Galaxy 1001D presents:

Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist

Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein

Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini

Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell

Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai

Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai

And Ryoko as the Monster-woman

Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way.

Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly

And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima

Chapter Nineteen: Company At Last!

The door to Tenchi's house opened and a smiling Ryoko carried a struggling Tenchi over the threshold. "Well here we are, Sweetie-pie!" Ryoko cheered. "Back home, safe and sound and ready to begin our new life together! Gosh, this is so romantic! I don't know if I can stand it!"

"Ryoko! Come to your senses!" Tenchi grumbled as Ryoko set him down. "For the last time, we aren't married! Those wedding vows don't count!"

"I remember someone promising to have and to hold in sickness and health and to love honor and cherish until death do us part," Ryoko insisted.

"When the priest asked for your vows, he asked, 'Do you, Ayeka Winifred Jurai, take this man,' didn't he? Your name isn't 'Ayeka Winifred Jurai' is it?"

"No," Ryoko sighed as she stamped her foot and swung her arms childishly.

"So those vows don't count," Tenchi scolded. "All you've done is ruin my wedding and start a bunch of trouble. It's going to take a miracle to keep you out of jail. I'm going to have to go back and see if I can talk Ayeka out of pressing charges…"

"Wait!" Ryoko blocked the door with her body. "You aren't going back to Ayeka are you? She can get so mean!"

"Of course I am," Tenchi said. "I made a commitment. I'm not going to abandon the girl I love."

"Come on, it can't be that big of a deal; you've done that before," Ryoko scoffed. When she saw the stern look on his face she changed gears and started begging. "Can't we just live here, Tenchi? We could just stay here for a few days until they get used to the idea of us being together."

"No we can't," Tenchi said flatly, "and even if we did it won't take long for Ayeka and Washu to get here and we'd have a lot of explaining to do…"

"What?" Ryoko's eye bulged in fear. "Ayeka and Washu are coming here?"

"Yes, of course they are," the wayward groom sighed in exasperation. "This is my house. Where else are they going to look?"

"We gotta get out of here!" Ryoko decided. "Quick! Pack light!" she said as she opened his closet and started throwing coats and tools out. "Only the essentials! We gotta blow this joint before they get here!"

"I'm not leaving with you Ryoko, and you can't make me," Tenchi crossed his arms and looked away.

"Oh can't I?" Ryoko said dangerously as she picked up a length of rope.

"Hey!" Tenchi cried as he backed away in fear. "Ryoko! What's with the rope? Get away from me!"

Ryoko laughed evilly. "I thought you liked being tied up…"

Back at the Jurai mansion, a fully dressed Ayeka was in the kitchen screaming her frustration at the world. "How could I be so stupid?" she howled. "Trusting Washu and Mihoshi to provide security? Ryoko is alone with Tenchi right now! Doing this! And doing that! I will not allow it! I can't stand it! This is all your fault!"

She was in the kitchen was because it was the only room that had a spit large enough to tie both Washu and Mihoshi to so she could roast the two of them over an open fire. The redhead and her blonde servant looked like the main course for a tribe of cannibals. Two of Ayeka's serving girls struggled to turn the spit, causing a slow rotation for the duo that dared to play God.

"You," Ayeka snarled at Washu. "You did this! That talk about Ryoko trying to kill you was just a trick to get me to lower my guard! It was just an excuse so you could ruin my wedding!"

"That's right Ayeka," Washu retorted sarcastically as she was rotated over the hot coals. "I created intelligent life as part of my brilliant plan to have the love of my life abducted by my own creation so she could keep him for herself. Grow a brain why don't you! I didn't plan this! She did it herself!"

"Yes I suppose she did," Ayeka sighed. "Still you turned my hair purple and my eyes blood red. I should roast the two of you alive just for that!"

"But you need our help," Washu said as she was turned over the coals. "As her creator, I'm the only one who has a chance to outsmart Eve."

"You're not even smart enough to call her 'Ryoko'," Ayeka sneered, "and you haven't done a good job of outsmarting her so far. I don't need your help," the jilted bride said as she picked up breech-loading rifle and loaded a cartridge. "I intend to take care of Ryoko in my own way."

"But Ayeka," protested Sasami, who was sitting on a stool with Ryo-ohki observing the scene before her. "That's not fair! Ryoko is less than two weeks old!"

"She's old enough to commit assault and kidnapping," Ayeka retorted. "That's good enough for me."

"That gun will be useless if Eve gets a hold of you," Washu pointed out as she was rotated on the spit. "What are you going to do if she sneaks up on you? You'll be toast then."

"You should let Washu help you," Sasami pointed out. "Washu is the only person Ryoko's afraid of. She wouldn't get near you if Washu was there."

"Ooh," Ayeka moaned in frustration as a vein bulged on her forehead. "Very well." She turned to her two maidservants. "You two! Take Washu and Mihoshi off the spit."

"Hooray," Mihoshi cheered weakly.

"Thanks Sasami," Washu nodded gratefully.

"Just don't let my sister shoot poor Ryoko!" Sasami hissed softly.

"Now if you were Ryoko and you had just kidnapped Tenchi, where would you go?" Ayeka asked out loud.

In the nearby forest, in a small house on top of a hill lived an old man. He had iron gray hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Despite his many years, his posture was still ramrod straight and he was as strong and agile as a man half his age. Alas, his eyesight was failing, and he needed new eyeglasses. The pair of spectacles he currently wore was nearly useless. Even when wearing his glasses, his vision was so bad that he was legally blind.

Sadly, people don't visit a blind old man very often. Living at the top of a hill in the forest didn't encourage visitors either, despite his close proximity to town. He had kept himself in shape climbing the steps carved in the hill to get to his house, but travelers and salesmen rarely bothered to make the climb. As the years passed, he got rather lonely.

He kept himself amused by playing the violin. It kept his hands limber and his mind sharp. Since conversation and reading were nearly closed to him, music filled his lonely hours. It wasn't as if he was disturbing anyone after all. He lived two miles from town.

Therefore he was pleasantly surprised when he heard a knocking at his door one afternoon. "Anybody home?" a woman's voice called. "Hey anybody there? Hey if nobody lives here, I'm calling 'dibs'! Open up, will you?"

"Well what do you know?" the old man smiled. "Company at last! Finally, I have some visitors!" He had tried to avoid becoming one of those weird old guys that talk to themselves, but with nobody else to talk to it was becoming a losing battle. "Just a minute! Here I come!" he called. He opened the door to see two blurry images in the afternoon sun. "Why hello," he said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hi there!" the woman said with exaggerated cheerfulness. "I'm Ryoko, and this is my husband Tenchi. We're newlyweds, but our house burned down. Is it all right if we stay here a while? Just until we're back on our feet. We don't want to be any trouble."

"Oh no," the old man gushed. "No trouble, no trouble at all. I'd be glad to have you here. Between you and me it gets very lonely out here. I'd be glad to have the company. Stay as long as you like. My name's Katsuhito. Yosho Katsuhito. The name is Polish."

"Mmmh! Mmmph!" the second blur said.

"I'm sorry what did you say young man?" the old man asked. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch a word of that."

"Mmph!" the second blur gave a muffled screech.

"Oh, you'll have to excuse him," the lady stammered. "He uh…"

"He sounds like he has a gag on his mouth," the old man said. "Are you sure he's all right?"

"'He sounds like he has a gag on his mouth'?" Ryoko repeated. "What's the matter, can't you see old man?"

"To honest, I really can't," the old man admitted. "I'm afraid that I've needed new glasses for years. I have to hold something two inches in front of my nose in order to see it clearly. So if you want to stay here, please don't move anything around without telling me. It would take me forever to find something right in front of me."

"Mmph!" the male blur said. "Mmm!"

"I'm sorry young man!" Katsuhito shouted. "Stop mumbling! If I didn't know better I'd think my hearing's going too!"

"So you really can't see a thing, eh?" the female blur said as the old man's vision became light-dark-light-dark. He felt slight breeze accompany the change in lighting. Ryoko was probably passing her hand before his eyes. "Gee that's too bad," she said, trying to conceal her glee. "What a coincidence. Tenchi here is a mute."

"Mrph!" the boy gave a muffled squeak.

"That's right," Ryoko continued. "Got something wrong with his tongue. Can't speak a word. Every time he tries to say something it sounds like he was bound, gagged, and carried two miles by a hyperactive woman with super strength. Tragic really."

"Well, at least he still has his health," Katsuhito sighed sympathetically, not wanting to scare away his first visitors in over a year. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure, Pops!" the woman gushed. "I thought you'd never ask!"

He stepped back from the door and let his visitors enter. The female blur moved to the masculine blur and together they both entered the house. It was strange. The male blur never initiated movement. The female blur would move next to the male blur, and their shapes would become indistinct. The boy only moved when the girl did. It was as if one of them was picking up and carrying the other.

If the old man could see clearly he would have seen that one actually was carrying the other. Tenchi was tied up and a gag was over his mouth. He had so much rope wrapped around him that he looked like an inchworm or an Egyptian mummy. Ryoko simply grabbed a hold of his bindings to pick him up and walk into the house.

She set the wriggling Tenchi on a small couch, patted his hair and kissed his forehead. "Thanks Mister," she said as she turned to face the old man. "Say, is there anyway we can pay you back for your hospitality? Just a second, I think Tenchi's got some money…"

"Oh don't worry about it," the old man said dismissively. "Although I have to admit I do need some help with the chores. Tell you what. While I fix you something to eat, maybe Tenchi could chop some firewood. If the pain in my knee is any indication, I think it might snow tonight."

"Oh don't worry, I'll get it!" Ryoko assured him. "Tenchi is… uh… really tired. He carried me all the way up the mountain."

"Sounds like a strong and healthy young man," Yosho chuckled. "Still I think even a blind old man should chop wood instead of a young lady like you."

"Oh, uh… Don't worry about it!" Ryoko said uncomfortably as she picked up the bound and gagged Tenchi. "Tenchi will get it. I'll uh… keep him company! Ever since the fire he's terrified that something will happen if he leaves me alone, even for a moment!" she explained as she carried him to the door. "You know how it is. Just can't stand to be away from me."

"Of course," the old man nodded. "I was young and in love myself once."

"Mmph!" protested a struggling Tenchi.

Outside, Ryoko used her Herculean strength to split the logs with one chop. "Wow! This is easy! I wonder if I can do it without an ax?" She set up another piece and made her hand into a flat knifelike gesture and made a quick chop that split the log in two. "Wow! Look what I did! I can split wood without an ax! Woo-who!"

"Mmph," Tenchi grunted through his gag.

Soon Ryoko returned, carrying in loads of chopped wood in her arms. "Here we are!" she sang. "Now we have lots of wood to keep us warm tonight!"

"Speaking of keeping you warm at night, where is your husband?" the old man asked as he looked up from his cooking.

"Oh! Yeah! Right!" Ryoko sputtered. "I think he's… uh… putting the ax away! I'll go get him!" She ran outside and returned dragging the helpless Tenchi behind her. "Here he is! We're all one big happy family now!"

"Here you go," Old Yosho dished up three plates. "Here's some porridge. Sorry about the quality of the food but I wasn't expecting company tonight."

"That's okay, we're just happy to be here," Ryoko smiled. "Right Tenchi?"

"Mmph," the boy grunted.

"Hm, it's going to be hard to feed you," Ryoko said as she tried to figure out a way to feed Tenchi without removing his gag. It could complicate things if he started screaming for help.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not that old," Yosho assured her. "Aside of my eyes I'm in excellent health."

"Oh uh, yeah," Ryoko blushed nervously. She jumped at the sound of a shrill noise. "What's that?"

"My teakettle's whistling," the old man replied.

As the old man rose take the kettle off the stove, Ryoko seized the opportunity to pull down the Tenchi's gag and shove a spoonful of porridge down his throat. If she hurried the sound of the teakettle would cover the sound of Tenchi's protests.

"Come on, eat it up," she hissed as she quickly put the gag back over his mouth. She glanced over her shoulder as the old man returned.

"Here you go," Yosho smiled as he poured his guests some tea.

Tenchi swallowed nervously as he gazed at the steaming teacup. He hoped that the naïve Ryoko didn't try to pour an entire cup of scalding hot tea down his gullet the next time Yosho got up.

Next: Bedtime