INVASION: Volume 3, Part 1: Eyes for the Stars.
DISCLAIMER: TENCHI MUYOU! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no rights to it or the characters. However, the events depicted within this story are entirely of my own imagination. Please do not change them!
FOREWORD: Volumes 3 and 4 deal with why I have entitled this fic INVASION. Some things will change; Sasami growing into a teenager, and other things will stay the same; everybody loves Tenchi. I hope I surprise you with the plot twists!
AUTHOR: Dreamr
LAST REVISION: 18 September 2002
EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com
BEGIN.
Tenchi sat on the edge of his bed. His elbows were propped on his knees and his head rested in his upraised hands. It was nearly time to go. Well, sort of. If he did not go to sleep soon he would regret it in the morning. Still, he could not bring himself to do so. He felt like there was something left undone.
Of course, Tenchi had a good idea what it was. He and Ryoko had gotten very close during their stay on the tropical island. Even though nothing serious had actually happened, they had gotten some important issues resolved between them. Thinking he no longer had any obligation to leave for the Galaxy Academy due to the extensive length of their accidental island vacation, Tenchi had allowed his feelings for Ryoko to develop into something he could no longer say was just friendship.
After they returned, matters had taken their natural course between them. Again, nothing major happened. If they happened to find themselves alone, they spent the time simply being close to one another. That was enough. But now, Tenchi was becoming more aware of his own imminent departure, and the things that were as yet undone.
When he had asked Ryoko to meet him at noon for a picnic lunch, she had jumped at the chance. But their date was foiled when Sasami caught them making preparations in the kitchen. She offered to make a really great lunch if they could all go. He had agonized for several seconds, trying to decide. Finally, he looked at Ryoko, allowing her to make the choice. Much to his surprise, she had agreed. So, they spent the afternoon together as a family.
Now, Tenchi agonized over what to do. There was something he needed to do or say. But there just was not any more time. On top of it, he did not know what he really wanted. He knew he did not want to just get into bed with Ryoko. He was not like that. The idea itself was not so far fetched any more, but that was not it.
Tenchi suddenly stood, intending to go see Ryoko right that moment and talk to her.
"Dammit, what do I talk about?" Tenchi scrubbed his scalp with both hands, frustrated at his own indecisiveness.
"Err! This isn't fair! I want to talk to Ryoko. I want to see her. But what if she wants to do more than talk? I wouldn't blame her. This is our last night together. Could I even do that with her?" Tenchi felt his heart pounding with anxiety.
"I need air."
Tenchi went to his balcony and yanked open the drapes. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw an emerald-haired demon trying to claw it's way through the glass. When the demon raised it's head, Tenchi realized a trick of the late evening light had made him mistake Ryoko for a demon. Her golden eyes shone from behind the strands of hair hanging in front of her face. Tenchi quickly opened the door.
"Hey." Ryoko announced herself with a slight smile.
"Hey, yourself." Tenchi greeted her back.
"Can I come in?" Ryoko asked.
"Of course you can." Tenchi stood aside as Ryoko walked into his room, this time with his permission. It was the first time she had actually asked for permission to enter. He watched silently as Ryoko carefully made her way between the bags and suitcases that littered his floor space. When Washu had told him he could bring anything he wanted, Tenchi had decided to pack anything he could possibly need. It was better to have something he did not need, than to need something he did not have. Ryoko broke the silence as she solumnly ran her hands over his belongings.
"So, you're really leaving."
"I'm sorry."
Ryoko turned and looked at him in surprise.
"What for?"
"For not, um... for making you think, uh..." He took a deep breath to steady himself. "I'm sorry for breaking your heart again." Tenchi was about to get down on all fours and beg forgiveness, when Ryoko reappeared in front of him. With a loving smile, she encircled his neck with her arms.
"Who said my heart was broken? I'll break their face for spreading rumors about me."
Tenchi visibly relaxed when he realized Ryoko was not upset.
"You're not mad at me?"
"Nah."
Tenchi's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Are you sure?"
Ryoko's smile grew wider.
"Well, maybe just a little. But I thought about it and I realized I was being kind of dumb. It's boring to live life just sitting on your butt all the time."
Ryoko let go of Tenchi and spun around in a circle.
"I like a challenge, too!"
She promptly ran into a large suitcase and tripped.
"Waah!" Her rear-end made a thump sound when she hit the ground.
"Who put all these damn bags in my way?!"
Tenchi chuckled just a bit as he moved forward to help her up.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh at you."
"Oh, you think it's funny? Let's see how you like it, monkey-boy!"
Ryoko launched herself at Tenchi, expecting he would duck out of the way, like he had so many times before. He caught her as she struck his shoulders. They fell backwards together, with Ryoko landing on top. The extra weight on Tenchi's chest made him wince when they hit the ground. But he was willing to accept the slight pain without question.
"What'd you do that for?" Ryoko asked, looking him over for damage. "You could've gotten hurt!"
Tenchi smiled up at her.
"I can take it. Besides, I know you wouldn't hurt me." Tenchi slid his arms around Ryoko's waist to show her he both trusted and accepted her. For a moment, Ryoko just looked at him. Then she leaned forward and kissed him. They stayed like that for several minutes. Tenchi had long since learned the trick of breathing through his nose while kissing and could now easily keep up with Ryoko in the tonsil hockey arena.
As Ryoko relaxed, she laid her body fully on top of Tenchi's. He held her tightly around the waist as her weight settled atop him. They reveled in the feelings they evoked from within one another as they expressed their interest more fully through physical contact than they could with mere words.
Eventually, the kiss ended. Their mouth-to-mouth contact gradually lightened, then finally ended. Ryoko drew her legs under herself and straddled Tenchi's hips. She sat upright, running her hands through her long, cyan hair. Tenchi watched Ryoko's face as she teased him with a display of her physical attributes. Her eyes stayed locked with his as they watched each other. Tenchi realized Ryoko's unusual eyes and hair color no longer seemed to bother him. No longer was her appearance strange. Now it made her special. No one on the entire planet had a girlfriend like her. It was oddly satisfying to know that a woman who could very well be the most beautiful woman on Earth, wanted to be with him.
Ryoko ended her display. Her hands settled on Tenchi's stomach, casually picking at one of the buttons on his shirt.
"Tenchi?"
"Yes, Ryoko?"
"Do you like looking at me?"
Tenchi's satisfied grin turned into a smile. Ryoko frequently asked him such questions. He was more careful in how he answered these days. If the answer were negative, he would carefully explain what was wrong. It had taken a while to learn Ryoko appreciated honesty in his responses as much as he did in hers. Tenchi knew he would be lying if he said 'no' to her question.
"Yes."
"Would you like to see more?"
Tenchi sighed as he began to comprehend where this line of questioning was going.
"Ryoko, you don't have to display yourself for me."
Ryoko's smile began to waver.
"I already know you're attractive." Tenchi carefully observed Ryoko's facial expressions as he explained his answer. "You don't have to take your cloths off to get my attention."
"That's nice to know. But that's not why I want to take my clothes off."
"Then why?" Tenchi asked.
"Because, I want you to look at me, not my clothes."
It made sense to Tenchi, in an odd Ryoko-type of way. As he contemplated this new bit of information, Tenchi felt something brush against his bare stomach. He looked up and saw that Ryoko had managed to unfasten the button she had been picking at while they talked. It was her fingers he felt brushing his skin.
Tenchi thought about it for a moment, then decided he did not mind. His usual response would be to gently remove her hand from inside his clothing. This time, when he raised his hand to Ryoko's, he let it rest on hers. Tenchi let his head sink back to the floor.
"I'll miss you." He told Ryoko plainly as she began to work another button. Her hands stopped moving at his words.
"Tenchi..." Ryoko bent forward and kissed him again. Her hands went from Tenchi's stomach to his chest where they lay at the base of his neck.
They kissed greedily, trying to get the most out of the short time remaining to them. Ryoko's hands began running around the base of Tenchi's neck, pushing aside his shirt collar. Her fingers found the top button on his shirt and pulled it from it's loop. Tenchi ran his hands up and down Ryoko's back, encouraging her to continue.
The belt Ryoko wore wrapped around her midsection was starting to annoy Tenchi. Every time he moved his hands to Ryoko's lower back or waist, it felt like it was in the way. There was no way she could possibly feel what he was doing with that belt on. Tenchi decided it had to go. He moved his hands around to Ryoko's front where he had seen a buckle. There was little space to work at first, but Ryoko felt him move his hands, so she sat up a little straighter so he could get at it.
Through careful exploration, Tenchi found the buckle was not actually a buckle, but a clasp. It was attached at only one end and held in place by claws on the back that dug into the cloth material behind it. He had always thought it was leather. Tugging just a bit pulled the claws from the material, allowing him to begin unwrapping the long belt.
Ryoko made quick work of Tenchi's shirt buttons. Once they were all undone, she pulled his shirt open. Her mouth began to wander from his. She kissed a trail down his neck and began paying a great deal of attention to his chest.
Tenchi found that as Ryoko moved further down, he could no longer reach her waist. The belt hung loose about her, but he could not remove it now. He felt disappointed that his favorite place to touch her was now inaccessible. Instead, he placed his hands on the back of Ryoko's head and neck. Though her hair was very rigid, it was also very soft. It felt as smooth as ice, but without the coldness. He ran his fingers through it, similar to the way Ryoko had done for herself. Tenchi's fingers encountered Ryoko's ears, and ran around the edges of them. She smiled against his stomach.
"That tickles." Ryoko stopped kissing Tenchi's firm abs long enough to shake her head, ridding herself of the distracting sensation so that she could continue uninterrupted.
Tenchi smiled as well as he moved his hands to her upper arms. He squeezed gently at Ryoko's triceps, showing her how much he liked what she was doing. When he felt Ryoko's fingers trace around the waist band of his pants, he realized something serious was very likely to occur this evening.
Tenchi thought carefully about his feelings for Ryoko while she directed her attention at his stomach. It was so obvious now that Ryoko loved him with all her heart. Knowing that she felt that way for him, alone, gave him a warm feeling that never went away. They had fought together. They had killed for one another. They had both almost died for each other.
Feeling Ryoko's fingers beginning to slip a little between his waist and pants, Tenchi decided he had better concentrate on the heart of the matter. He really had only one question to ask that would answer all the other questions. Before he could go any further, Tenchi needed to decide if he loved Ryoko. As she touched and kissed him, Tenchi found it was very difficult to address such an important question when a girl was trying to get into his pants. Tenchi took hold of Ryoko's hands and gently pulled them from his waist.
"Ryoko, could you hold on for a minute?"
Ryoko looked up at him.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No. You're doing everything right." He looked fondly into Ryoko's eyes.
"You're not ready, are you?" Ryoko surmised, looking back in disappointment. She sat upright again, this time right on top of his knees.
"Ow." Tenchi grimaced. "Not there."
Ryoko quickly got off his knees and sat on the floor instead, holding herself up on one locked arm. She looked away, not wanting Tenchi to see how disappointed she felt.
Tenchi sat up. He felt bad for upsetting Ryoko, but he had to decide right now. If he did not, it would be much worse if he stopped her when she was less inclined to listen to reason. Tenchi looked down and closed his eyes, searching for the answer within himself. As he contemplated his feelings, he felt Ryoko's lips press against his for a moment.
"I love you."
Warmth quickly spread throughout Tenchi's heart. He smiled at the wonderful feelings Ryoko's honest admission gave him. It suddenly occurred to him that there was nothing more anyone could do for another person than to share those feelings with someone special. He knew now why Ryoko was always coming on to him. She wanted to share this warm feeling with him. At that moment, he had his answer.
Tenchi reached up and placed a hand on Ryoko's face. He closed the distance between them and kissed her just the way she had done to him a moment ago.
"I..." His throat closed up on him. Taking a deep breath, Tenchi tried to relax. He looked at Ryoko and saw she was smiling. He realized she already knew he loved her. He still had to say it for his own peace of mind. Knowing they felt the same made it easier.
"I... love you, too."
Ryoko inhaled deeply as she basked in the warmth of Tenchi's words. It made her heart soar to hear Tenchi say that he loved her. Standing up, she let the breath out slowly, savoring each moment. As she got to her feet, the belt that Tenchi had already started on began to unravel. It slipped off like a coiled rope until the length of it lay on the floor at her feet. Her dress hung partially open from the waist down.
Tenchi watched from the floor as Ryoko began to unfasten the small loops that held her dress about her torso from the neck down. As her hands slowly made their way down her front, Tenchi got an idea. He stood up.
Ryoko slowed, wondering if her assumption that Tenchi wanted to be with her tonight was incorrect. She watched him as he carefully made his way through the bags towards the door.
"Tenchi?"
When Tenchi arrived in front of his bedroom door, he stopped and turned to her. Ryoko held her dress to her chest as the open neck slipped down, exposing her shoulders. Unerringly, his hand found the light switch.
Click.
"Well, I guess this is it." Tenchi looked from person to person, engraving their faces in his mind. The entire family was assembled this clear, blue morning, in front of the house to see him off. Tenchi said his good-byes to each of them in turn. As expected, Mihoshi was already in tears. She was always emotional.
"Tenchi, I'll sniff really sniff miss you. WAAH!" She burst out crying.
"Ah, hey, don't cry, Mihoshi. I'll be back at the end of the semester for a couple of weeks."
Mihoshi turned to the nearest person who happened to be handy. Nobuyuki beamed as the pretty blonde cried against his shoulder. Katsuhito whispered into his opposite ear.
"Down, boy."
Tenchi turned his attention to Aeka and Sasami, who stood side by side. He was constantly amazed at how fast Sasami was growing. She now stood only half a head shorter than her sister. When they had met, she was barely to Tenchi's chest. She had grown so much since she and her sister had arrived almost three years ago. Standing there with a basket in hand, she looked like a young lady out on a picnic.
"Goodbye, Sasami. I'll miss your cooking."
Sasami managed a smile through her teary eyes and held the basket out to Tenchi.
"I made your lunch."
"Thanks." Tenchi took the basket with a smile and set it alongside the myriad of other bags and cases he had assembled. When he turned back to say goodbye to Aeka, Sasami suddenly wrapped her arms over his shoulders and hugged him.
"Tenchi, I...", she took a shaky breath, "I'll miss you."
"Sasami!" Aeka protested. "Is that how a lady behaves?"
Sasami released her hold on Tenchi and stepped back to her place.
"I'm a lady and that's how I behave, so, yes, it is." Sasami boldly announced. There was a couple guffaws from the background.
"Sasami!" Aeka objected in shock.
"Aeka," Tenchi interrupted before it got any worse. "it's okay."
"But, Lord Tenchi..." Aeka stopped when she noticed how Tenchi was looking into her eyes. She blushed a bit at his unwavering attention. Embarrassed, she immediately launched into her preplanned goodbye speech.
"I would like to wish you well on your journey, Lord Tenchi, and convey my most humble gratitude for allowing my sister and I to stay in your home while we have remained on Earth. If, ever you are in the vicinity of Jurai, please do not hesitate to call on the Royal Family. You are always welcome in our home." Aeka concluded by bowing deeply.
Tenchi waited until Aeka righted herself before speaking again.
"I'm sorry, Aeka. I guess... things didn't work out the way you were hoping for."
Aeka's eyes widened as she listened to Tenchi publicly address her feelings for him.
"Um... I... understand." she took a breath before continuing. "Even in the Royal Family we must maintain the legal standards. Though my brother and I were engaged at an early age, we were not to be married until my eighteenth birthday. Ryoko attacked Jurai before then, so the wedding was not able to take place."
Tenchi eyed Aeka as she spoke of weddings and legalities.
"It would have been... inappropriate... for one so young."
"Inappropriate, my ass." Ryoko's voice suddenly spoke from behind Tenchi. The spiky-haired pirate materialized a moment later, with a large duffel bag slung over her shoulder. "Don't try to hide it, Princess. You wanted Tenchi from day one."
"Shut your mouth, you disgusting creature!" Aeka yelled, thoroughly embarrassed Ryoko had revealed her excuse for the fallacy that it was. "And what is that bag you have with you? Don't for a moment think you'll be accompanying Lord Tenchi. I won't allow it."
Ryoko smiled evilly.
"Now that you mention it, Tenchi did ask me to give him a lift to the Academy. But here's the real kicker." Whipping out a set of papers, Ryoko brandished them as if they were the deed and title to the Royal Palace of Jurai.
"I'm going to the Academy, too!"
"Immpossible! Let me see that!" Aeka reached out and snatched the papers from Ryoko's hand. Tenchi also looked at Ryoko in surprise.
"But didn't you miss the deadline?"
Washu began her explanation, speaking from Tenchi's left side.
"That's true. But you've all forgotten that I used to be the Head-Master of the Galaxy Academy, so I know all the rules and associated loopholes."
Quoting from the official application rules, Washu explained how she had gotten Ryoko into the Academy at such a late date.
"'Any sitting department head, member of the Board of Trustees, or Head-Master, may sponsor a student at any time, not to exceed one student per enrollment period.'"
"No... this can't be true!" Aeka shredded the papers in less than a second. "I refuse to accept this! Ryoko could never be a student at the Galaxy Academy! It is a place of learning, not debauchery! Ah! Just a moment. Washu, you said a sitting member or Head-master. You are neither."
"Actually, when Kagato captured me, I was on sabbatical from my position as Head-master. I just called-up the current Head-master and told him I was ready to come back."
"Sorry, Princess." Ryoko teased her. "You lose."
"Ryoko." Tenchi admonished her for teasing Aeka that way.
"This is not acceptable. Lord Tenchi is going to the Academy to become a better person." Aeka extended a finger and pointed it directly at Ryoko. "Having HER there will ruin it for him!"
Tenchi finally decided to speak up. He was usually unwilling to get involved in Aeka and Ryoko's arguments, but this was important. He felt it was a great idea for Ryoko to get out and experience life more. That they would be together was an added bonus.
"Aeka, it's okay. I don't mind if Ryoko comes along. Actually, I think it's a good idea." He directed his next statement solely at Ryoko, along with a stern look. "I just wish she had told me about it earlier."
Ryoko quickly looked away, whistling.
"That is not the point, Lord Tenchi!" Aeka continued to rant. "When my brother went to the A-!" She suddenly stopped in mid-sentence.
Near the back of the crowd, Tenchi's grandfather started to slowly and quietly back away.
"Dearest Brother." Aeka sweetly addressed her elder sibling.
"D'oh!" Katsuhito cringed.
"As I recall, when you initially left to attend the Academy, you left very late. If I remember correctly, it was in the middle of the spring semester and you were only the age of sixteen. How was this accomplished?"
"Ahhh, well, that's kind of a long story."
"Then make it snappy."
"Father sponsored me."
"I see. Little Washu, may I use your phone?"
Washu could see where this was going. She carefully stole a look at Ryoko to see her daughter's reaction to this development. Ryoko's lips peeled back, exposing her fangs.
"Uh, sorry, Aeka. I already disconnected the door to my lab. It's just a broom closet again."
Ryoko smiled again.
"Oh, that's too bad. You can't call mommy and daddy for help anymore."
"On the contrary. Father insisted on a private hyper-communications line being accessible from this location should there ever be a need. I do believe this qualifies."
Sasami looked up at her sister.
"Hey, Aeka. Are you going to the Academy, too?"
"I do believe I am." She answered, turning back to the house.
"Can I go with you?" Sasami asked as she followed.
"We shall see. Perhaps Mother can sponsor you."
"Well, how do like that?" Ryoko wondered. "Come on, Washu! You're the Head-master, do something!"
"Sorry. It's a courtesy extended to the royal family of Jurai in recognition of the Academy's former affiliation with Jurai. Until I came along, it was the Royal Academy, not the Galaxy Academy."
"Yay!" Mihoshi cried, no longer upset. "Let's all go to the Academy together!"
"Hello! Mihoshi!" Ryoko called to Mihoshi. "You have a job, remember? Does GP sound familiar?"
As she realized she could not go with the others, Mihoshi fell to her knees.
"But...sniffle, sniffle WAAH!"
Tears poured out of her eyes in great torrents, soaking everything around her, including Nobuyuki's trouser legs. He leapt back, then held his left leg off the ground and shook it, trying to shake off the wetness.
"My good slacks!"
Tenchi approached Mihoshi from the safer front approach and knelt on one knee in front of her.
"Don't cry, Mihoshi. It'll be all right. I promise, we'll come back for vacations, and you can come visit any time you want."
Ryoko's grumbling could just barely be heard in the background.
"Invite the whole family, why don't you?"
Mihoshi managed to rein in her over-emotional crying enough that she could talk intelligibly.
"SniffI can?"
"Sure."
Tenchi showed her a bright smile as he stood up, hoping to cheer her. He held out a hand to assist in rising.
"You'll be okay here with Dad and Grandpa, won't you?"
Mihoshi meekly accepted his offer of assistance. Pulling on his hand, she actually managed to get to her feet without pulling Tenchi down on his face.
"I guess."
Tenchi gave his father and grandfather both stern looks.
"She will be okay here with you two, right?"
Nobuyuki set his leg down and smiled.
"Of course, she will, Tenchi. We'll take very good care of her."
Tenchi gave him the evil eye.
"That's what I'm afraid of."
Katsuhito carefully adjusted his spectacles.
"Rest easy, Tenchi. I've already child-proofed the cupboards."
"Grandpa!"
A small grin tugged at the corners of Katsuhito's mouth.
"Heh. Miss Mihoshi is welcome to stay for as long as she likes."
Mihoshi turned to the elder Masaki.
"Well, that's very kind of you."
Growing tired (or perhaps embarrassed) of all the farewells and well-wishing, Ryoko decided to give the proceedings a kick-start.
"Well! If everyone's said their good-byes, let's be off!"
Tenchi gave Ryoko a knowing look.
"Aren't you forgetting someone?"
"No, I don't think so." She started ticking off names on her right fingers. "Me, you, Washu, oh! You're right! Can't go anywhere without Ryo-o-ki!"
Ryoko raised her left hand and attempted to command Ryo-o-ki to return to her.
"Come, Ryo-o-ki."
All was silent as a light summer breeze wafted between the assembled people. Tenchi crossed his arms over his chest.
"I meant Aeka and Sasami."
Confused, Ryoko held her wrist up to her face to see what the problem was.
"What up? Why isn't she... oh."
Just for a moment, she looked completely confounded. Then her eyes suddenly got very big and she smiled.
"That's it!"
"What?" Tenchi asked.
"That's how I can prove I was telling the truth! Jeez, I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier."
She started playing with the neck of her dress, undoing the top catch. Tenchi immediately objected.
"Hey! You can't do that out here!"
"Why not?"
Nobuyuki's eyes also got real big. He smiled and adjusted his glasses.
"Wish I had a camera."
Tenchi reached over and tried to keep Ryoko from opening her dress.
"Cut it out, Ryoko! We have to leave soon!"
Suddenly, Aeka's voice boomed across the yard. She had managed to get close to the group as they watched Ryoko's antics.
"Azaka! Kamidake! Get our things packed at once! We are leaving for the Academy, immediately!" She quickly directed her attention to the strange sight of Tenchi and Ryoko fighting over control of the neck of Ryoko's dress.
"What is the problem, now?"
They stopped messing around long enough to give her a pair of matching stares. Then Ryoko got a very mischievous look on her face.
"Why, Tenchi. You naughty boy. Right here in front of everybody?"
For a moment, Tenchi's gaze met hers. Then he quickly stepped away, relinquishing control of her dress.
"No, no!" He quickly turned back to Aeka, waving his hands frantically. "It's not what you think!"
She stared at him for a moment, then bowed her head in acknowledgement.
"I understand."
Tenchi looked at Aeka in surprise. This was definitely not the reaction he had been expecting.
"You do?"
Aeka's face came back in to view as she raised her head. Their gazes met, and after a moment, they came to a silent agreement. He would not flaunt his relationship with Ryoko, and she would not get in the way.
"Hey! Hey, everybody! Check this out!"
Everyone looked at Ryoko to see what she was so excited about. The neck of her dress was open, and she had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows.
"See anything different?"
Aeka was the first to answer.
"Of course not. You look as disgusting as ever."
"Shut up! I mean there's no more gems! See?" She waved her arms around, emphasizing their existence.
Mihoshi came over and began carefully examining her.
"Ohh. She's right! Did someone steal your gems, Ryoko?"
"No, flounder-head! I used them to make myself a new body. And everybody knows I'd never willingly let them go. So that proves I'm telling the truth."
Aeka had a very reasonable explanation for Ryoko's assertion.
"Either that or you're simply lying again."
"God damn it, Aeka! I'm not lying!"
Tenchi took a step between them.
"Does it really matter?"
The two girls looked at him in surprise.
"Does it make any difference whether or not Ryoko has her gems?"
Reluctantly, both girls shook their heads.
"I didn't think so."
All was silent for a moment as Tenchi took a last look at those he would be leaving behind, and those who would be going with him. He took a deep breath, savoring the sweet smell of home.
"Myaan?"
Tenchi looked down at the little creature sitting patiently by his foot and smiled.
"Let's go."
END.
AFTERWORD: Next stop, the Galaxy Academy!