Chapter Two
It was morning.
As the daylight streamed through the bedroom window, Tenchi gazed out thoughtfully across the landscape towards the mountain peaks that framed the valley, a smile on his face as he greeted the day. In the bright sunlight, he could see Ryo Ohki hopping through the blades of grass, half-heartedly chasing insects that flew in front of her, and his smile widened. Somehow, he mused, everything seemed right with the world. That after everything that had happened, all was finally at peace.
"Tenchi..."
A faint murmur from the bed made him turn, a tender expression touching his dark eyes as he regarded his companion. Oblivious to his attention, she was still lost in dreams and gently he bent to pull the covers more comfortably over her body, touching her cheek for a moment then pulling his hand away. She had been through enough, he mused. After their most recent adventures, it would be better to just let her sleep.
He checked his reflection in the mirror, straightening his clothing and then slipping silently out of the bedroom, pushing the door shut behind her as he made his way slowly down the stairs. As he did so, the smell of food drifted up towards him from the kitchen and he grinned, quickening his pace. So Yume was up too, at the very least.
"Morning, Tenchi-kun." The droid glanced up from where she had been carefully preparing the soup, offering him a warm smile. "You're up early, considering it's a Sunday and you have a day off. I would have thought with everything you'd want to sleep in."
"Somehow, I just don't feel like sleeping." Tenchi admitted, taking the bowl she offered him with a grateful smile. "Maybe my stomach spoke for me, Yume-chan...certainly it was nice to come downstairs to such a tempting smell. You really are a good cook, you know."
"You think so?" Yume looked self-conscious. "I like cooking. It's strange, but I do. It seems so...normal, somehow. So human."
"Well, I'm glad you do." Tenchi's eyes twinkled. "I don't know what we'd do without you. Dad hates cooking when he's been working, and though he's not bad at it since Mother died, I really didn't inherit that gene. And Ryoko..."
He hesitated, and Yume laughed.
"I've heard about her adventures with the oven." She said playfully. "And that there have been a few unwanted explosions whenever Ryoko-san has tried to cook. It's quite all right, Tenchi-kun. I don't mind taking that role. After all, you and your family were kind to let me stay after everything that happened. It's the least I can do for you all."
"So long as you don't feel we're over-working you." Tenchi remarked. "Because I know Washu has you busy in the lab a lot these days too."
"Yes, true." Yume sat down opposite him, a pensive expression on her pretty face. "But the truth is, Tenchi, there's still part of me underneath Yume's disguise that's Zero. The work I do with Washu is Zero's strength - science, logic and all of those things. And the other things I do - taking care of the house and cooking for you - that's the Yume part. So I don't mind. In fact, it helps me find out who I am, if you really want to know. I can be Zero and Yume all in one and use the strengths of both. That's a good thing, right?"
"I suppose it is." Tenchi acknowledged. "Are we the only ones up this morning, by the way?"
"No...Ojii-san went down to the shrine already." Yume looked thoughtful, resting her chin in her hands as she considered. "Noboyuki-san has had to go into the office as well...he had a call late last night, and he wasn't pleased about it. But something's come up with his most recent project so he caught an early train."
"Poor Father." Tenchi finished his soup, a frown touching his features. "Sometimes he works way too hard."
"Well, he's good at his job, and they rely on him." Yume reflected. "That must be nice."
She grinned.
"What about you, Tenchi-kun?" She added. "You'll graduate soon, won't you? What will you do, when you've finished at Osaka Seikei? Are you going to train to be a shrine priest like Ojii-san, or are you going to do something with your art and design...follow Noboyuki-san's footsteps?"
"I don't know." Tenchi admitted. "Honestly, I haven't had a chance to think about it. The last year or so has been a little bit crazy from all angles. I suspect that whatever I do, after graduation, it's going to involve Jurai and the greater universe in some way. Since there are so few people on this planet brave enough to jump space zones, I don't see that I'll have a choice."
"Well, that could be fun, too." Yume pointed out. "After all, you'd get to see Lady Ayeka and Lady Sasami. I know you're fond of them both, Tenchi-kun...and they seem like very nice people to me, too."
"That's true, and they are." Tenchi agreed. "So you're right. Whatever I do, I'm sure it'll be positive."
"Something smells good in here." Washu pushed open the door of the kitchen, stopping to cast a smile at the two occupants. "Well, good morning, early birds! And I thought I was quick out of bed this morning."
"It's such a nice day, it seemed a shame to waste it sleeping." Tenchi admitted. "Morning, Washu. You know, for someone who was working until god knows what time last night to finish Ken Ohki's shields, you're amazingly sparky this morning."
"Well, sleep is overrated when there's work to be done." Washu's eyes twinkled. "And Nagi wanted to be off, so I had to do what I could last night. She left at about three this morning, and no doubt she's headed off to chase Shank down. I figured it was probably better to do what she wanted and let her go, since she did do a lot for us these last few days. And more, now Ryoko seems to be back to herself, I didn't want to risk any unwarranted explosions if they challenged one another. Some things are better left buried in the past, don't you think?"
"Good thinking." Tenchi agreed ruefully. Washu helped herself to the soup, leaning up against the unit as she ate.
"Am I guessing, then, that the only lazybones this morning is my good-for-nothing daughter herself?" She asked, her tone of voice belying the off-handedness of her words. "That figures. Any excuse to sleep in when there's work to be done. It is her turn to sweep the shrine steps, isn't it?"
"I can do that." Yume shrugged her shoulders. "Ryoko-san has been through a lot lately. She should probably sleep."
"Yume, you can't do everyone's job all the time." Washu told her. "You've been working as hard as anyone recently, and you already spoil us. Besides, one of the few chores Ryoko ever manages to do is sweep the shrine from time to time. If she stops doing that, she'll really be free-loading. And that might be okay for a pirate, but she's given that life up now. It's about time she accepted some responsibility, isn't it?"
"Ryoko is one of a kind." Tenchi observed, amused. "Somehow she manages to get away with things noone else would. If the shrine doesn't get swept, Jii-chan will just ask me to do it when I walk down to help him organise his papers. It's funny but, as hard as he is on me, he rarely, if ever, nags Ryoko."
"I noticed that, too." Yume admitted.
"Well, I guess he's so desperate for his grandson to find a wife that he'll put up with a fair amount from the chosen paramour." Washu said frankly, setting her bowl down by the sink. "That's the only explanation I have."
"Washu!" Tenchi reddened, and Washu grinned.
"What?" She asked innocently.
"And speaking of chores, you don't exactly do a lot of them yourself...come to think of it." Tenchi pursed his lips. "You lock yourself in your lab most of the time when there's work to be done."
"Well, I don't cook. If I did, you'd probably not live to digest the result." Washu said, amused. "I think I'd make Ryoko look like a gourmet chef. And sure, I admit that I'm not really a naturally domestic person. But I did just help you pull her back from a ghost world...so in light of that..."
"Okay, okay, I know." Tenchi held up his hands. "My point being that you have your science, and that's more important to you than everyday chores. And Ryoko..."
"Ryoko has an amazing ability to avoid work." Washu laughed. "I know."
She shrugged.
"But she shouldn't skip out on her duty." She added. "I'm going upstairs anyway, so I'll wake her - I thought I'd take a bath and relax after last night's flustering."
Tenchi's heart skipped a beat at this and he stared at her, a slow realisation dawning in his mind. He shook his head hurriedly.
"No...no, that's all right. I...I'll wake her." He said hurriedly. "I mean, well, you don't need to go out of your way, and she can be grouchy first thing..."
"Tenchi?" Yume looked surprised. "Are you all right? Is something wrong?"
Washu raised an eyebrow, casting him a thoughtful glance, and Tenchi forced himself to meet her gaze.
"No, everything is fine." He said with an awkward laugh. "I just don't want Washu-san to go out of her way, that's all. I'll do it, Washu. Really. It's no problem."
"Well, all right." Washu shrugged her shoulders. "It really doesn't matter to me much any way. Just tell her from me that being abducted into ghost space doesn't excuse her from her responsibilities within this house. Okay?"
"Er...sure." Tenchi nodded. "In fact, I'll go now."
He got to his feet, setting his bowl down next to the scientist's. "Thanks for breakfast, Yume."
"You don't want anything else?" Yume looked startled, and Tenchi shook his head.
"No...you've gone to enough trouble." he said quickly. "And I have a lot to do."
With that he was gone, hurrying up the stairs two at a time and pushing open the door of his bedroom. Ryoko was still fast asleep beneath the covers and he sighed, sliding the door shut behind him and leaning up against it.
"Thank goodness." He murmured. "What were we thinking? This isn't Osaka...if Grandpa..."
He faltered, crossing the floor to the bedside and dropping down onto the covers, reaching over to shake his companion awake.
"Ryoko?" He murmured. "Ryoko, wake up! You have to get up!"
"Tenchi?" Ryoko's golden eyes fluttered open and for a moment she stared up at him in confusion. "What...what's going on?"
"You have to get up." Tenchi repeated, agitation clear in his tones. "Really, Ryoko, I mean it. If Washu or Grandpa see you here..."
"This is your room." Ryoko realised, pulling herself into a sitting position as she gazed around at her surroundings. Mischief and amusement sparkled in her amber eyes. "Well, we were naughty last night...weren't we?"
"Ryoko, please!" Tenchi begged. "You have no idea..."
"Oh, relax." Ryoko laughed, touching him gently on the nose. "There's nothing to be bent out of shape over, Tenchi-kun. It's not like we haven't done this before. And well, I'm sure Ojii-san wouldn't mind. After all, well, you do remember what exactly you asked me atop the shrine gateway yesterday evening, don't you? It's not like we're doing anything very wrong. We're promised to one another - isn't that right?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"So there's nothing wrong with a trial run before the big event." Ryoko smiled at him sweetly, and Tenchi groaned, shaking his head.
"Ryoko!"
"You worry too much." Ryoko looked reproachful. "You weren't so reluctant last night...you didn't tell me to go back to my room then. Why now?"
"Because last night I was...distracted." Tenchi faltered, then, "I forgot we weren't in Osaka...I mean..."
He sighed, shaking his head.
"Listen." He said quietly. "Just because we're both adults and we do certain things when we're in the city doesn't mean the rules are so easy here. And well, I don't know how Jii-chan would take it. He was raised on Jurai, after all - relaxed as he can be, he still has very traditional values about some things. Plus, I've not had a chance to tell anyone about what we discussed last night. Right now you're the only one who knows we're engaged."
"Well, we can soon change that." Ryoko shrugged unconcernedly, stretching her hand out before her and Tenchi saw the pretty ring that had once been his mother's still glittering on her finger. She touched it gently, then smiled. "After all, I do have Achika's ring to show for it. It means a lot to me, you know that."
"To me too." Tenchi admitted. "I just don't want to make things more complicated than they are. I have absolutely no problem with telling people that we're engaged now, and I understand what you're saying. But please, Ryoko, try to understand where I'm coming from, too. Just because Father thinks it's funny to tease me about women doesn't mean that everyone will feel the same way. And if Washu found out...she'd never let it drop."
"Yeah, I guess that's true." Ryoko sighed heavily. "All right, you win. But you do know how to take the romance and the excitement out of a situation sometimes, Tenchi-kun. After all, what's the point in being engaged if you can't be naughty and surrepticious around the parental home? Your father and my mother lurking behind the scenes waiting to catch us out - don't you think it's even a little bit exciting?"
"You're impossible." Despite himself, Tenchi smiled, eying her affectionately. "You always have an answer for everything."
"I guess I get that from my mother's side of the family." Ryoko looked amused. "Oh well. I suppose our secret night of passion can remain a secret, for now."
She kissed him gently on the cheek. "I'll go get up, Tenchi. Is Yume cooking? I'm hungry."
"She is." Tenchi agreed. "And apparently it's your turn to sweep the shrine steps today. Jii-chan has already gone there, so he'll probably be wondering where you are."
"And life returns to normal, just like that." Ryoko laughed. "What about Nagi? Has she gone?"
"Left early this morning, I think." Tenchi nodded.
"Good." Ryoko looked relieved. "I don't know what that woman thinks where I'm concerned...not these days. But I'd rather not risk Achika-sama's ring in a battle of superiority with a bounty hunter, and you know I wouldn't refuse her challenge if she laid it down before me."
"I'm glad about that." Tenchi bantered. "Go on. Go get up. I'll see you later."
Ryoko winked at him, then her form flickered and blurred into nothing and with a sigh of relief, Tenchi sank back onto the empty bed.
"Close." He murmured. "I suppose I should head down to the shrine myself. It won't just be Ryoko who Grandpa's waiting for - I did promise to help him sort stuff out today, before all of the madness happened with Ryoko and that ghost ship. Since things are back to some semblance of sanity, I ought to keep my promise. I know he'd say that life goes on as normal."
"That does seem to be an optimistic assertion, for this house."
A voice from the doorway startled him and he glanced up, his cheeks reddening as he observed Washu watching him. She smiled.
"Talking to yourself is supposed to indicate madness." She added.
"I thought you were having a bath." Tenchi recovered himself, eying the scientist in confusion. Washu shrugged.
"I am." She agreed. "But I needed a fresh towel. You know, Tenchi, I could have sworn I heard two voices in here just a minute ago. Not just one."
"I don't know what you mean." Tenchi said hurriedly, and Washu let out a peal of amused laughter.
"No, I'm sure you don't." She said ambiguously. "Did you manage to wake Ryoko?"
"Yes. She's getting up...and I told her about the shrine, too." Tenchi nodded. "So she won't forget to do her duty, as you put it."
Washu pursed her lips, eying him keenly.
"That's funny." She remarked casually. "Because I came up the stairs right after you, Tenchi...and you haven't left this room all the time I've been hunting for a towel. Does the Jurai power stretch to teleportation now? Or are you and Ryoko communing on some psychic level?"
It was impossible for Tenchi to go any redder, and Washu chuckled.
"You are a naughty boy." She said playfully. "What would Grandpa say?"
"Washu...it's not..."
"Oh, don't worry. I won't be the one who tells him." Washu dismissed his faltering explanations with a careless gesture. "And you might as well save your breath. When I came to bed last night, Ryoko's door was open and she wasn't in her room. I'm a scientist and I follow logic - if she's not in her room, and she's not outside on the roof - which she wasn't, because I'd just seen Nagi fly off into the darkness - she must be here. With you. Stands to reason."
Tenchi bit his lip, and Washu's expression softened.
"Just be careful, okay?" She said, dropping her playful tone as she eyed him seriously. "I know you love her, Tenchi, and I won't pretend I'm not glad about it. Ryoko has had less than her fair share of love in her life, and part of that is my fault, I know. But just take care. Remember where you are."
"Washu?" Tenchi looked startled, and Washu smiled, a self-conscious expression flickering in her green eyes.
"Well, I want what's best for my daughter, like any Mom." She said flippantly. "Even a daughter as out of control as Ryoko. I'm just glad someone can put up with her, that's all. I'd hate for you to mess it all up."
"I'll be careful." A smile touched Tenchi's lips and he nodded his head. "Thank you, Washu - for understanding. You won't mention this to Father or Grandpa, will you?"
"No...I don't think that's necessary." Washu shook her head. "I have a liberal mind about these things, and besides, it's none of my business. You're both adults and you can do as you see fit."
"I appreciate that. But it's not likely to happen again." Tenchi got to his feet. "Last night...well, after everything, I suppose we...forgot where we were a little bit. That's all."
"Then I'll say no more about it." Washu said lightly.
"There is one other thing, Washu-san." Tenchi said hesitantly, as he came to join her by the door.
"Yes?" Washu eyed him inquisitively. "What's bothering you now? No ill effects from your adventure in space, I hope? You seemed fine to me, when I examined you yesterday. Mind you, if you have been over-exerting yourself since..."
She trailed off meaningfully, and Tenchi reddened again, shaking his head.
"No, nothing like that." he said hastily. "It's just...I gave Ryoko Mother's ring last night, Washu."
"I see." Washu looked thoughtful. "And does she understand what that means?"
"I explained it to her." Tenchi glanced at his feet. "I think she did."
He faltered, then,
"So you know what it means already?"
"Yes...I do." Washu inclined her head slightly. "Your father asked my opinion, before we left for Jurai and Sasami's Seijin No Hi festival. He explained to me what the ring had meant in the past and what Achika-sama had intended to happen to it. I advised him to leave it in your hands...that you were old enough to make your own decisions, and you'd know if it was right for you to use it."
"I see." Tenchi's eyes softened. "I didn't realise Father had spoken to you."
"Well, I'm a genius. Why not ask me?" Washu bantered. "It shows his good sense, that's all."
"I haven't told anyone else, yet." Tenchi mused. "And I suppose it's a strange kind of, well, engagement. Ryoko being Ryoko and me being me. But that's okay. It seemed the right thing to do...and it still does. The next logical step in wherever it is we're both going. You know what I mean? I think she felt that too."
"I have no doubt she did." Washu nodded. "Her emotions have always been unstable, Tenchi. That's one of her biggest design flaws. But it does seem to give her the capacity to love on a grand scale. You're her lucky victim, so it's a good thing you've been persuaded to see things the same way. She's a pretty persistant young lady, when she has an idea in her head."
"No kidding." Tenchi agreed ruefully. "But I can live with that."
He glanced up at the clock.
"I suppose I'll head to the shrine and if Ryoko hasn't beaten me to it, I'll talk to Jii-chan about it." He added. He paused, then eyed Washu doubtfully.
"Unless you think I should be, you know, coming to you to ask for permission to marry your daughter."
Washu stared at him for a moment. Then she burst out laughing.
"To me?" She asked. "Tenchi, you really do have some funny ideas sometimes. Believe me, it's no part my place to give consent to either one of you. I've been significantly absent from Ryoko's life for a long enough time. No, you both knock yourselves out. You will, anyway - what I think doesn't matter in the final analysis."
"No, but I'd like to know that we have your blessing, even if we don't need to have it." Tenchi said awkwardly. "Ryoko doesn't have a father, but she does have a mother, and well..."
He trailed off, and Washu eyed him affectionately.
"Since you're the only man who seems able to put up with my daughter's quirks, I guess I can't possibly object." She teased. Then she smiled, dropping the playful tone.
"Listen to me, Tenchi. I envy Ryoko, sometimes. It's not easy to be in love with someone and not be able to see them, or spend time with them. Ryoko has been through many things to get and keep your affection, and she's succeeded. If she can be happy doing that, then I endorse it with all my heart."
"Washu-chan." Tenchi eyed her keenly, then, "You sound like you speak with experience."
"Sadly, I do...but it was a long time ago and I'd rather not unbury the memory more than I have to." Washu shrugged matter-of-factly. "It's past and there's no changing it. Besides, I'm no spring chicken, now. The future is for you and Ryoko - not old women like me."
Tenchi raised an eyebrow, eying his companion's youthful visage sceptically.
"Twenty thousand years might be your true age, Washu, but you're not old in spirit and nor do you look it." He objected. "So stop fishing for compliments. You're making us both late for the things we have to do, and I know you well enough to know when you're playing with me."
"Shame." Washu looked resigned. "Oh well. I suppose you're right. Good luck with your spitfire, Tenchi. I think you'll probably need it."
With that she was gone, and Tenchi followed her slowly out of the room, heading down the steps to the front door. Sliding on his shoes, he made his way along the pathway that led to the Masaki shrine, running his mind over their conversation as he did so.
"Well, at least Washu understands." He reflected at length. "I wonder what did happen - Sasami hinted at the fact she'd lost someone, but I don't like to pry. Still, at least she seems to want Ryoko and I to work things out. That's a good sign. Washu isn't someone you want conspiring against you, and she has an uncanny knack for seeing things other people don't."
"Morning, lover. Did you wait for me?"
Before he could reach the shrine gateway, a pair of slender arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders, and he was aware of Ryoko's teasing tones in his ear. He grimaced, turning his head to meet her mischievous gaze.
"Are you trying to make me jump?" He asked. Ryoko shrugged.
"Added bonus if I did." She replied unrepentantly. "You took your time. Were you waiting for me? Or did you just get distracted?"
"Actually, I was talking to your mother." Tenchi admitted. "Ryoko, loose me, will you? You're pulling on my neck, hovering round me like that."
"Washu?" Gently Ryoko obeyed, flitting alongside him as she cast him a sidelong glance. "About?"
"Mother's ring." Tenchi replied. Ryoko raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"She seems to approve." Tenchi shrugged. "She doesn't mind, anyhow - she's not going to try and make trouble."
"That's good to know." Ryoko let out her breath in a rush, relief in her golden eyes. "It's weird, but I was almost dreading telling her. You know how funny she can be, and how much she can tease. I'm glad you told her. She'd only wind me up and make me mad at her."
"Maybe." Tenchi acknowledged. "Ryoko, are you getting shy about our relationship, now?"
"No..." Ryoko shook her head, dropping carefully down onto the ground as they reached the shrine. "But this part of it is so new it almost doesn't seem real, somehow. I mean, you wanting to marry me and all. That came out of the blue. And while it's what I want - well, I want to do whatever it takes to keep you, Tenchi-kun, and I know what a big deal this is - it still seems a little...surreal. That something might break the charm."
"Sometimes you surprise me." Tenchi remarked. "When you say things like that."
"Well, I guess that's me. Full of surprises." Ryoko shrugged, embarrassment in her amber eyes. "So you still want to marry me, now it's morning and everything?"
"You shouldn't even need to ask that question." Tenchi told her reproachfully. "I don't change my mind that easily, and I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. Don't you know that by now?"
"Guess I do." Ryoko nodded. "But also, the last week has been a bit unreal for me anyway...with Hotsuma and all of that. I suppose I'm still grounding myself in the fact that this is reality. If it turned out not to be now, I think I'd explode. Really."
Tenchi laughed.
"Good thing this is the real world, then." He teased. "The shrine would need twice as much sweeping if you exploded all over it."
"Funny." Ryoko grimaced in his direction and Tenchi shrugged, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly.
"We have work to do." He said softly. "But rest assured, Ryoko, I'm not going to change my mind. You're stuck with me for good now...that's just how it is."
"That's fine with me." Ryoko acknowledged. "I just hope you really know what you've let yourself in for, that's all!"