"Are you sure about this?" asked Tenchi for perhaps the thirty thousandth time. He was frantically looking for a way out as Ryoko and Ayeka pushed him towards the spires that were Ryo-Ohki, his prone feet leaving tracks in the ground as he attempted to resist.
"Tenchi, if you continue to struggle, I'll take so many samples from you that you won't be able to pee for days!" smirked Washu, laughing maniacally at the poor boy's reaction as she watched from the porch.
"Will...you...just...shut...up!" cried Ryoko, finally managing to force him under the bay of the ship.
"B-but!" His cry was cut off as the cabbit brought him on board with a delighted cry of "Myah!" Giggling, Sasami ran up to Ayeka and Ryoko, a massive pack on her back. She entered the ship as well, waving a "Bye!" back at Katsuhito and Washu (Mihoshi and Kiyone had already departed for headquarters).
"Ayeka, please come here for a moment," stated Katsuhito, gesturing casually with his right hand (for his left arm was currently bandaged and unhappily lying in a sling).
"You, too, Ry-o-ko..." grinned Washu, drawing out the syllables of her daughter's name as she stood next to the old Jurain, hands on her hips as if she was some sort of all-powerful idol...though, to be fair, there was some truth in this assessment.
Giving each other puzzled looks, the girls shrugged and approached their respective elders. "What is it?" yawned Ryoko as Ayeka asked "What is it, brother? We really should get going."
"Yes, and if you'll let me speak, you'll be off sooner," smiled Katsuhito, raising an eyebrow. Ryoko smirked at Ayeka's blush, leading Washu to bop her on her spiky head.
"Look," said Washu, pointedly ignoring Ryoko's stares of hate, "Tenchi must come to a decision between you two by the end of his trip, for all our sakes. And while that means that one of you will be with him..."
"...the other will not," finished Katsuhito, fixing the girls with an appraising stare. "Will you be able to manage this? I'm sure that leaving this relatively comfortable neutrality behind is as hard for both of you as it is for Tenchi himself."
The girls pondered this for a moment, Ayeka glancing at the ground while her blue haired companion gazed at the clouds.
"...yes."
The first to speak was Ryoko, still watching the azure sky. "Tenchi knows my feelings by now...one way or the other, it'll be nice to know how he feels, ya know?" She finally returned her gaze to the pair staying behind, smiling at a bit sadly.
"I agree," nodded Ayeka, raising her gaze with a look of determination. "Besides, it cannot be avoided; his health is in danger, and we must help him in whatever way we can...even if it means finally driving him away."
Though she was smiling, Washu felt tears welling in her eyes. "Good girls...you've both grown up a great deal." Katsuhito nodded his agreement, smiling beneath his mustache.
"Take care of Tenchi, and try and enjoy yourselves as much as you can along the way...don't worry about Loquax, we'll inform you when we learn enough to determine a plan of action," stated the older man, running a hand through his steely colored hair.
Ryoko grinned while Ayeka nodded with a small smile. "You got it!" she winked, throwing a thumbs up towards the pair before she phased herself onto her ship. Giving the others a small wave, the princess stepped below the ship and allowed herself to be brought onboard.
After a minute or so, the ship set off with a roar of "Myaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Washu and Katsuhito watched it go, wondering whether or not this was the best thing to do.
"...This is gonna end badly, isn't it?"
"...Yeah."
The pair sighed.
It'd been about two hours since they'd left Earth. The foursome was currently playing cards on the floor of Ryo-Ohki's "bridge." Sasami yawned, throwing down her hand and pouting slightly.
"I'm bored! What's there to do around here, anyway?" She glanced about, cutely huffing at the lack of obvious entertainment.
Ryoko shrugged, smiling at the girl. "Well, to be honest, Ryo-Ohki isn't really meant to travel on long journeys...hyperspace certainly speeds things up. Plus, we don't have the Masaki house this time around, so..."
"Oh, yeah!" blinked Tenchi. "Where're we gonna sleep and cook and all that? I mean, there's not really much onboard for us to work with..."
Grinning, the ex-pirate throw down a full house. "Don't worry about that, Tenchi! I know how boring it'd be to spend a month on board here. But Ryo-Ohki needs rest as much as we do, and as Sasami has indicated, we could always use some entertainment ourselves...So, I figured we'd spend each night some planetary resort, maybe even a few nights if we like it enough!"
"Ahem!" asked Ayeka, raising an eyebrow as she folded her hand. "And how do you expect to afford this? I can assure you I am not using Jurai's royal treasury to fund your drinking binges again!"
Sticking her tongue out at the princess, Ryoko began to chuckle almost evilly...at best it was mildly disconcerting. She whipped out a golden credit card, holding it up as though it were a work of art.
"Ta dah! Washu's Golden Credit Card of Infinite Funds!" she stated, continuing to snicker. "It's an untraceable account linked to the Galactic Bank itself, though it's covered by a dummy account and some unnecessarily confusing documentation."
Tenchi threw down four of a kind, causing Ryoko to blink in frustration and surprise. "I really don't feel right about this..." he sighed, scooping up the pile of chips in the pot.
"Oh, you worry too much, Tenchi!" giggled Sasami. "I think it's a great idea!"
"Really, Sasami!" scolded Ayeka. "Tenchi raises a good point; it's just not scrupulous!"
Ryoko smirked, baring one of her canines. "Well, Princess, if you'd prefer to spend the night in an alleyway somewhere, go right ahead. Me, I'll be curled up with Tenchi on a soft and satin-covered mattress!"
At this, Ayeka let out an "Erk!" and caused the cards she'd been attempting to shuffle to explode outward. She forced herself to regain her composure as quickly as she'd lost it. "Well, I can't very well allow that to happen, now can I? I suppose I will subject myself to your ways."
"How wonderful..." muttered Ryoko, rolling her eyes.
The gang headed towards a hotel labeled in some exotic language, glancing about at their surroundings. Though it was a world that had made contact with galactic civilization, it didn't appear drastically different in technology than Earth. The four of them had descended upon a metropolitan area, and while the buildings seemed a bit sleeker and the streets littered with hover cars rather than against the road, it carried a semblance of New York City.
Snickering with glee, Ryoko paid for the penthouse suite with the golden card. The concierge directed them to a separate elevator, and two uniformed youths politely took their bags and disappeared around a corner. Shrugging, they allowed the elevator to close them in.
As they emerged, their jaws dropped nearly to the floor as the glanced about their "room." A massive living area dominated by an extremely comfortable looking sofa featured a huge view screen and sound system, plus a few table top games that Tenchi was unfamiliar with. Their kitchen was impressive for a hotel; some kind of reflective counters with the latest in kitchen technology. Two doors were on one wall, each leading to a bedroom with a queen sized bed. On the other wall was yet another door, this one concealing what the concierge had assured them was a massive bathroom, complete with a hot tub that could fit six. All in all, a most impressive "room."
They found their bags laid out in the rooms; Ayeka's and Sasami's in one, Ryoko's and Tenchi's in the other. "Heheheh!" chuckled Ryoko. "It seems like Tenchi and I are sharing a room tonight!" She wrapped her arms around his waist, pretending his sigh of frustration didn't hurt.
"I think not!" sputtered Ayeka. "You can sleep on the floor of our room!" Her eyes narrowed menacingly.
"Oh yeah?!" growled Ryoko, butting her head against Ayeka's.
"Yeah!" responded the princess, pushing back with her own forehead.
"Enough, you two!" yelled Tenchi. "This isn't my house, you can't blow everything up here!" Heaving sighs of exasperation, the girls pulled apart, refusing to look at one another. "Look," continued the only male in the group, "Ryoko can have 'my' room, and I'll sleep on the couch...I'm fine with that, alright?"
"Oh, no, Tenchi!" cried the two girls at the same time, united in their caring. "I'll take the floor, don't worry!" smiled Ryoko. "Besides, I'll probably be on the roof most of the night anyway...I think that last door there leads up to it, not like I need it!"
Ayeka was about to make a comment about demons and their powers, when she noticed her sister wince and hold her stomach. "What is it, Sasami?" she asked, kneeling down next to her. "Are you alright?"
Sasami fell forward into Ayeka's arms, still clutching her stomach. "My...tummy..." she muttered, the words apparently taking great effort to escape from the offending organ. She allowed her worried sister to lead her to the couch, where she lay down, breathing heavily.
Tenchi, watching intently, lighted on an idea. "I'll go get some medicine; there's got to be a drug store around here, and they'll have something generic for stomachs, I'm sure of it!"
Ayeka nodded, the worry in her face momentarily glazed over by relief. "Ryoko, let him borrow the card, will you?"
"I can't..." sighed Ryoko. "Woah, woah!" she said, holding up her hands in order to cut off Ayeka's protest. "I meant I really can't! It's coded to my thumbprint! But don't worry, I'll go with him..." She looked seriously at Ayeka. "And don't worry, I won't try anything...I know that now's not the time, alright?"
Again, the princess nodded, gratefully this time. "Thank you both. I'll stay here...I don't think I could leave her right now..."
Tenchi nodded, smiling reassuringly. He leaned down near Sasami. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine. We'll be back in a flash, alright?"
Sasami nodded, managing to smile through her aches.
"This should work," said Tenchi, pulling a bottle from one of the shelves in the drugstore the concierge had given them directions to. Ryoko, who would been searching for something useful on the opposite shelf, halted her attentions to glance at the bottle.
"It's not for children," she said, pointing at a tiny warning on the side. "The one next to it should do the trick, though!"
Tenchi blinked, surprised that he'd missed that. "Ah...good catch, Ryoko!" Exchanging the bottle in his hand for the right one, he headed to the register.
As they collected their receipt and the bagged bottle, Tenchi smiled at the pirate. "Thank you for helping out, Ryoko. I appreciate it, and I know Sasami and Ayeka do, too."
She crossed her arms behind her head as the automatic door opened, lifting her chin as she closed her eyes. "Huh, it was nothing." Peeking at him with one amber eye, she stayed silent for a moment.
"...Are you surprised?"
Tenchi continued smiling warmly, understanding the intent of the question. "Not at all...I know how much you care for all of us, even Ayeka; if you've proven anything, it's that, time and time again. You're a big part of our little group Ryoko, and I don't doubt that your spirit is at least partially responsible."
Ryoko blushed, closing her eyes again. "Feh," she muttered. Inwardly, though, her smile was as joyful as Tenchi's.
They walked in silence for a little while, until Tenchi spoke to the unobserving Ryoko.
"Erm...pole."
"Huh?" she responded, opening her eyes just in time to see the metal sign post collide with her head.
"She seems to be resting peacefully now," smiled Ayeka, visibly relaxing. "Thank you both, again."
"Like I said, don't mention it!" smirked Ryoko. "Leave that in my hands; I'll bring it up when I need to get you to do something for me!"
Tenchi rolled his, laughing. "Oh, Ryoko..." He turned back to the elder princess. "Would you like me to carry her to bed, Ayeka?" he asked, gesturing towards the sleeping Sasami.
"That would be lovely," smiled the young woman. "I think I shall retire myself, as well. I'm a bit tired from our journey here."
"Sure thing," nodded Tenchi. Gently, he scooped the light body of Sasami into his competent arms, and carefully maneuvered her into the bedroom and, subsequently, the bed. Ayeka followed him, smiling at his show of gentility and kindness. "Thank you, Lord Tenchi," she said. Blushing slightly, she planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. She stepped into the room as his cheeks began to redden.
"Well, goodnight Princess..." muttered Ryoko, her eyes shadowed by her bangs as she felt her heart tug at the kiss. "I'll be on the roof for a while. Don't worry, I'll be quiet when I come to bed." With that, she phased through the ceiling, headed for the escape of the open sky.
Biting her lip slightly, Ayeka felt a bit guilty. "Well...are you off to bed, too?" she asked Tenchi, who was still glancing at where Ryoko had gone through the ceiling.
"Ah...not yet," he responded, distracted. "I think I'll pour myself something to drink, maybe watch some television. I'm pretty awake, actually."
Ayeka nodded, smiling lightly, still blushing. "Goodnight, then, Lord Tenchi." With that, she closed the door, leaving the boy pondering his relationship troubles yet again.
Sighing, he headed towards the kitchen, and set about preparing himself some hot chocolate. Glancing again at the ceiling, he grabbed two mugs from the cabinet.
Ryoko sat on lip of the roof, feet dangling into nothingness. She sighed; she'd seen that kiss once in person, and a thousand times in her head as the minutes progressed. It hurt her, in a way she'd sworn she'd never allow herself to feel...and yet she always seemed to be feeling that way when it came to Tenchi.
Why didn't he love her back? After all she had tried to do for him...well, she couldn't blame him there, she thought bitterly. She really was quite the monster...it'd make sense that he'd want someone pretty and refined, someone like -
"Hot chocolate?"
She blinked, rocked from her depressing reverie by the smiling face of Tenchi leaning down towards her, a steaming mug of cocoa held out to her. Speechless, she took the mug, staring at him as he sat next to her.
"Nice view, huh?" he asked rather rhetorically as he sipped his chocolate and gazed outward.
"...Tenchi."
He continued staring out, still smiling. "Yes?"
"Why'd you come up here?" Ryoko asked. "Why even bother with me? You know you're going to pick Ayeka before too long...I mean, you've got the whole same race, some status thing going on, and you-"
"Ryoko."
She was silenced by those three syllables. Finally, he brought his mocha eyes back to her amber ones, the smile still present.
"Look. I know I'm supposed to make some kind of choice between you two. I know I'm dense, but naiveté only goes so far. The fact is, it's going to be hard. Everything's up in the air right now, and I can honestly say that I've no idea how it's going to end. So do me a favor: don't worry about it. It'll happen naturally, whatever 'it' may be, so we just have to wait until it becomes obvious. If we spent our time dwelling on our fears, we'd never accomplish anything, you know?"
She was speechless yet again. How was he so kind, so understanding? Sipping the cocoa, she put it down beside her and leaned her head against his shoulder. Expecting a gentle push or some kind of stammered apology and a quick escape, she was not prepared for the arm that gently wrapped around her shoulders, sending chills down her spine. Blushing slightly, she was egged on by this contact.
"...Tenchi?"
"Yeah?"
"...can I kiss your cheek, too?"
Tenchi was silent for a moment, and inwardly Ryoko kicked herself. Too forward, you idiot! she hissed. You know he hates that!
"I won't say that you can't" was Tenchi's final answer, surprising Ryoko and filling her with joy. Slowly, she stretched upward, until she was able to gently brush her lips across his cheek.
"Good night, Tenchi..." she whispered, phasing out before she made a fool of herself. Now Tenchi was the one sitting alone, gazing at the cityscape below him. He sighed.
In her room, Ryoko lay on the futon they'd found under one of the beds, gently pressed a finger against one of her lips, unaware that Ayeka was doing the same thing a few feet away
Rightio, chapter two is up, and in record time (for me at least)! A little shorter, but more amusing in my opinion...a bit more light hearted, and easier for me to write, since there're only 3 main characters in this chapter. I dunno what the next chapter's gonna be about, but it should be good. I know this one seemed Ryoko-sided, and that's probably going to be the case for much of this fic...I'm biased, since I love her myself
I'm a bit sad that I didn't get any reviews, but then again, it has only been 24 hours. And maybe having two chapters will help...any kinda criticism would be greatly appreciated!
Anyway, peace out till hopefully tomorrow,
-Leave
Disclaimer: I own none of these crazy kids. Except the concierge. He's all mine.