by a simple leather belt and a loose fitting shirt allowed him freedom of movement and good airflow to keep him cool while maintaining an appropriate level of modesty. In his right hand he held a wooden bouken.

While Yosho intensely disagreed with what his father was doing, it was lawful. He would uphold his family's honor. However, he had no intention of injuring Ryoko if it could be avoided. He was confident he could defeat her on his own. The power of the Master Key was therefor unnecessary.

When Yosho reached the center of the arena he turned to the royal box and bowed. When he straightened, the announcer continued with the introductions.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, you may have some difficulty believing what I am about to tell you, so brace yourselves. The information is accurate and has been verified by the palace."

The crowd quieted again in anticipation.

"For the Challenger, Prince Tenchi. I still can't believe this, but here she is. The Champion for the Challenger is none other than the Destroyer Ryoko!"

The crowd's reaction was decidedly negative. The entire arena erupted with angry boos and catcalls. The intense noise echoed from the rafters.

In the hallway opposite the one from where Yosho had entered, Ryoko steamed. She considered herself fairly stoic when it came to impersonal insults, but this was too much.

"Fine." Ryoko seethed. "If they want a demon, I'll give them one." She accelerated furiously. The sudden vacuum left by her departure slammed the two guards holding the doors together, knocking them cold.

The arena was too small for super-sonic flight. Ryoko figured bursting some eardrums would be fair compensation for the stinging her own ears were taking. She circled the arena several times picking up a huge cloud of dust in her wake. It followed her as she circled to the top of the dome and then shot straight down. Ryoko stopped just six centimeters from the ground. The dust cloud enveloped her. Sparks of electricity arced throughout the ball, making it glow. The glow increased to dazzling intensity. Then POOF! The entire cloud vaporized into motes of multicolored light that slowly drifted to the ground. Ryoko stood proudly, completely untouched, hands on her hips.

Yosho leaned over.

"Show off."

Her comeback was flawless.

"I'm a demon, remember? They're expecting a show."

"Well then, Demon Ryoko. Now you must bow to the King to show your respect."

Ryoko looked up at the royal box.

"Bow, huh?" She grinned. A better way of showing her respect came to mind. The crowd had quieted some since her awe-inspiring entrance. This would really get them going. She stuck out her tongue and made a rude noise. Sure enough, the crowd roared its disapproval. Ryoko laughed heartily.

The novelty of someone giving the King of Jurai the raspberry was not lost on Azusa. He bore the ignobility of Ryoko's action as best he could, then signaled for the Champions to take their places.

Ryoko sailed overhead. Her flight path took her generally away from the center of the arena. Yosho calmly strode exactly two-thirds of the way across the arena towards the doors he had entered. He then turned to face his opponent. Ryoko had already arrived where she would begin her attack.

Yosho had not failed to notice Ryoko had retrieved her gems from Tenchi. He had known his grandson would eventually return them to her. Tenchi, true to form, was taking this battle seriously. But now Ryoko could call on almost unlimited power. He would need the Master Key to match her.

The King gave the signal to begin.

Ryoko flew straight at Yosho. Initially very aggressive, as he expected. He stepped aside at the last moment, allowing Ryoko to shoot past him. Dropping the nearly useless bouken, Yosho raised his hand, calling the Master Key to him.

Up in the royal box, Tenchi felt the sword move of it's own volition. It ripped a hole in his trousers as it exited his pocket, then went right through the window and into the arena, leaving a smoothly melted hole in the clear panel. Yosho caught the sword cleanly in his hand.

Ryoko blasted away at him from a distance. She had learned from their last fight and was using her long-range attacks in an effort to weaken him. If he didn't close the distance she would eventually pick him apart.

Ryoko's first energy bolt missed cleanly. The second splashed harmlessly against his shield. Yosho ran towards her, expecting she would move aside or teleport above him. When she disappeared, he jumped, hoping to catch her in the air when she materialized. She never did. He glanced around, unable to find her. Had she fled?

Yosho came back to the ground. Ryoko was nowhere to be seen. He reached out with his senses. He could still detect her power nearby. But he could not tell where. Suddenly the ground beneath him exploded, throwing him into the air. Debris and dust in the air blocked his sight. The arena filled with dust. No one could see a thing. Rocks and building materials pummeled the temporarily blinded prince.

The floor was not there anymore. The Crown Prince came down hard. He rolled with the impact, but the landing was still painful. Feeling a wave of heat from above, he looked up and caught a blast of dust in the face. It passed, then he could see upwards.

Ryoko floated where the floor used to be nearly twenty feet above him. The air whipped about, fanning her hair and dress.

"Shield yourself." His opponent called down from above. She began to stretch her arms out wide, then stopped for some reason. She looked down at Yosho. "And quit looking up my dress!"

Yosho had not been looking up her dress. But now that she mentioned it, he did have a pretty good view.

Ryoko spread her arms the rest of the way out to her sides. She called on the power of the gems, making them shine brightly.

Around the perimeter of the arena were posted ten Guardians of Jurai. Their job was to prevent anything or anyone from exiting the combat arena. Primarily they were there to protect the spectators from injury by stray energy and objects. The ten guardians on the rim and the two in the royal box, Azaka and Kamidake, made up the entire complement of guardians available. Inside the royal box, Tenchi, Sasami, and Ryo-o-ki were glued to the window. Dust had filled the arena so completely, they could not see inside.

"Majesty," Azaka warned, "perimeter guardians exceeding maximum rated output capacity."

"Mmm?" Azusa carefully examined the guardians he could still see. One of them was starting to smoke. A moment later its main power outputs shorted, causing it to catch fire. With its load carrying capacity remove from the barrier, the other guardians began shorting out, as well. The barrier fell. Smoke and dust immediately filled the stadium.

When Ryo-o-ki saw the barrier fall, she suddenly jumped through the box window, leaping into the air. With a screech, she transformed into her spaceship form. One of her extremities scraped the royal box, tearing it open.

Tenchi grabbed Sasami, shielding her with his body. Aeka protected herself with her own barrier. Azaka and Kamedake projected a barrier over the King and his two wives, who leapt into Azusa's arms.

"I'm scared! Protect me!" They simultaneously cried.

Seiryuu hid behind Aeka's shield. He was not afraid of a little dust and noise. But heavens forbid something should scratch his beautiful face.

Suddenly Ryoko appeared in the ruined box. She closed fist struck Aeka's shield, shattering it like glass. She grabbed the startled Princess, and then disappeared again.

"Aeka!" Sasami cried out to her sister.

Ryo-o-ki crashed through the stadium dome. She quickly disappeared into the blue sky, escaping out into open space.

Yosho was just climbing out of his hole when several large pieces of roofing material crashed down around him. He jumped from side to side, narrowly avoiding the falling objects.

Reaching safety, he looked up at the big hole in the dome overhead. Though it galled him, he had to give Ryoko credit. She had executed a perfect kidnapping scenario. While everyone had been blinded by her dusty diversion, Ryoko had snatched the princess and made a clean getaway.

Ryoko's plan suddenly became clear to Yosho. It made sense in a twisted sort of way. With Aeka gone, there was no longer a princess to marry. Not only was Tenchi off the hook, so was Aeka. Just as importantly, no one had been hurt. Ryoko was getting to be quite the tactician.

In the royal box, Tenchi was staring at the hole Ryo-o-ki had made in the stadium roof. Sasami sobbed into his chest.

"Why, Tenchi? Why did Ryoko take Aeka away?"

Tenchi had no answer for the little girl. He felt incredibly stupid. It seemed so obvious to him now. Ryoko had been working him over for the past few days. Then, when she got her gems back, she left, just as he had feared.

Azusa joined him at the front of the box.

"Tenchi. This demon: Ryoko. You freed her from her prison. You restored her power. You brought her here to Jurai. You are responsible for her actions." He paused for a moment. "You will bring her and my daughter back." His stern tone gave a clear indication that there was no other choice in this matter.

"I'm... sorry. You're right. Ryoko is my responsibility. I promise I'll bring them back." Tenchi vowed.

In the background, Funaho winked at her sister-in-law. Misaki covered her mouth, stifling a giggle.

END.

AFTERWORD:

Figured it out yet? The reason for all the deception is finally revealed in chapter 4: A Captive Audience.

I won't spoil the surprise. However, I want to say that Ryoko's apparent betrayal is the first step on the road to altering the status of the relationships within the Masaki household. The more dramatic changes will not occur until volume 2. But, there has to be a reason for the changes. Hence, the unconventional and risky method Ryoko has chosen to preserve the status quo.