INVASION Volume 2, Part 2: Devotion.
DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyo! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no rights to the characters or story. I'm only doing this because I love the whole series and enjoy writing stories about the characters. I only ask that no changes be made to this story, as it took me a great deal of time to write it.
FOREWORD: Originally, I had planned a scene here where Tenchi and Zak spar a bit, and Tenchi gets his ass handed to him by the new-comer. But, after working further on this volume, I decided it didn't really fit in with the way I was portraying Zak. He wouldn't want Tenchi to dislike him. Zak knows exactly how good he is and does not feel the need to fight to prove his strength.
Is it just me, or does the beginning of this chapter make you feel like something got left out?
I could easily have broken this chapter into two separate chapters. However, since both events happen before another certain event in the future, it was appropriate to group them together.
Sung lyrics are underlined.
AUTHOR: Dreamr
FINAL REVISION: 08 July 2002
E-MAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com
BEGIN CHAPTER 2.
Whenever Zak incited Ryoko enough that she began chasing him around the surrounding hills, it made Tenchi worry. It was not really any of his business what they did together. But he still preferred that she stay close by, for her own safety, of course. So, he asked Ryoko to keep things a little closer to the house. Now he wished he had not.
The sounds of Zak and Ryoko fighting echoed off the hillsides. Energy discharges flashed into the blue. Ryoko floated in the afternoon sky, waiting for Zak's next attack. Her opponent was looking up from the ground at his target. He released an energy blast that harmlessly washed over Ryoko's shield.
"What the hell was that weak-ass crap?" She taunted him.
"Weak? Well, I guess your feeling tough today! Try this." Zak fired again. This time he put much more power into the shot. Ryoko teleported out of the way.
"Zak!"
When the ground-based combatant looked to his right to see who was addressing him, Ryoko's return volley nearly roasted him.
"No fair! I was talking to Tenchi!" Zak complained.
Ryoko had not seen Tenchi from where she was, so she floated down a few meters. When she caught sight of him, she bolted, intending to grab him on the fly. Unfortunately for her, he knew she was coming, and so stepped aside. Ryoko slammed into the side of the house.
"Ha! You missed." Zak teased her.
"Shut... up..." Ryoko groaned, sliding down the side of the wall.
"You two are going to get in trouble if you keep this up. What if some government team shows up wanting to know what all the weird lights and sounds are?" Tenchi warned them.
Zak dismissed Tenchi's worries.
"Bah, we're out in the sticks. Nobody knows what we're doing out here."
Climbing back to her feet, Ryoko added her two yen to the discussion.
"Even if they did, Washu would just send them packing."
Tenchi was not ready to give up just yet.
"Uh-huh. Right. Then they send another team, this time with guns."
Ryoko dismissed that, as well.
"No problem. Then we send them packing." She gave Tenchi a wink and a thumbs-up.
"They'll keep coming. Next, they'll bring soldiers and tanks."
"Tanks, huh?" Zak seemed to appreciate the gravity of Tenchi's worries. "Hmm... Hey, Ryoko, I'll bet you can't balance one tank on top of another."
Tenchi's jaw dropped.
"The hell I can't." She retorted.
"The hell you can."
"I'm trying to keep you two out of trouble!" Tenchi emphasized his point.
"Tenchi, you worry too much." Zak tried to ease Tenchi's concern.
"Fine. Do whatever you want." Tenchi stormed back into the house.
"What's up with him?" Zak wondered aloud.
Ryoko watched as Tenchi stalked off, apparently upset about something. She had learned the hard way not to bother Tenchi when he got that way. She knew he would refuse to talk until he cooled-off.
"Whoa! Check this out."
Zak held out his hand. When Ryoko looked to see what he had, he belted her on top of the head with the other hand.
"Bastard!" Ryoko tried to grab Zak, but he flew away before she could get him. She shot through the air in pursuit.
Inside, Tenchi kicked off his sandals, then went straight into the main room where Aeka was quietly sitting with her embroidery. He sat down next to her, hoping for some quiet conversation, as opposed to the bedlam outside.
"Good afternoon, Lord Tenchi." Aeka greeted him. Tenchi's response was less than enthusiastic.
"Mmm."
"Is there something wrong?"
"Those two. They go flying all over the place blowing things up! It was bad enough with Ryoko, but now there's two of them! Something's going to happen. I just know it." Tenchi sighed in frustration.
"Well, look at it this way. At least Ryoko is not bothering you. She even seems much more mild-mannered these days. Perhaps she just needed someone more her type."
"So, you approve of their... relationship?"
"Absolutely." Aeka was not above praising Ryoko's behavior if it would bring her and Tenchi closer. She did not particularly care if Ryoko had a boyfriend, so long as it was not Tenchi.
"She seems to enjoy Zakaraia's company a great deal."
"I still think..."
Zak chose that particular moment to fly directly through the house. He flashed by, creating a massive air disruption in his wake. Loose papers and the flowers someone had put in a vase on the coffee table, went flying everywhere. Ryoko followed closely behind.
"Hah!" She ridiculed Zak's choice of evasive technique. "If you think flying..." Her voice disappeared as she passed through the far wall.
Mihoshi did not even budge from her restive slumber on the other couch. Aeka's hair stood out in all directions. Tenchi shut his eyes tightly. He tried not to let the disturbance get to him. But the pressure continued to build until something snapped. He stood.
"Tenchi?" Aeka asked, concerned.
"I'll be right back." Tenchi marched upstairs.
Aeka was cleaning up the spilt water from the flowers when Tenchi returned. He held a letter in his hand. Just then, Washu emerged from her lab.
"What in tarnation is going on up here? It sounds like a war-zone!"
Tenchi ignored her rhetorical question.
"Washu, I'd like you to send this for me, please." He handed the letter to Washu, who gave it a cursory examination.
"Isn't this..."
"I've decided to go."
"Really..."
"Lord Tenchi, are you referring to the Academy?" Aeka asked.
"Yes, I am." Tenchi's expression softened a little. "Aeka, I'd like to thank you for suggesting it, even though I know you don't, um, really... want me to leave."
Aeka blushed.
"I, well... It was just a suggestion."
Another explosion rocked the area, sending dust falling from the beams over head. Washu finally figured out what was going on.
"Ah! Zak must be over."
"I'm going out." Tenchi suddenly announced. He turned and went to the front door. For a moment Aeka held out hope that Tenchi might ask her to go with him, but she did not think that was very likely.
"Aeka," Tenchi called to her, "would you, um, like to come with me?"
Aeka's heart skipped a beat. She froze, unable to answer.
"Aeka?" Tenchi looked around the corner.
Aeka found her voice. "Yes!" She blurted out. "I mean..." Taking a deep breath, she answered in a more dignified manner. "Yes. I would like that very much. But," she pointed out, "how will we get past that monster-woman?"
Tenchi had not thought about that. As Aeka joined him in the foyer, Washu presented them with a solution.
"Would you like me to run interference for you, Tenchi?" Washu kindly offered.
Scratching the back of his head, Tenchi modestly thanked her.
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble."
"Oh, no trouble at all. I've got just the thing."
Tenchi and Aeka both grimaced. Whenever Washu had "just the thing", it usually ended up being more trouble than it was worth. They watched as Washu busily tapped at her floating computer console. A moment later, a small, black hole appeared, disgorging two headbands. Washu dispelled her terminal to retrieve the items.
"These headbands have the property of speeding up time for whomever wears them. Simply put it on and you'll move so fast not even Ryoko will be able to perceive you."
"Whoa!" The recipients of her gift clapped their appreciation.
"This way, if someone you don't want to see spots you in town, just put them on and you're off! No one can stop you! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Aeka whispered to Tenchi.
"I'm getting the feeling she did not design these for this purpose."
"Me, too."
Washu showed no signs of concluding her maniacal laughter, so Tenchi decided to interrupt her.
"Washu, could we, ah..."
"Oh! Sure. Here you go. Have fun!" She handed the headbands to the youthful pair. They put them on and, just as promised, they vanished from her perception. Just then, Washu remembered something she had forgotten to tell them.
"Whoops! I forgot to tell them the power source in those headbands will only last for an hour. Ah, well." She headed back to her lab. "At least they got away clean. Hmm. I wonder how Ryoko will react when she finds out."
Once he and Aeka got away from the house, Tenchi found himself quickly relaxing. The princess was polite all afternoon and evening, and did absolutely nothing to embarrass him. Her company did wonders for his mood. Eventually, he felt well enough to tell Aeka more about his decision regarding the Galaxy Academy. They sat at an umbrella table outside a sidewalk cafe, sipping on straws that stuck out of incredible concoctions of chocolate and ice cream.
"Aeka, I thought about what you said."
"About what, Lord Tenchi?"
"The Academy. I decided to look at it just like any other college, and sent in an application."
"I see."
"The way I figure, if I don't apply, I can't attend. So, at least this way, I'll know if they'll accept me."
"I'm certain they will." Aeka assured him.
"Really?"
"Of course. The Academy would be foolish to turn away someone so talented and intelligent."
Tenchi's face turned red.
"Uh, heh-heh. Um, thank you."
"My goodness!" Aeka thought to herself. "I can't believe I said that! Perhaps there's something in this drink..."
An incredibly strong gust of wind suddenly took the umbrellas off of every table on the sidewalk, sending them rolling down the street. Cars swerved to avoid them, hopelessly tangling the Saturday evening traffic. Thankfully, there were no collisions. Aeka and Tenchi looked at each other, instantly knowing what had caused the incident.
"Ryoko!" They exclaimed.
Tenchi pulled out the headband Washu had given him. Aeka followed suit. They sighed in relief when they felt the familiar weight of the metal strips around their heads. Their looks of relief turned to distress when they began to notice people were giving them strange looks.
"They're not working!" Aeka realized. When she looked to Tenchi for guidance, she found he was staring right through her. Suddenly, the headband was lifted from her brow.
"So this is how you got by me." Ryoko's voice stated from behind her. "Remind me to have a little talk with 'Mom' when I get done with you."
Aeka screwed up her confidence and turned to face off against the angry devil-woman.
"Miss Ryoko, it was incredibly careless of you to send all those umbrellas tumbling into the street. Someone could have been seriously injured."
Ryoko clasped her hands beside her face and blinked her eyes with alarming frequency, mocking Aeka with her comeback.
"Miss Aeka, it was very thoughtless of you to take MY TENCHI OUT BEHIND MY BACK!" With the last six words, Ryoko's voice rose to an incredibly loud volume, attracting the attention of most everybody in the area.
"Don't you mock me, you she-devil!" Aeka warned her. "It just so happens, Lord Tenchi asked me to accompany him."
"You lie like a dog, Aeka! Tenchi would never go out with a self-centered egomaniac like you!"
"How dare you accuse me of such a fabrication! If you don't believe me, you may ask Lord Tenchi, himself." Aeka looked over her shoulder to draw Tenchi into the argument. Unfortunately for her, Tenchi was hiding behind an overturned table. Ryoko pressed the issue.
"Hah! Tenchi's so embarrassed to be dragged out into public with you he's gone into hiding."
"What? That is the most asinine thing I have ever heard! If anyone could embarrass Lord Tenchi, it's you! Just look at the huge mess you've created! It's no wonder Lord Tenchi is always telling you to stay at home. Your mere presence causes any semblance of normalcy to decay like rotten fruit!"
"The only decay around here is on your face!" Ryoko spat at her.
"Who are you calling decayed, you seven hundred year-old mummy woman?"
"You bitch!"
Aeka's powers began to manifest themselves visually as she powered up for a serious match.
"You have some nerve calling me a name like that, when you allow that nice young man, Zakaraia, to come courting, while you hang all over Lord Tenchi! You are the most disgusting, insensitive, malevolent, disgusting,"
"You already said disgusting." Ryoko interrupted her.
Aeka's continence abruptly changed to one more suited to apology.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I..."
The sidewalk literally began to bubble.
"You were saying?" Ryoko taunted her.
"What I was saying was..." Aeka looked right into Ryoko's eyes and yelled as loud as she could so everybody would hear. "You... are a whore!"
The Masaki house resounded with the sound of a phone ringing. Since everyone seemed to be out, Sasami went ahead and answered the telephonic instrument.
"Hello. Masaki residence."
"Hi, Sasami. It's Tenchi. Could you put Dad on the phone, please?"
"Is everything all right?"
"Um, no."
"Did somebody get hurt?"
"No, nothing like that. I... just need to talk to Dad."
"Okay, hold on."
Sasami set the receiver down on the hallway table and ran to the basement, where Nobuyuki stayed on the weekends. She soon returned with the older gentleman in tow. He quickly picked up the phone.
"Tenchi, what's going on?"
Sasami watched with concern as Nobuyuki absorbed the information Tenchi was relaying to him.
"How much is it?" He asked. When he heard the figure, his mouth fell open.
"Tenchi... I don't have that much."
Nobuyuki reached up with his free hand and removed his glasses. He dropped them on the table and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.
"I know. But there's nothing I can do. There's no way. You have to understand that."
There was a short pause while he listened to his son.
"I could ask. But I think I know what he's going to say. Anyway, how are they taking it?"
There was a short pause.
"Figures. Well, I'll do my best. See you in a few minutes." He hung up the phone.
"What happened?" Sasami innocently asked.
"Well, it looks like Ryoko and your sister got in over their heads."
"Are they okay?" Sasami wrung her hands with worry.
"Yeah. Nobody got hurt, fortunately. I've got to go into town with Dad. So, you and Mihoshi will be alone for a little while. Can you handle that?"
"Yes." She meekly answered.
"Hmm. Too bad you're not closer to Tenchi's age, eh? Things would be looking pretty good for you right about now."
Sasami blushed.
Tenchi felt greatly relieved when his father and grandfather were both escorted to the interview desk he was sitting at within the second precinct of the Okayama Prefecture Police Department. Although Katsuhito had a rather stern expression on his face, his eyes twinkled brightly. Nobuyuki looked apologetically at Tenchi.
"Hey, kiddo. How is it?"
"Well," Tenchi began describing the situation, "I guess they're not done questioning me. Because they won't let me see them."
Tenchi's grandfather turned around and went straight back to the information desk to ask to see the station commander. He was soon ushered deeper into the station.
"Are you done questioning my son?" Nobuyuki asked of the portly officer sitting behind the untidy desk.
"Well, from the looks of things, I don't think any charges will be filed against Tenchi. I can't let him go without the okay from the station commander. But, since he's been asking about those two girls every five minutes since we he got here, I guess I could let you check on them."
"Please." Tenchi confirmed.
The officer got up and led them to the cell block. He opened the entrance and indicated which cell contained the two arrestees.
"It's the second cell on the left. I'll be right here when you're ready."
Once they were clear of the iron-barred door, he closed and locked it behind them. When Tenchi looked in, he found Ryoko reclining on a bench on one side of the cell, and Aeka, quietly sobbing, with her legs curled up against her chest, on an identical bench on the other side of the cell. She was the first to notice Tenchi and his father. Unfolding herself, she stood and wiped the tears from her face. Ryoko noticed the change, and opened her eyes. She saw that Aeka was standing and took a look at the cell door. Seeing that Tenchi had arrived, she also got up. For what seemed like a very long time, Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko all stood facing one another, afraid to speak. Tenchi was the first to break the deadlock.
"I thought you weren't going to fight anymore."
"She called me a whore." Ryoko feistily answered.
"She ruined our, um..." Aeka responded.
"Oh, you wish." Ryoko immediately attacked her. "What would Tenchi want with a spoiled little rich-girl like you?"
Tenchi let his forehead thump against the iron bars while the imprisoned girls argued. Nobuyuki watched as his son repeatedly bruised his head against the bars while Ryoko and Aeka argued. Slowly, a small fire began to burn in his belly. He was a pretty easy-going guy. But the way the girls had been treating Tenchi of late was starting to wear on his nerves.
"Hey!" He yelled into the cell.
"What?" They both glared at him.
"You know, I never realized it. But you were both right."
Aeka and Ryoko both stood a little taller at the praise.
"He does deserve better than either of you."
The girls' jaws dropped.
"Come on, Tenchi." Nobuyuki led his son away without any resistance. "Let 'em rot for a while."
Aeka started crying again.
"Tenchi!" Ryoko called after him. "Tenchi, wait!"
For once, Tenchi decided to simply follow the advice his father was giving. Everything he had tried with the girls had apparently been in vain. Maybe a sterner lesson than what he could stomach was required.
"Don't leave!" She called, taking a hold on the cell door.
Tenchi stopped.
"Eh?" Nobuyuki stopped beside him.
"I'm sorry! Okay? Please, don't leave me!"
Something in they way Ryoko was pleading for his presence tugged at his heart.
"Dad, I can't." Tenchi whispered to his father.
"You think they've had enough?"
Tenchi looked at his father's face. Nobuyuki winked at him.
"Tenchi-i-i! Please, don't go! It's my fault! I did it! Blame me! Just... don't leave. Please?"
Ryoko's voice grew quieter as she continued to plead.
"Please?"
Unable to bear the sound of fear in Ryoko's voice any further, Tenchi turned around and went back. He looked into the cell again. Aeka was kneeling on the floor, crying into her open hands. Ryoko hung like a lifeless doll against the cell bars. She suddenly reared back and screamed for him at the top of her lungs.
"TEN-N-N-N-CHI-I-I-I-I-I!"
Tenchi's hands slapped against his ears to muffle the horrendous sound.
"You don't have to yell, Ryoko, I'm right here."
Ryoko's eyes snapped open and she slapped her hands against her mouth out of guilt for having screamed in his face. A moment later, she phased right through the bars and wrapped herself around his neck.
"I'm sorry!" She told him again, sniffling.
"I know. I know you're sorry." Tenchi reassured her by holding her for a few moments.
The officer watching them stood gaping.
"How... did... she...?"
"You let them out on my orders. Remember?" The station commander told him from the other side of the gate.
The officer quickly regained his composure when he saw his commanding officer and Katsuhito standing behind him.
"I did?" He asked.
"Yes, you did." His superior confirmed.
"Okay..."
The officer went to the cell and unlocked it to release the prisoners.
"Um... You're free to go. I think..."
Aeka did not even attempt to get to her feet.
The officer sighed, and tried to convince Tenchi to get his other girl-friend to exit the cell.
"Excuse, me. I don't meant to be rude, but,"
Ryoko casually backhanded him against the far wall for interrupting her moment with Tenchi. Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, and the commander all slapped a hand against their foreheads.
"You know," the commander mentioned, "I could run her in for that."
"Who would believe it." Nobuyuki pointed out to him.
Katsuhito cleared his throat most imperiously.
"A-hem! Aeka! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and stand up!"
"Eee!!" Aeka jumped up and immediately ceased her crying. She stood at absolute attention for three seconds before remembering she was no longer in the royal court. Her posture relaxed a bit, and she wiped her tears again with a loud sigh.
"Of...sniffle of course. Quite right."
She exited the cell and walked past Tenchi and Ryoko without a word.
"Okay, Ryoko. It's time to go home." Tenchi tried to disengage himself from Ryoko's grasp. She only tightened her grip.
"Are you going to let go?"
"Uhn-uh."
"You have to."
"No." Her grip tightened significantly.
"Erg! Okay! Okay! Take it easy!"
She relaxed a little bit. Tenchi thought about it for a moment, and realized there was only one option.
"Ryoko, if you don't let go, I'll have to carry you."
She did not so much as wiggle.
"All right. You asked for it." He carefully moved forward, while holding her. She cooperated by collapsing her legs. Tenchi knelt on one knee so he could get an arm under her legs. Once he had a good hold of her, he rolled back onto his foot from his knee and stood upright, hefting Ryoko into his arms.
"I'm sorry I scared you." Tenchi apologized for what had happened earlier.
"You made me cry again, you mean, old, block-head." She whispered.
Tenchi sighed. He knew what that meant.
The gate to the cell block clanked open, allowing those within to escape it's confines. Aeka went through, then stopped next to the prince of Jurai.
"I apologize for embarrassing you, Brother."
"Mmm. We'll talk about it later." He acknowledged. "The van's outside."
Aeka quickly strode through the station and out the front door. The rest of the family followed close behind. The police officers watched passively as the youngsters boarded Nobuyuki's van. Ryoko refused to release Tenchi until he insisted he would not let her sit in his lap because it was unsafe. As the strange family drove away, the older officer gave them some good advice.
"Drive carefully!"
"Good luck, Tenchi!"
"Hey!" The supervisor elbowed his subordinate in the ribs. "You're not supposed to say things like that."
"Yeah, well... He's gonna need it."
The commander watched the van disappear in the distance.
"An entire city block, wasn't it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Nobody'll believe that." He mumbled, turning back to the station. "What the hell am I gonna tell the chief?"
"Another gas explosion?" His subordinate offered.
"Looks like it."
As the kilometers swept by, the city lights gradually disappeared. It was darker out in the rural areas, and Ryoko clutched at Tenchi's arm. On his other side, Aeka also sat close, though the princess was not clutching at him the way she was.
Ryoko remembered vividly how God-awful panicked she had gotten when Tenchi had started to walk away, leaving her in a cold, dark, hole-in-the-wall with no one but a crying princess. She had tried to stay calm, but then the memories had come forth and she had panicked. She took a deep breath to banish the feeling, but on the way out, the breath stuck for a moment, then escaped as a gut wrenching sob. She buried her face against Tenchi's shoulder.
Aeka watched the silent play going on beside her out of the corner of her eye. She had seen the way people looked when they were frightened, scared, or terrified. Thanks to the woman two seats over, she had seen all three, in spades. Ironically enough, now she was seeing those very emotions from Ryoko. The girl was trying to hide it. But, as she lived the moment over again and again in her mind, she was obviously suffering.
Aeka knew the truth. She had started the fight by breaking one of the agreements she had made with Ryoko; not to call her vile names. Besides "monster", "whore" was one of the ones she had specifically mentioned. In return, Ryoko would not intentionally aggravate her. They had mutually agreed, for Tenchi's sake, to stop physically fighting. The little monster called "Guilt" was taking it's turn with Aeka, now. She sighed in resignation.
"Ryoko," she slowly began, "I... apologize. For what I said. It was crude and uncalled for. You don't deserve that."
The men's jaws dropped.
"I'm sorry for fighting." Ryoko instantly replied.
"As long as I'm at it..." She had one more apology to give.
"Tenchi, I'm sorry for, um, ruining your... date. I guess... if... you really want to..." her voice became little more than a whisper, "you can."
The van suddenly swerved to the right, forcing everybody to the left.
"Eyes on the road, Nobuyuki!" Tenchi's grandfather scolded the driver.
"Sorry about that. I thought I saw a squirrel run across the road."
"It must have been a very fast squirrel for me not to see it."
"Heh-heh. I guess so."
But the damage was already done. The sudden movement had crushed the passengers against each other. As Ryoko felt herself being thrown against Tenchi, she slipped her fingers between his and held tight. At the same time, Aeka and Tenchi's hands brushed against each other. Whether it was out of fear, love, or sheer folly, their fingers also intertwined. She squeezed tightly, giving him another hint of the feelings she had kept hidden for so long. The vehicle resumed it's normal course, and Tenchi realized he was holding two girls' hands at the same time!
"What is going on?"
The doorbell rang. The soap opera the girls were watching happened to be in commercial break at the time, so, Mihoshi, being the nice young woman that she is, decided to answer it. For once, she did not trip over the ledge and fall through the door. She opened the door and saw Zak standing before the doorway in a fine tuxedo, complete with a white bow-tie.
"Oh, my goodness! Don't you look handsome!" She exclaimed when she saw who had come calling.
"Hey, what can I say? I'm gifted. Is Ryoko home?"
"Sure she is! Come in, please!" She went running for her friend.
"Ryoko! Come here! You have to see this!"
"Forget it! It's starting again."
"Oh, you're right!" Mihoshi sat down, completely forgetting about their guest.
Zak felt a very large teardrop roll down the side of his face. (Sorry! I don't usually do sight gags. But I just couldn't resist! D.)
He invited himself into the main room and took a peek at what they were watching.
"Oh, dear, God. Soap operas."
"What's on?" He boldly asked.
Six heads spun around, cracking simultaneously. Six hands went to six necks, and six throats uttered the same sound.
"Uhhooo..."
"Um, is everybody okay?"
"No..." Six voices spoke in unison.
"Gee, tough crowd."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ryoko verbally blasted him.
"Well! Since you asked... I have something better than soaps!"
"Huh?" Six people questioned.
"Um, right. I guess that wasn't very clear. Let me try again." He cleared his throat.
"Ahem! I have something in my pocket that is ten times better than soap operas!"
Five females laughed at him. The lone male, Tenchi, (how did the girls get him to watch soaps?), asked about it.
"Like what?"
Zak whipped out a pair of tickets.
"I have two tickets to a REAL opera!"
"Oh, joy." Ryoko mocked his good humor.
"I didn't know they had operas on Earth!" Sasami told him, ignorant of the passionate kiss occurring on the television.
"Hey, hey! Sasami!" Ryoko tried to regain her attention. "Look! They're kissing!"
The little girl's head spun back to face front. She got only a glimpse of the action before Aeka's hand covered her eyes.
"Hey!"
"You are quite right, Zakaraia. An opera is an order of magnitude better than any television program. If I may be so bold, why would you squander such an excellent performance on someone with no taste what-so-ever?"
"She's right. I can't taste a thing." Ryoko flipped back without thinking.
"Not that kind of taste, you dullard. A taste for an aesthetically pleasing performance!"
"Sounds serious. Is it contagious?"
"Erg." Aeka growled. "See what I mean?"
"Well. It seems my intentions are pretty much clear." He knelt down between Ryoko and Tenchi.
"What do you say, Ryoko? Want to go with me?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Three reasons: First, I don't like you. Second, I already have a boyfriend."
"Excuse me..." Both Aeka and Tenchi tried to clarify her assumption.
"Third," she continued without acknowledging them, "it sounds completely and totally stupid! Why would I want to go watch people sing and dance all night?"
"Because it's a one time performance by a theatre troop all the way from London. And, they're doing The Phantom of the Opera."
Tenchi's head spun around, this time without cracking.
"You got tickets to that?"
"Sure did!"
Washu was busily flipping through a theatre review pamphlet.
"I'm impressed." Tenchi continued. "I heard those tickets are really hard to get. Not to mention expensive."
"Well, I'm still owed a favor here and there. The theatre director's sound system crashed last week, and he needed it fixed ASAP. I seem to have a reputation! The tickets are my payment. Well, since Ryoko doesn't want to go, is there any other pretty lady that would like to?"
Aeka almost jumped at the chance. She loved operas and went to them whenever possible back on Jurai. It had been years since the last time she had seen one. Only one thing kept her from accepting. Tenchi. He was sitting right between her and Ryoko, with a strange look on his face. One she could not quite place.
"What? Nobody?"
Silence. Zak lifted his right arm and made a show of sniffing his armpit.
"No, I don't think I smell."
There were a couple of chuckles from the group. Even Ryoko snickered at that one.
"Wow!" Washu suddenly exclaimed. She had apparently found the listing she was looking for. "This is right up your alley, Ryoko! You should go."
"No!" Ryoko reinforced her reluctance to attend.
"Let's see..." Washu began reading from the summary. "Some musical genius who lives in the sewer beneath the Paris Opera House teaches a girl how to sing, then falls in love with her! Sounds juicy! Oh, wait! It gets better! Then, she falls in love with an old friend, and abandons her teacher! He throws a fit and starts terrorizing the opera house!"
Despite her earlier protestations, Ryoko found herself listening. It did sound like a soap opera. She thought about the situation for a couple of seconds and came up with an idea.
"I'll tell you what." She gave her full attention to Zak. "I'll go, if you give the other ticket to Tenchi so he can go with me."
"What are you, crazy?" Zak asked her. "No offense against Tenchi, but I'm not in the habit of giving away tickets so girls I like can go out with somebody else."
Tenchi scratched the back of his head.
"None taken." Tenchi finally decided to give his input on the matter. "But, Ryoko, I think you should go."
"What?"
Everyone looked at Tenchi in shock, especially Ryoko.
"But, why?" She asked him.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That show may never come back to Japan, ever. I know I'd go if I had the chance. I really don't, um, mind... if you go."
There it was. Tenchi was telling her to go out with someone else. Ryoko hung her head in defeat.
"There you have it!" Zak crowed. "Even Tenchi says it's okay. Come on, Ryoko. I know you'll like it. It's only a couple of hours. If you don't, then you can go home."
Staring down at the floor in shock, her response came out as an almost inaudible whisper.
"All right."
Everyone in the room collectively gasped. Zak looked at her in surprise.
"Really?"
Ryoko's face twisted into a look of annoyance.
"I said, 'All right', didn't I? And one more thing; this is not a date!"
"Fine by me." Zak agreed. "We're just two friends going to a show together."
Ryoko quickly got up and took the long way around the sofa, making sure to keep her back to the rest of the family so she would not have to meet their stares. On the way past Zak, she grabbed him by the bow-tie and hauled him towards the door.
"If you try anything, I'll cut your liver out with a spoon."
"Why a spoon? Why not a knife or a sword?"
"Because it hurts more, you idiot!"
Tenchi forced himself not to watch as Ryoko left with Zak. For some reason, he felt like he had done something wrong.
"Oh, no!" Mihoshi suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. "We missed the show! Now what are we going to do?"
"Take a bath." Aeka answered, getting to her feet.
"Conduct experiments." Washu said.
"Get a snack." Sasami also got to her feet.
"Miya!" Ryo-o-ki followed her towards the kitchen.
"Practice with Grandpa." Tenchi rose last.
Somehow, on his way to his room to retrieve the small sword with great power, Tenchi got lost. He ended-up on the roof. Having that ladder on the balcony was turning out to be quite handy. It was quiet on the roof, with no one else around.
"I'm such a loser."
Ryoko looked down from her place on the first balcony as the orchestra started.
"What the hell is that crap?"
"Real instruments."
"No shit, Sherlock. What kind of music is that supposed to be?"
"Um... Phantom of the Opera music, I guess."
"Uh-huh. Wake me up when it's over." She told him, slumping down in her seat to take a nap.
For quite a while, Ryoko ignored the performance. She even started lightly snoring. It was not until a booming tenor voice echoed throughout the hall that she actually began paying attention.
"Insolent boy, the slave of fashion, basking in your... glory!"
"Ignorant fool, this brave young suitor, sharing in my... triumph!"
"He's jealous!" She realized, smirking. "Typical."
The young female lead, Christine, called for her "teacher", begging him to show himself.
"Hmph. I'll bet he's all grizzled and old."
The Phantom, as Ryoko supposed him to be, faded into view in the full-length mirror on stage. He wore dark clothes and a misshapen white mask covered the left side of his face.
"What a weird mask."
Ryoko almost laughed out loud when the Phantom invited Christine to follow him into his world, and she agreed.
"Dumb-ass! You asked for it."
For five minutes, Christine and The Phantom sang together as they descended into the depths of the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House. Ryoko began to smile.
"Welcome to my world."
For the next five minutes, The Phantom sang alone, obviously courting the young woman with his voice.
"That's it. Charm her. Woo her. Show her you have feelings, too."
The scene ended, and the scenery was quickly changed to represent the more "civilized" world. The new owners of the opera house were in a tizzy over the loss of all their star performers. Ryoko giggled and snickered in mirth at their discomfiture. When several of the performers began singing overlapping parts that she could not keep track of, she quickly got annoyed.
Soon, The Phantom made his presence known once more. He insisted Christine be cast as the lead in the next performance, and the old star, Carlotta, be cast in a silent role. Ryoko actually cackled at that.
"Hah!"
Zak looked over at her and smiled.
"What are you looking at?" She asked.
"I think she likes it."
"The Phantom's cool. The rest of them suck."
"Whatever you say." Zak returned his attention to the opera.
The multitude of voices completed their number. The next scene was of the aforementioned performance. The owners, Andre and Firmin, had set up a trap for The Phantom.
"He's gonna eat you alive!"
Sure enough, The Phantom snuck something into Carlotta's water. Ryoko tried desperately to contain herself.
"Oh, yeah. This is gonna be cool."
Right in the middle of Carlotta's big number, her voice gives out. Ryoko laughed again. She was not the only one in the audience who was amused.
"Ha, ha! Serves you right!"
The scene came to an abrupt halt and the curtain closed. The master of ceremonies for the opera within an opera came out and made a great show of apologizing, and promised the show would go on. He left, and the curtain rose, once more.
Several ballet dancers pranced around, following the music. The scenes played themselves out for a while, until Carlotta reappeared. This time Christine was also on stage, but in the silent role specified for Carlotta! Ryoko's fangs began to show.
"Oh, man! He's gonna be pissed."
Suddenly, a man screamed. A dark shadow fell behind the backdrop scenery and stopped half-way down. A man was being hanged in the background. Ryoko gawked at the shadow as the curtain closed again. Once more, the master of ceremonies came out and profusely apologized for the grotesque sight. He assured the audience that the performance would still continue after a short intermission.
"You idiot! If he's willing to kill once, what makes you think he won't do it again?"
The scene went dark, and changed to an exterior view of the opera house. Raoul, the young man whom Christine was seeing, invited her to leave Paris, and she accepted.
"You jerk." Ryoko cursed Raoul.
The Phantom appeared once more. This time, he knew he had lost. He sang of Christine's betrayal and lamented his loss. With a final cry of pain, he vowed revenge. The scene reverted to the interior of the opera house. The master of ceremonies explained they would continue at the beginning of the second act.
"How do they change scenes so fast?"
They were barely five seconds into the new act, when the Phantom's voice echoed from the rafters. A light shown upon the chandelier, revealing the black-clad figure. He pronounced doom upon the opera house and all who were in attendance, then disappeared without warning. A moment later, his voice was heard again from one corner of the theatre, then another, and another, then from the stage, and then the ceiling. Ryoko's head whipped back and forth, trying to follow the voice. For a moment, there was silence.
Then the chandelier above the audience, the real audience, fell. A few people yelled in fright. Ryoko knew better. She could have stopped it, but this was a performance. She wanted to see what would happen. The chandelier suddenly began to glide towards the stage and came to a rough, but nondestructive stop on stage.
"Hah! Put some fear in their hearts!"
The main curtain on stage closed and the lights came up, signaling the end of the first act.
"That's it?" Ryoko asked with disappointment, thinking the performance was over.
"Nope. There's more after the intermission." Zak explained. "You want a drink or something?"
"I could use a stiff drink."
"I don't know if they have anything like that." Zak got to his feet. "But I'll see what I can do. Back in a few." He went off in search of refreshments.
Ryoko let her thoughts wander for several minutes until Zak returned. She thought of little things, and bigger things. She thought of why Tenchi had told her to go out with Zak.
"Maybe he's still mad about that fight last week. I guess I really blew it."
"Hey." Zak greeted her as he returned. "Sorry. There's no food or drink allowed in the auditorium. But, I got you this, instead." He handed her a rolled up tube of paper.
"Huh?" She looked at it, suspicious.
"It's a poster. Go ahead and open it up."
Out of curiosity, Ryoko took the tube and unrolled it. It was an advertisement poster for the show they were attending with a couple dozen signatures on it.
"I got the entire cast to sign it."
"All of them?"
"Yup. I went to The Phantom first because I know he's your favorite."
"And just what am I supposed to do with this?"
"Oh, I don't know. Put it on your wall?" Zak sarcastically suggested.
"Tsk." Ryoko snorted at his lame humor. She rolled the poster back up and slid it between the seats.
Zak took his seat next to her, and reclined as far back as his legs would allow.
"You know, I was kind of surprised that Tenchi said you could go with me."
Ryoko's gaze fell to the back of the seat in front of her.
"Me, too." She muttered.
"I thought he liked you more than that."
"Tenchi does too like me."
"Well, sure he does. But I don't think he likes you the way I like you."
"Yes, he does!"
"I don't know..."
Ryoko turned her full attention to Zak. She stabbed her pointer finger into his chest.
"Tenchi is my man, and we love each other. There is nothing you can do about it."
Zak heaved a great sigh of resignation.
"Yeah. I guess I'm just being selfish. Sorry. But, I can't help it." He sat up straighter, half-turning to face her.
"Your exciting and beautiful. I mean, look at you!" He gestured with open hands at Ryoko. "You're..."
Zak sighed again, this time with longing. He leaned close to Ryoko. She leaned back, trying to keep more distance between them.
"You're everything I've ever wanted in a woman."
Zak's statement caught Ryoko completely off-guard. She stared at him in shock, unable to remember anyone ever telling her that. Her heart raced as she became more aware of his proximity to her.
"Get away from me."
To her relief, Zak withdrew from her personal space.
"I just wanted to tell you that." He said as the music for the second act began.
Ryoko faced forward to avoid Zak's intense scrutiny. Despite no longer being stared at, her heart continued to race for several minutes, even into the first act.
The entire cast was assembled for a massive masquerade ball on stage. Ryoko could not help noticing how bright and festive their outfits were.
"A party. Okay. That's cool."
Raoul and Christine reappeared, and revealed they were now engaged.
"What the hell are you marrying that jerk for?"
Shortly thereafter, The Phantom also reappeared, ruining the festive occasion which was being held in honor of his year-long absence.
"You thought you could get away, Raoul? Heh. He loves her. He will NEVER quit. I sure as hell won't."
The Phantom presented the owners with a new opera he personally had written, and demanded it be performed with Christine in the lead role. The owners had no choice but to obey.
Darkly fascinated, Ryoko watched as, in the next scene, The Phantom tried once more to seduce Christine in a cemetery; at her father's grave, no less. He was moments away from victory when Raoul arrived just in time to save the girl. The Phantom actually shot fireballs at Raoul as he took Christine away.
"Get him! Torch his ass! He's just like Aeka, always getting in the way!"
The final opera on stage began. It seemed to be a rather twisted comic look at lust versus love. The leads were Christine and Piangi, the tenor who often worked beside Carlotta. From the action on stage, Ryoko supposed the two were interested in each other.
The moment came when they were finally alone. They sang a duet that talked about, and was probably entitled, The Point of No Return. Christine finally reached forward to reveal the strange person who's face was hidden by a hood. She pulled the hood back, and gasped in shock. Her secret admirer was none other than The Phantom.
"You go! But, where's the other guy?"
They continued to sing. A few moments later, Christine went a step further. As The Phantom was finishing his part, she reached up again and ripped away his mask. She gasped again, this time in true horror. The Phantom's face was horribly disfigured and scarred.
"Oh, man..."
Suddenly self-conscious, Ryoko found she was poking at her bicuspids (fangs) with her tongue. The Phantom sang a few tender words to Christine.
"Say you'll share with me, one love, one lifetime."
"Anywhere you go, let me go, too."
"Christine, that's all I ask of..."
Suddenly they dropped through a trap door. Ryoko sat bolt upright so she could see everything that was going on. One of the dancing girls pulled back a drape from one of the prop buildings and promptly screamed her lungs out when she saw the body of the normal singer with a dagger sticking out of his chest.
"They'll chase him, now."
Sure enough, as The Phantom escaped with his captive, the sound of the other cast members could be heard in the background, singing of tracking him down. The Phantom sang the entire time as he brought Christine to his lair. When they arrived, Christine asked him of his intentions, thinking he intended to use her body for his pleasure. The Phantom dispelled that idea when he revealed that whatever had scarred his face also made him incapable of such pleasures.
"That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood,"
"has also denied me the joys of the flesh."
The Phantom continued on, allowing the audience a very short, but very close look at his deepest, darkest feelings.
"This face, the infection which poisons our love..."
"This face which earned a mother's fear and loathing..."
"A mask... my first... unfeeling scrap of clothing."
"Nobody deserves to be treated like that."
Ryoko watched on in stunned silence until Raoul found his way to the lair. There was a brief number where all three sang together. Then, when Raoul demanded he be allowed to see Christine, The Phantom permitted him to enter.
"It's a trap!" Ryoko silently guessed.
The Phantom carefully snuck up behind Raoul as he and Christine cuddled, oblivious to what was going on around them. He quickly slipped a noose around the younger man's neck and hoisted him up to his tip-toes.
"Wow. He's really serious, now."
The Phantom quickly explained to Christine that, if she wanted to save her lover, she would have to stay in the catacombs with him. If she chose otherwise, Raoul would die.
"She has to pick him. She has to!"
Christine hurled a few choice insults at The Phantom. He quickly lost patience, and told her to choose, or Raoul would die, regardless.
"Come on! Pick, you dumb broad! If you stay, you save Raoul, (why you would want to do that, I don't know), and The Phantom finds love!"
Surprise, surprise, Christine chose to stay with The Phantom. She did so in grand style, too. She walked right up to him and kissed him on the lips, twice! Ryoko cracked an incredibly huge smile.
"Yes, yes, YES!"
As agreed, The Phantom freed Raoul. But his next action threw Ryoko for a loop. He made both of them leave, together, chasing them away with a horribly pained screech.
"Go now, and LEAVE ME!"
Ryoko stared at The Phantom in complete confusion.
"Why? She chose him. Why did he make her leave?"
The Phantom wandered around in a daze for several seconds until finding a music box. Eerily, it played the same music which had been playing at the beginning of the act. He quietly sang of the masquerade and touched his face.
"That's not fair! Don't abandon him!"
Ryoko leaned further forward when Christine suddenly returned a moment later.
"She came back!"
The happy moment lasted only a moment. Christine returned the ring The Phantom had offered her. He had only one thing left to say.
"Christine, I love you..."
Despite The Phantom's claim, Christine still left.
"You bitch! He loves you! How can you leave him alone? In a cold, dark sewer..."
The Phantom sat in a large chair and covered himself with a cloth. The spot light narrowed to include only the back of the stage. One of the dancing girls arrived and looked around the stage. She found the chair, and pulled the cloth away, revealing nothing but The Phantom's mask. The lights dimmed out.
There was silence for a moment, then the audience erupted in applause and cheers. Ryoko sat on the edge of her seat, tears streaming down her face. She suddenly shot to her feet and yelled across the auditorium.
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
Zak had been watching her the entire time, and tried to settle her a bit.
"Take it easy. It's just a show."
Ryoko whirled on him and yelled right in his face.
"You asshole! You did that on purpose! I'm never going out with you again!" She snatched the poster from between the seats and disappeared with a flash of white light, blinding everyone around for several seconds.
"Tough break." Someone nearby told him, blind to the fact that Ryoko had just teleported in front of an audience of over four hundred.
"Naw. I've never seen her show so much emotion before." He rubbed the effects of his flash-blindness away. "Besides, I think she's starting to like me."
Ryoko teleported all the way back to the Masaki house. She did not bother to fly to her room. She needed to vent. The front door slid open easily enough. She slammed it closed with terrific force, shattering the door frame. Everyone in the house, even the ones asleep, jumped in surprise.
"Ryoko must be home." Tenchi guessed from his room.
As the infuriated woman made her way across the floor, she was very glad when Aeka greeted her.
"Good evening, Miss Ryoko. How was the show?"
"It sucked!" Ryoko screeched at Aeka. "I'm never going to another opera as long as I live!" Thus relieved, Ryoko flew up to her room.
Aeka looked at her in disgust.
"Well, I never!"
The poster in Ryoko's hand immediately found its way to her "Junk-Wall" along with the other junk. She was just putting the last pin in when she noticed something hand-written in the corner. Looking closely, she saw it was from Zak.
"Thanks for going out with me. I'm having a great time. Stop by or call anytime you want. -Zak-"
Just below that was his address and phone number, along with a winking smiley-face.
"You big, stupid, dumb, fool! What makes you think I'd ever go out with you again?"
A voice echoed in her head.
"Because you're a total liar, and you loved every minute of it."
She spun around. There was no one behind her.
"Who is that?"
There was no answer. Turning back to the half-hung poster, Ryoko tried to put the voice, and her date, out of her mind. But the voices of the performers, and the unknown voice, would not go away. But, most of all, Zak's confession of interest stuck in her mind. Her chest heaved and her heart pounded as she mentally reviewed the experience.
"'You're everything I've ever wanted in a woman.'"
She felt a slight flush come over her face.
"I don't understand. I thought only Tenchi could make me feel this way."
END CHAPTER 2.
AFTERWORD: My, oh, my, oh, my! Tenchi and Aeka went on a date, and now Ryoko's okay with it. I told you I would do something about how close Tenchi and Ryoko were getting. I intentionally left out the fight scene in town. I think it works pretty well that way.
The whole scene of the opera is truly The Phantom of The Opera. I had the incredible privilege of attending the performance in Montreal, Quebec, Canada several years ago. I recommend it to everyone, along with any other Andrew Lloyd Weber production. I did the piece because I really thought Ryoko would identify with The Phantom, and that the performance would bring out her true feelings. My apologies if I have misremembered any of the scenes. Visit the official website at http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com.