Aikan Muyo
Chapter 10 - No Need For Two Swords, Part 2

Story by Happosai (happosai@jps.net)
Pre-reading by Ryan Anderson and Michael "Brazil" Borgwardt
Web: http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~andersor/fanfic/fanfic.html

Imaginary seiyuu
Amaiko: Inoue Kikuko
Kintarou: Seki Toshihiko
Midoriyama: Tsuru Hiromi
Torakami: Genda Tessho

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo and its characters are the property of AIC and
Pioneer. If any of their lawyers are reading this, please don't sue me.
Instead, pass my humble work on to the creative geniuses behind this my
favorite series, in the hope that they might actually like it.


     "Another tasteless movie
      Another kiss goodnight
      Could be a dark oasis in my life
      Another icon smashed to pieces
      By yesterday's romance
      Another hated person no more chances

      Look at me when I'm talking to you
      Look at me in the eyes
      Then look away and tell me why... why

      Playin' with a happy boy
      A cold place for a man
      Familiar faces in a foreign land

      The hands kept spinning around the face
      But the earth stopped cold at dawn
      For a moment, then moved on
      For a moment, then moved on..."
        -- "The Earth Stopped Cold At Dawn", Hootie And the Blowfish


It was nearly noon on planet Jurai. The sun beat down overhead, and only
a light breeze stirred the grass in the open field where Torakami stood,
watching his daughter Amaiko's ship Sakura-oh slowly descending. The ship
itself wasn't yet visible with the naked eye. Only the light glinting off
it marked its position. Shielded from the sun's glare by his hand,
Torakami's crimson eyes never left the ship for a moment.

Next to him, Midoriyama and her son Kintarou watched Sakura-oh almost as
intently.

"I still recall the time I first flew Haku-oh," said Midoriyama, smiling.

"It's a shame her cousins aren't here to watch her," said Torakami. "It
would make her very happy."

"When is Aeka-hime going to return?" asked Midoriyama.

"I don't know," replied Torakami, sounding worried.

"I will breathe much easier when she returns," said Midoriyama.

"She is first princess, and of age," Torakami reminded her sternly.
"She's not to be questioned, save by the Emperor or one acting on his
behalf. Besides, she's far from helpless. And the Sol System is a quiet,
out-of-the-way place."

Kintarou squirmed uneasily for a moment, obviously wanting to say
something but not about to speak unless spoken to.

Out of the corner of his eye, Torakami noticed. "You had something to
add, Kintarou-san?"

Kintarou let out his breath and nodded. "It's just that, anyplace where
Ryoko is, won't be quiet for very long."

Midoriyama and Torakami turned to the younger man, the surprise on their
faces real and feigned, respectively. "Ryoko? The most-wanted pirate?
>From whom did you hear this?" asked Torakami.

"I make it a point to keep open certain lines of communication into the
criminals' realm," replied Kintarou.

"I commendable course of action. You are wise beyond your years,
Kintarou-san," said Torakami.

The youngster self-importantly puffed out his chest a little as his
mother nodded. "Hopefully, for Aeka-hime's safety, Ryoko will remain very
far away from her," Midoriyama said.

Kintarou shook his head. "Unfortunately, they're staying at the same
place."

"What?!" gasped Midoriyama. "Are you sure?"

"My information is first-hand," replied Kintarou. "My source saw it with
their own eyes."

"*Whose* eyes?" demanded Torakami, his voice an imperious growl.

Kintarou mustered up all his courage. "With respect, Torakami-dono, I'd
rather not say until I've looked into the matter further."

Torakami frowned and nodded. "Very well. Inform me *at once* when you
have done so."

"Of course, Torakami-dono. The instant I have all the information, I
will..."

Kintarou stopped, his eyes widening as they fixed on something behind
Torakami. Recovering his presence of mind but still very flustered, he
dropped to his knees a little more quickly than was dignified and humbly
bowed his head.

Midoriyama and Torakami blinked, then turned to see what had caught
Kintarou's attention.

They too knelt, though with a practiced grace the younger man hadn't yet
developed. Less than twenty meters away, Jurai's empress stood, walking
across the grass with a smile on her face and her long blue-green braids
swaying slightly in the gentle breeze. 

The three waited until the empress' approaching shadow stopped. Then
Torakami spoke.

"Your subjects await your command, joou-sama."

Unseen by bowed eyes, the empress nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm here to
watch Amaiko's first flight. But it looks like I'm a little late. Has she
already started, taichan?"

"I'm very sorry, joou-sama," replied Torakami, cringing. "I should have
known you would come. Please accept my apology, though I know that..."

The empress cleared her throat. On the ground in front of him, Torakami
could see her foot tapping impatiently.

Torakami swallowed hard, knowing what was about to happen and dreading it
taking place in front of his underlings. Slowly he brought his gaze up to
meet the empress' eyes.

Her face was a terribly-wrathful scowl staring mercilessly down at him.

Torakami rose, and beside him Midoriyama and Kintarou did likewise. He
looked at the empress, but not quite in the eyes. "I'm very grateful for
the honor you do my daughter and me by being here, joou-sama," he said.

The empress' red eyes narrowed in even-deeper anger.

Torakami sighed. There was no way to escape the inevitable. He threw open
he muscular arms, his eyes sparkling as he smiled with extreme affection.
"Neechan!"

"Taichan!" cried the empress, grabbing her younger brother in a loving
embrace worthy of a champion sumo wrestler. Torakami endured it as best
he could. Once it was over and she had let go of him, he gave Midoriyama
and Kintarou a quick look warning of terrible consequences if they didn't
swiftly forget what they'd just seen.

Apparently completely oblivious to Torakami's discomfort, the empress
gazed up into the sky. Sakura-oh had descended far enough for shape and
color to be discernable. "She'll be landing any moment now."

"Hai, oneesama," agreed Torakami, trying to regain at least some measure
of decorum.

"Amaiko's grown up so fast. It seems like just yesterday she was only as
tall as my knee," sighed the empress.

Torakami nodded. "Has there been any word on when Aeka-hime will be
returning?"

The empress shook her head. "No. But she left a message for us with the
Galaxy Police, and she seemed so cheerful! I'm glad my poor baby's
finally getting a rest from all that pressure her father puts on her. But
I don't think she'll be gone that much longer. She'll be back for
Startika, I'm sure."

A frown crept across Torakami's face. "Yes, I'm sure she will be."

Hours later and light-years across space, Tenchi's eyes opened as he
awoke slowly but well in advance of his alarm clock. He started to roll
over before he was aware enough to realize that someone's head was
resting on his shoulder. He caught himself, but by then it was too late.
Aeka slid over him until most of her upper body lay across his chest,
yawned, then relaxed and sighed. "Ohayo, Ten-chan," she said, smiling
with her eyes still closed.

"Ohayo, Ae-chan," Tenchi answered. "Sorry if I woke you up."

Aeka looked up at him. "That's all right. Are you feeling rested?" she
asked.

Tenchi nodded. Nearly ten hours of solid sleep had done wonders,
especially since his stay in bed hadn't been a matter of strenuous
exercise, as it had been for quite a bit of the previous three nights.
Among other things, Tenchi was beginning to cast a skeptical eye on the
marathon sexual encounters some of the guys at school had bragged about
engaging in. "I feel great," he said.

Tenchi was feeling other things, too -- such as the sensation of Aeka's
warm, nude body lying on top of him, and the arousal that was inducing.

Deciding to try being a little more bold than usual, Tenchi slipped out
from under Aeka and turned onto his side, so that they lay facing each
other on the bed. Then he put one arm around her waist, the other around
her neck, and kissed her.

Aeka kissed him back and gently caressed his face.

Tenchi slid his hand down onto her rear and pulled her closer. Feeling
Tenchi's erection pressing against her thigh, Aeka smiled again,
considering getting something to tie him up with and deciding against it
for the moment. She didn't want to spoil the spontaneity. After a few
minutes of kissing, Tenchi's hand managed to find its way in between
Aeka's legs, and she brought her lips next to his ear as his fingers
began playfully exploring.

"Oooh... Ten-chan, you're being hentai -- I haven't even bound you yet,"
chided the princess, only half joking. Tenchi chuckled. "What is it?" she
asked.

Tenchi shook his head. "Nothing, Ae-chan. Really."

"No, tell me. What was funny?"

"Well, don't take offense, but around here, it's the tying up that's
considered hentai."

Aeka frowned and shook her head sadly. "Sometimes, Ten-chan, I think this
planet of yours is a very strange place."

Tenchi kissed her on the lips, then started working his way down her
neck. Aeka crooned and tilted her head up. Then she froze, her body
stiffening as she stared out the window.

Sol hung on the horizon, casting its yellow light across her face. Aeka
glared at it as if it were a cancerous tumor, a lethal invader arriving
to kill a precious moment of shared passion.

Noticing the direction of her gaze, Tenchi turned his head and looked as
well. "Nice sunrise, isn't it?" he asked, giving Aeka a kiss on the
cheek.

Aeka sighed and closed her eyes. "Ten-chan, I must go. I'm sorry." She
turned and kissed him. "I'll see you at breakfast."

Tenchi blinked. "But... *why*? Was I rushing you?" Then he realized what
he'd said that must have upset her. He kissed her very gently, then
smiled at her. "Go get something to tie me up with, oujo-sama. I'll
wait," he promised.

Aeka's heart beat faster. Tenchi had asked her to bind him! *Asked* her
to, not *allowed* her to!

But she wasn't going to be able to fulfill his request. It was past dawn.
To keep her word and the peace, she had to leave. Tenchi had offered to
submit to her, body and heart, yet she couldn't accept, though she wanted
to very, very badly. Hatred seethed inside of her at Ryoko for taking
this moment away from her. Aeka managed to maintain an outward calm as
she embraced Tenchi and gave him a deep, heated kiss.

"I would like nothing more than to bind you and make love right now, Ten-
chan, but I must leave. I wish with all my heart it wasn't so." She
kissed him again. "And you certainly were *not* rushing me. Be as bold
that, next time. Bolder, even, if it pleases you. Just remember this
feeling. I want you to feel it again when we are together."

"Why do you have to go, though?" Tenchi asked.

"I really would rather not say, Ten-chan. It isn't because I don't desire
you right now. I do. Very much. But I love you more than I desire you, so
I must leave you. And without further delay." Then, despite her last
emphasis on the haste required, Aeka cupped Tenchi's chin in her hand and
drew their lips together for one last kiss that lingered for many
moments. Then she got up off the bed, put on her kimono, and went to the
door.

"I'll see you in a little while, Ten-chan," she said, as she left.

"Yeah... sure, Ae-chan," said Tenchi hesitantly, still trying to figure
out why she was leaving. He lay back down and stared at the ceiling. Aeka
had said that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't escape the nagging
suspicion that somehow he was responsible for her having to go. Not that
she hadn't seemed to have been just as aroused as he'd been.

As he *was*. His erection just didn't want to die down. Closing his eyes,
he searched his mind for something suitably non-sexual, something having
absolutely nothing to do with either of the girls. Eventually he found
one, and began to mentally recite the portion of "Art of War" which
Katsuhito had most recently had him study.

"Now the troops of those adept in war are used like the snake of Mount
Ch'ang. When struck on the head it's tail attacks; when struck on the
tail, its head attacks; when struck in the center both head and tail
attack. Should one ask: 'Can troops be made capable of such instantaneous
coordination?' I reply: 'They can.' For, although the men of Wu and Yueh
mutually hate one another, if together in a boat tossed by the wind they
would cooperate as the right hand does with the left. It is thus not
sufficient to place one's..."

Slowly, Tenchi began to doze off again.

Outside, as Aeka shut the door, Azaka and Kamidake greeted her.

"Ohayo, Aeka-hime," they said in turn.

Without acknowledging the pleasantries from her guardians, Aeka marched
down the hall towards her bedroom, her face an angry scowl.

"She seems upset this morning," observed Azaka.

"Yes. Perhaps she's going to get her whip," said Kamidake.

When she got to the door to her room, Aeka reached out, about to slam it
open as hard as she could. Catching herself, she stood still, trying to
give her fury time to die down. She tried her best to tell herself that
it wasn't completely Ryoko's fault, that she was being childish, that she
should react as befitted the dignity of her station.

It wasn't at all easy.

She had lain all night next to Tenchi, contenting herself with just being
with him, when Ryoko surely would never have allowed him a moment's rest.
The pirate undoubtedly would have selfishly demanded he spend every last
bit of his strength to quench her body's endless lustful cravings, not
caring in the slightest what that did to him, for she was a cruel,
wicked, spiteful creature, incapable of expressing love because she was
unable to feel any, and to her Tenchi was merely a convenient piece of
meat to...

Aeka closed her eyes, frowned, and tried to discipline her thoughts.

*No. I mustn't delude myself. She loves him, and he loves her, painful as
that is to admit. I'm thinking the way I did before, and I must remember
how that almost cost me everything.*

Eventually, having finally managed to calm down, Aeka opened the door and
walked into the room.

Ryoko was lying on her futon with the covers pulled up. But she was
awake. Her gold eyes glinted in the dark as she turned to face Aeka.
"Took your sweet time, didn't you, princess?"

Aeka controlled herself once more. "Gomen nasai," she said, bowing her
head slightly.

Ryoko nodded as she got to her feet. "Just try not to do it again, OK?"

Without answering, Aeka lay down on her futon and pulled up the covers.
Ryoko shrugged and shut the door, and Aeka turned onto her side. Then, as
her eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed Sasami dozing peacefully with
a miniature copy of Tenchi in her arms. For a moment Aeka stared,
dumbfounded, before she remembered.

*Oh, yes. Washuu gave her that.* 

Knowing it was silly but unable to completely be at ease with the sight,
Aeka rolled over to face the other direction.

*How wonderful. EVERYONE is sleeping with him, except me.*

The knowledge of what would shortly be happening in Tenchi's bedroom
began gnawing at her. After Aeka had left him in peace all night, Ryoko
was going to go and reap the benefits of the princess' self-discipline.
Visions of an awful morning nearly a week gone rose in Aeka's mind, only
to be shoved down.

*You shouldn't let it bother you. You were afraid she'd take him from
you. But there's no need for that fear any longer. You shouldn't let the
memory trouble you.*

*I can't help it. Seeing her touching him that morning very nearly drove
me mad.*

Meanwhile, Ryoko floated down the hall, her spirits rising steadily as
she neared Tenchi's room. She stopped for a moment in front of the door
and the two guardians flanking it.

"Ohayo, guys," she greeted cheerfully.

"Ohayo, Ryoko," they replied.

"I hope it'll be a nice day today," said Azaka.

"I'm sure it will be. Spring is the loveliest of seasons," said Kamidake. 

"Yeah, I'm glad that damn cold weather if finally over," agreed Ryoko. 

"If you're here to find Aeka-hime, you just missed her," Kamidake
informed her.

"Nah. I'm here for Tenchi," replied Ryoko, shaking her head.

"May we ask why?" asked Azaka.

"No one tells us anything," said Kamidake.

Ryoko smiled slyly. "Morning wood."

"I see. We understand," said Azaka.

"We know all about wood," added Kamidake.

Laughing and wondering if the guardians had made the pun on purpose or
accidentally, Ryoko started to float towards the door again.

"I'm not sure if we're supposed to let you in, though," said Azaka.

Ryoko stopped instantly, then quickly backed away from between the two
wooden cylinders, her eyes wide as she readied herself for combat. "What
the fuck is that supposed to mean?!?!" she snarled. Memories flashed into
her mind, memories of being suspended in a force field between the two
guardians, about to be taken away in Kiyone's custody, never to see
Tenchi again. Though she'd gotten used to having them around, she angrily
reminded herself to never forget that they were Aeka's servants, capable
of nothing but utter obedience.

Then Ryoko calmed herself down a little. There was no way even Aeka would
be stupid enough to try something like using her guardians to prevent
Ryoko from being with Tenchi. He'd find out for sure, and then he'd be
angry at Aeka and protective of Ryoko. And Aeka had to know that's what
would happen.

But just in case...

"Did Aeka tell you two to keep me out of Tenchi's room?" she asked
warily.

"Not specifically," replied Kamidake. "Aeka-hime said we were to guard
Tenchi-dono's room, and that if Nobuyuki-dono attempted to get inside, we
were to stop him without injuring him."

"I'm sorry if we offended you," said Azaka. "But I'm not sure if Aeka-
hime meant we were to guard Tenchi-dono's room only against Nobuyuki-
dono, or if she meant that we were to guard against everyone and was just
making sure we wouldn't hurt Nobuyuki-dono."

Ryoko let her breath out and relaxed. If the guardians didn't permit her 
to pass, it would be something worthy of getting very angry about, but it
would just be a misunderstanding, not a deliberate act on Aeka's part.
Actually, Ryoko recalled, assigning Azaka and Kamidake to sentry duty had
been *her* idea. It had seemed like a very good plan at the time. Anyway,
she could always go through the walls or the ceiling or the floor, though
she wasn't sure if the Juraian guardians would be unable to stop her if
she did.

"She meant that you're supposed to keep Tenchi's dad from coming in and
taking pictures," said Ryoko. "I *know* that's what she meant, because I
asked her to have you guys do this."

"You did?" asked Azaka. "We're glad you think so highly of us."

"We appreciate your confidence in our abilities," agreed Kamidake.

"Yeah, sure," said Ryoko. "Now, are you going to let me go in?"

"Logically, you would not have requested that we prevent you from
entering Tenchi-dono's quarters. So it then follows that Aeka-hime did
not intend us to do that when she ordered us to stand guard," said Azaka.

"Sorry about the misunderstanding," apologized Kamidake.

"Don't mention it," said Ryoko.

Inside the bedroom, the sound of voices outside his door woke Tenchi from
his light doze. Someone was talking out in the hall, he realized. After a
moment, he recognized Ryoko's voice. He lay there, staring at the ceiling
and idly wondering what the conversation was about.

Suddenly, something in his mind clicked.

*She's here to be with me. So that's why Ae-chan had to leave. Of course!
I guess that's part of their agreement. And that's the reason Ryoko
wasn't here when I woke up yesterday.*

Which meant that any moment Ryoko was going come in and...

"I think I could get used to waking up like that," Tenchi remembered
himself saying, Saturday morning.

"You're going to have to," Ryoko had answered.

Tenchi quickly shut his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep again.

Presently the voices in the hall ceased. Tenchi waited tensely. A few
moments later he felt warm air flow over his face just before Ryoko's
voice whispered "Ohayo, Tenchi," next to his ear. He held his breath and
kept perfectly still. He didn't think Ryoko would be deterred if she knew
he was awake, but he felt a strange thrill at the idea of secretly being
aware of what she did when she snuck up on him, believing him asleep. Now
that he'd been presented with the opportunity to find out, Tenchi
realized that he was curious as to what she was like when she did that.

He felt her breath on his face again. Then Ryoko's lips pressed gently
against his, soft and warm. He couldn't feel any other contact, and
realized she must be floating over him. Tenchi managed to control his
impulse to return her kiss and waited. Then her lips were no longer
touching him, and the only evidence of Ryoko's presence was the sound of
her breathing.

The tip of her tongue traced a wet path around the outside of his ear,
ending at the lobe. "Are you awake, Tenchi?" she whispered.

Sweat began to bead on his brow.

"I really shouldn't wake you up. I should take your alarm clock outside
and smash it into a million pieces, and by the time you wake up on your
own, it'll be too late for you to go."

More perspiration gathered as Ryoko licked Tenchi's ear again.

"But that would just make you mad, wouldn't it? You'd yell at me for
breaking your things, even though it was to just to make you stay." She
gave him another gentle kiss. "Even if it was because I missed you all
day yesterday and all last night, and I never want you to leave me
again."

Tenchi lay, paralyzed, starting to feel guilty. His previous eager
anticipation of being playfully pleasured faded away as heart eclipsed
hormones and worry replaced arousal. He restrained an impulse to hug her
and say he was sorry, not knowing how she would react when she found he'd
been listening.

Once more Tenchi felt Ryoko's moist lips tenderly applied to his own.

"But I guess I don't need to wake you up anyway, since you're only
pretending to be asleep," she said.

Tenchi's eyes snapped open and he stared up into her face.

Ryoko giggled, then settled down on top of him, wrapped her arms around
him, and kissed him. "Ohayo, Tenchi."

"Ohayo. How'd you know I was awake?"

"People don't hold their breath when they're asleep, silly." She gave him
another warm kiss. "Why'd you go and spoil my fun? I was looking forward
to waking you up."

"I heard you talking outside," he answered.

Ryoko nodded, her suspicions of Aeka having stolen the privilege of
awakening Tenchi allayed. "I guess that's OK. Just as long as you woke up
thinking of me. That's what matters." 

Something about the way she said it made Tenchi vaguely nervous. Her tone
was almost that of a... threat? That was just his old fear of her, he
told himself. Quickly, he dismissed it. He embraced her, then tried not
to be too surprised when she phased down through the blankets and joined
him underneath.

"Ryoko, about what you said..." he began.

Ryoko rubbed her head against his cheek. "Mmm-hmm?"

He kissed her. "I'm sorry."

"That's alright, Tenchi," she answered quietly.

"It doesn't sound like its alright."

Ryoko shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Really. It's just..."

"Just what?" he asked. "You sound like something's wrong."

Ryoko kissed him and stroked his hair. "Say goodnight to me, next time,
OK?"

"Didn't I?"

"No."

Tenchi hung his head for a moment. "I'm sorry. Honest. I guess I must
have been really tired." He kissed her. "How can I make it up to you?"

Ryoko raised her eyebrows as she stared down at him.

Tenchi's face fell. "Ryoko, I *can't*," he protested.

Ryoko sighed, nodded in defeat, and lay her head on his chest.

"Is that why you said that, then? So I'd feel guilty and stay home?"

"I told you, I don't want to make you feel bad. I wasn't trying to do
that. It's just that..." She hesitated for a moment, then looked him in
the eyes. "Why were you pretending to be asleep?"

"I dunno. I guess... I guess I was curious about what you're like I'm not
looking."

"That's kind of what I thought. So I showed you." Seeing guilt begin to
grow in his face, she kissed him. "Like I said, it wasn't so you'd feel
bad. I just... I just wanted you to know how I feel, Tenchi."

"I *know* how you feel, Ryoko," he answered quietly. "I missed you, too.
All day."

For a moment, Ryoko was unsure of what her reaction should be. The
knowledge that Tenchi loved her enough to feel pain at her absence filled
her with soft, soothing warmth. Yet, at the same time, pain was the last
thing she ever wanted him to feel because of her. She held him closer,
trying to decide which feeling outweighed the other.

"Did it hurt?"

Tenchi nodded. "Yeah, it hurt. A lot."

"So, that means you won't go, then? Right?" she asked hopefully.

"I *have* to go."

Ryoko looked him in the face, her expression devoid of any understanding.
"Why?"

"Because I have to," he replied.

"But *why*?" she demanded. "It hurts you. It hurts me. It even hurts..."
Ryoko hesitated, then forced herself to continue, "...Aeka. So, why go?
Give me one good reason."

"I'm supposed to."

"SO WHAT?" she snapped, sitting up in the bed and looking down at him.
"That's not a good reason -- that's a *stupid* reason!"

"I tried to tell you yesterday -- if I don't go to school, I can't get a
good job."

"What in the world do you need a *job* for?"

Tenchi tried his best to be reasonable. "I have to work to get money."

Ryoko shook her head and kissed him. "No, you don't. Steal it. Remember
what a great team we made?"

"Ryoko! I'm not a *criminal*!" he replied angrily. "I'm not the kind of
person who goes around breaking the law and hurting people! I just want
to live a quiet life, like I was going to before all this happened!"

Tenchi realized the full meaning of his words a fraction of a second
after uttering them, but it was too late. He managed to catch a glimpse
of the deeply hurt look on Ryoko's face just before she turned away.

"I'm... sorry," he said lamely.

Ryoko didn't answer.

Tenchi got up and put his arm around her shoulders.

Ryoko sat still, staring at the wall.

Tenchi kissed her on the cheek.

Ryoko barely seemed to notice.

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded, Ryoko," he said.

A tear ran out of one of Ryoko's eyes and trickled down her cheek.
"'Before all this happened,' huh?" she said, as more tears followed.
"Before I came and ruined your life and made a mess of everything,
right?"

"No! I said, that's not what I meant!"

"Tenchi, I know I haven't always told you the truth, but I've never lied
when it comes to how I feel about you." She closed her eyes as tears
continued to flow. "If you're ashamed of me, then say so."

"You *didn't* ruin my life, Ryoko. Don't ever say that. And I'm not
ashamed of you." He paused for a moment. "Not exactly, anyway."

"'Not exactly'? What's that supposed to mean?"

Tenchi thought about it, and realized he had no idea what it *did* mean.

*Was* he ashamed of her?

For a few minutes he sat next to her, trying to sort out his thoughts and
come up with a coherent reply. The closer he examined the logic behind
his words, the more that logic seemed to chase its own tail in an
endless, futile circle. All the while his conscience urged him onward,
reminding him that while he remained silent, Ryoko waited, her heart torn
open by his words and in need of healing.

"Ryoko, if I try to explain, will you listen to me?" he asked finally.

She nodded.

"Ever since I can remember, there've been things I knew but never really
thought about. I didn't argue with them. They just *were*." Tenchi
stopped for a moment, considering his words again. "And one of those
things is that you obey the law, and that someone who doesn't is a
criminal, and... a bad person."

Ryoko looked away again.

"I guess, when you first got here, I *did* think that, and I *was*
ashamed, a little." Tenchi grit his teeth, almost wanting to cry from the
shame of his confession and knowing that such a thing wasn't at all
acceptable. "I'm really sorry. Like I said, it wasn't something I thought
about. I was supposed to feel that way, so I did. Do you understand?"

Ryoko shook her head. "Not really. I've never given a damn about
'supposed to.' I do what I want, say what I want, feel what I want. And
if someone doesn't like it, they can go to hell." She looked over at him.
"Unless they're someone I care about."

"I don't think that's something I can completely agree with, Ryoko."

"Oh," said Ryoko quietly.

"You wanted me to be honest. I'm trying to be. I wish I could lie and say
I never thought bad things about you. I don't want to remember thinking
them."

"I guess that's why you... didn't seem sorry when Kiyone was going to
take me away," said Ryoko. "Right?"

Tenchi closed his eyes, his fists trembling. "I can't change what's
already happened, Ryoko. I guess maybe I can go ask Washuu if she's got a
time machine stuck in her lab someplace. If she does, I'll go back and
tell myself to stop being such an idiot. Other than that, all I can do is
say I'm sorry, and promise not to do it again."

"I don't want you having to mess with one of Washuu's contraptions,
Tenchi. Something might happen to you."

"Thanks." Tenchi stared at the floor for a few moments. "And about what I
said just now. When I said 'criminal', I didn't mean *you*, because I
don't think of you as a criminal anymore, really. Not since... I dunno,
at least since the thing with Washuu's dimension tuner. Probably before
that, even. That's just what I thought of you as, before I got to know
*you*. Yourself."

Ryoko nodded. "Alright. I guess I can understand that, a little."

"And when I said I wanted to live a quiet life, I meant quiet but with
*you* in it."

Ryoko smiled a little. "Are you sure this is *me* you're talking about?"

"You're right," said Tenchi, kissing her. "I guess I'll have to put up
with the noise, then." He pulled her over and put his arms around her.
"I'm sorry, Ryoko. I'll say it as many times as you want, but that's all
I can say. Please, forgive me."

"It's all right, Tenchi," she said, embracing him back. She put her head
on his shoulder. "I love you, no matter what."

For a long time Tenchi sat, holding her, until an idea occurred to him.
"Um, Ryoko?"

"Hmm?"

"If I do something to make it up to you, could you promise not to take
advantage of it?"

"That depends on what you mean by 'take advantage.'"

"I mean, don't make me feel guilty so I'll do it again. Promise?"

"OK. Sure. What are you going to do?"

"Stay home today."

Ryoko brought her head up to face him, her eyes wide. "Really?"

"Yeah. But remember, you promised."

"Alright. Tomorrow doesn't matter, anyway." She hugged him tight. "But
won't you get in trouble?"

"I'll ask my dad to call in and say I'm sick," Tenchi replied.

"Thank you, Tenchi."

"You're welcome, Ryoko." He pulled her closer and bent his head down,
then kissed her. They continued to sit mostly-still, their lips gently
pressed together, as minutes passed them by.

Suddenly, Tenchi's alarm clock started beeping loudly, startling him.
Without glancing away, Ryoko threw her arm out to her side and casually
flung a tiny bolt of bright orange energy from the tip of her index
finger. The bolt smashed into the clock and scattered it across the
floor, now nothing but small, smoldering bits of broken and partially-
melted wire and plastic. Tenchi started to turn his head to look, but
Ryoko already had her hand against his cheek -- not exerting enough force
to keep him from breaking the kiss, merely a reminder that she didn't
want him to. Managing to ignore the faint burnt smell in the air, Tenchi
held her, and Ryoko basked in the warm glow of their embrace, clinging
tenaciously both to Tenchi and the small scrap of precious time she'd
unexpectedly been able to keep from slipping through her fingers.

A few minutes later, downstairs, Sasami wore a hurt and disappointed
expression as she served breakfast. Aeka was the only one at the table
with her. "Where are Tenchi and Ryoko? And Mr. Masaki? And Washuu-chan?"
she asked worriedly.

Aeka frowned and picked at her rice. "Ryoko's probably still upstairs
with Ten-chan," she muttered, thinking out loud without realizing it.

"I'll go get them, then," said Sasami, starting to get up. "Their
breakfast will get cold, and Tenchi'll miss his bus."

Aeka quickly rose. "Um, no, Sasami, I'll go get them," she said
nervously, making her way towards the stairs.

"But what about Mr. Masaki?" asked Sasami.

"I'm sure he's here somewhere," Aeka replied. She reached the first step,
grumbling, then composed herself, not wanted Tenchi to see her angry. She
silently prayed that she'd meet him coming out of his door, rather than
having to hear the sounds of...

*She had to listen to you and Tenchi in the closet, didn't she?*

*That's different!*

*Why?*

*It just IS!*

The worst possible thing, she knew, would be to overhear Tenchi begging
Ryoko not to stop pleasuring him, as the pirate claimed he did. Already
Aeka could hear Tenchi's voice echoing in her head, forming the words.

"Oh, *god*, Ryoko, don't stop!"

Aeka winced.

*He doesn't say that. She was just trying to annoy you -- she said so
herself. Don't give her the satisfaction of distracting you.*

Meanwhile, in the upstairs hall, Nobuyuki conversed quietly with Azaka
and Kamidake while carrying a camcorder slung over his shoulder.

"Are you sure you heard her right?" he whispered.

"I'm sorry..." began Azaka in his usual loud, deep voice.

"Shhhh! They'll hear you!" hissed Nobuyuki.

Azaka continued at a lower volume. "I'm sorry, Nobuyuki-dono, but Aeka-
hime ordered us to prevent you from entering Tenchi-dono's chambers."

"We're terribly sorry about this," said Kamidake. "But we have to obey
Aeka-hime."

"Please don't think unkindly of us because of this," said Azaka.

"We really appreciate your hospitality," said Kamidake.

"But it's my duty as his father to do this!" moaned Nobuyuki. He looked
at the guardians hopefully. "How about if I give you guys a nice coat of
furniture polish?"

"I think I would like that," said Azaka.

"I always like to look my best," agreed Kamidake.

Nobuyuki's face lit up. "Then you'll let me through?"

"I'm sorry, Nobuyuki-dono," apologized Azaka.

"Perhaps if you go ask Aeka-hime and explain how important it is, she'll
change her mind," suggested Kamidake.

Nobuyuki shook his head. "I'll do that later. If they finish soon, I can
at least get a shot of them as they come out the door. I'm really proud
of Tenchi for being able to last this long!" He thought for a moment. "Or
maybe it's all that unagi he had last night."

At the same time, on the other side of the door, Tenchi and Ryoko's lips
parted. "I'd better go ask my dad now," he said. Ryoko nodded and let go,
and Tenchi hurriedly threw on his kimono. Then they stood up. Ryoko took
his hand and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder as they
walked towards the door.

"Thanks, Tenchi," she said, squeezing his hand.

"Well, don't thank me yet," he answered, starting to slide the door open.
"I still need to get permission from my..."

Tenchi blinked, staring directly into the lens of Nobuyuki's camcorder.

"....DAAAAAAAAAAD!!!"

"Ohayo, you two lovebirds!" said Nobuyuki, keeping the camcorder pointed
at them. "I was trying to get inside, but these two..." he nodded towards
Azaka and Kamidake on either side of the door, "... seem to think they're
supposed to keep me out." Nobuyuki laughed. "Maybe you can help me clear
up this little misunderstanding, Tenchi."

Tenchi gritted his teeth and turned to Azaka. "I thought you two were
going to *stop* him!"

"Ryoko said that Aeka-hime intended us only to stop Nobuyuki-dono from
going into the room to take pictures," replied Azaka.

"Isn't that all we were supposed to do?" asked Kamidake.

"Yeah, I guess," said Tenchi wearily. "Dad, can you call school and tell
them I won't be coming in?"

"Why? Are you sick or something?"

"Not exactly."

"I don't know, Tenchi. You really shouldn't cut school."

Tenchi hung his head for a moment. "I'm sorry, Ryoko," he said quietly.

Ryoko looked at Nobuyuki and batted her lashes. "*Please*, otou-sama!"
She leaned against Tenchi again. "You'll let Tenchi stay home. Ne?"

"Oh, *now* I get it!" said Nobuyuki, slowly nodding. He smiled, reached
over, and patted his son on the back. "Why didn't you say so in the first
place, Tenchi? Of *course* I'll let you stay home. Besides, it's
educational. I'll go right now and call your school."

Tenchi blinked. "What do you mean, educational?"

"Extra studying for sex ed class," replied Nobuyuki. "Now, smile," he
added, bringing the camcorder to bear again.

"Dad! Come on, put it away!" begged Tenchi, holding his hands in front of
his face.

"But, Tenchi, this is *important*," protested Nobuyuki. "I need some more
shots of you two together."

"Just stop it, OK?" Tenchi whined.

Nobuyuki sighed and lowered the camcorder, shaking his head. "I'm really
disappointed in you, Tenchi," he grumbled. "And your mother would be,
too. To think of being ashamed to be seen with such a pretty girl." He
turned and started to walk away.

Tenchi stood, eyes wide, as his father's last sentence repeated in his
head, along with what Ryoko had said earlier.

"To think of being ashamed to be seen with such a pretty girl."

"If you're ashamed of me, then say so."

The words echoed in his mind, over and over and over. Time seemed to
slow, then stop, as Tenchi's gaze went down his arm to his hand clasped
around Ryoko's, then over to his father's receding back. He squeezed her
hand as willpower flowed from his heart, through his brain, and forced
its way out through his vocal cords.

"Dad, come back," he said.

Nobuyuki turned around. "What?"

Again, Tenchi wrestled with himself and won. "Come back. And turn
your..." He hesitated for a moment, and managed to stifle the obscenity
he was about to utter, "... camcorder on."

Nobuyuki rushed into position before his son changed his mind. Tenchi
stood next to Ryoko, looking at the camcorder as if staring down the
barrel of a loaded shotgun. He concentrated on the warmth of Ryoko's hand
against his as Nobuyuki hit the "record" button and a red LED started
flashing.

Ryoko smiled and leaned up against Tenchi, waved at the camera, then
formed a V sign with her fingers. "Hi!" she said cheerily.

Tenchi turned to her and looked down into her face. He smiled.

"I love you, Ryoko," he said. Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed
her, just as, unseen by all three of them, Aeka crested the stairs.

Nobuyuki almost cried. "Honey, I wish you could see our son right now,"
he said quietly. "You'd be so proud of him!"

Aeka slowly turned and started back down the stairs, scarcely able to
believe what she'd seen. She remembered Tenchi's reaction when, that
Sunday night, Nobuyuki had managed to sneak up and take a shot of the two
of them kissing. Tenchi had seemed almost about to die from
embarrassment. Aeka had been incensed by the idea herself -- there was
nothing unpleasant about the filming per se, but the way Nobuyuki went
about it made one feel as if one was being caught doing something dirty,
whether or not one was. To say nothing of the way he popped up with no
warning and without regard for the subject's privacy.

But just now, Tenchi had stood in front of Nobuyuki's camera, without the
slightest sign of apprehension, and kissed Ryoko. Deliberately. And even
though Aeka didn't like the idea of allowing Nobuyuki to intrude on one
of her and Tenchi's private romantic moments, she couldn't help but feel
envy creeping outward from the core of her soul, fueled by a question
burning in her mind.

How in the world had Ryoko managed to force Tenchi to do that?

"Now, I'm letting you stay home for a reason, Tenchi," said Nobuyuki, his
voice carrying down the stairs towards Aeka. "So get back in there.
Shoo!"

Aeka heard Tenchi grumble something she couldn't quite make out, before
she heard the door to his bedroom clack shut. She ignored Nobuyuki's
footsteps closing behind her, and at the foot of the stairs he passed
her, then stopped and turned around.

"If you're looking for Tenchi, he's upstairs in his room," said Nobuyuki.
"I'm letting him stay home today."

"I... see," said Aeka levelly.

"Yeah, he's probably expecting you. Ryoko's already there."

Aeka clenched her teeth and summoned all of her patience. "Thank you for
informing me," she said, her voice icy.

Nobuyuki bowed. "No, thank *you* for being so patient with my son all
these months. He just... doesn't express his feelings well, sometimes.
Please forgive him." Nobuyuki sniffled. "His mother would be so proud of
him now. I wish she could have met you two girls. I really think she
would have liked you." He raised his head again, and wiped his eyes.

"Thank you very much. And you needn't trouble yourself," replied Aeka,
trying to digest this glimpse of a different side of Mr. Masaki. "There
is nothing I could not forgive him."

Aeka's eyes bugged out in absolute shock as Nobuyuki grabbed her and
hugged her. "I'm so happy my son's got such a beautiful girl who loves
him so much!" he cried. Then he backed away, nervously rubbing the back
of his neck. "I'm glad Tenchi didn't see me do that. He'd probably think
I was trying to get fresh with one of his ladies!" Nobuyuki chuckled,
before glancing at his watch. "Uh-oh, I'm running late. Anyway, like I
said, he's upstairs. I'm sure he's waiting for you. Sayonara," said
Nobuyuki, rushing off. He turned the corner towards the front door, then
halted, stood for a moment, glanced over his shoulder to be sure he
wasn't being watched, and quickly slipped through the door into Washuu's
lab.

Aeka frowned in thought as she walked to the breakfast table again,
absent-mindedly straightening her kimono. She knew she shouldn't be *too*
angry with Nobuyuki for his lack of propriety. Her mother did much the
same thing. The embarrassing prospect of the roles being reversed --
Jurai's empress grabbing Tenchi in one of her famous crushing hugs -- was
not something Aeka was looking forward to. 

The princess sighed, trying to drive from her mind the thought of what
her *father* would do. The worst Tenchi might suffer at her mother's
hands would be some affectionately-broken bones.

But once Aeka's mind cleared of images of the emperor's wrath, it filled
once more with what she'd been thinking of on the way down the stairs.

Tenchi was staying home today?

At first, Aeka could scarcely believe it.

Then, since she'd heard Tenchi go back into his room and shut the door,
she couldn't maintain her disbelief, and anger took its place. Ryoko had
seduced Tenchi, obviously. She'd tempted his body until it overrode his
mind -- melted stern resolve with heated promises of fleshly pleasure --
defeated lofty thoughts of consequences with the sensuousness of the
immediate moment. Certainly Ryoko would have no qualms about doing so. A
twinge of fear went through Aeka as she thought of Ryoko's frightening
lack of inhibition. The pirate ignored everything that was proper and
expected and decent, all the things which everyone else accepted to guide
their actions, in much the same way as she passed unhindered through
solid walls. Both aspects were unnatural, and neither of them ever failed
to unnerve Aeka. Yes, it would be just like Ryoko to ignore what should
be done in favor of something more enjoyable.

But it wasn't like Tenchi.

Aeka simply couldn't picture Tenchi being persuaded like that. She
wondered if she was just trying to blind herself to the painful fact that
Tenchi found Ryoko desirable, and decided that she wasn't. She didn't
think *she* could sway him that way, either. Tenchi wasn't easily moved
by lust. Ryoko had tried that route many times before, and failed. No,
what swayed Tenchi -- always -- was a need for protection, comforting,
and reassurance.

Aeka sighed. Of course. Ryoko had begged and pleaded and cried a flood of
tears, and in the end Tenchi had broken down and given in. That was
something Aeka could imagine quite easily. 

*Damn that woman! Why must she always be so insufferably selfish?!*

*But wouldn't you enjoy it if he stayed home for YOU?*

*Certainly I would. But I would not be so undisciplined as to ask it of
him.*

*Does he really need to go? Couldn't he simply stay home and learn from
Washuu? Just as you and Sasami did, from the tutors at court?*

*That's not the point! It's a matter of principle. Duty is duty. Why
can't she understand that?*

*Perhaps that's it. She doesn't understand. And if she doesn't
understand, can you really blame her?*

*Since when has Ryoko ever been INNOCENT?*

*Is what she did really that bad?*

*Why should he stay home with her, on HER day, yet not stay with me on
MINE?*

*If you don't ask him to, of course he won't stay.*

*That's exactly the point! I WOULDN'T ask him! I'm not like HER!*

*You shouldn't hate her so much. Didn't he ask you to befriend her?*

Aeka's shoulders slumped as she remembered her conversation with Tenchi,
the previous morning.

"You two seem to be getting along a little better. I'm really glad to see
that," Tenchi had said.

"I've been trying very hard. And I think she has been making some effort
as well, I must admit," Aeka had replied.

"As long as the two of you aren't fighting, I'll be happy. But I'd be
even happier if you became friends. Can't you be, now?" he had asked.

"Oh, Ten-chan, why must you be so terribly naive?" the princess sighed.
It was doomed from the very start, she knew, but she resolved to attempt
it. To achieve even the most tenuous of friendships with Ryoko would make
Tenchi happy, and that was what mattered, after all.

But how would they resolve the matter at hand, if they *were* friends?
And if no understanding could be met, how to show Tenchi that she
understood and supported him, even if Ryoko did not? Lost in thought,
Aeka silently nibbled at her breakfast for a few minutes.

"Sasami, would you please pass me the shouyu?" she said after a while. No
answer came. "Sasami?" repeated Aeka, looking up.

No one was there. And, she realized, no one had been, since she'd come
back downstairs.

Aeka blinked. "Where *is* everyone this morning?"

Down in Washuu's lab, a door slid open in mid-air. Out of the door walked
Sasami, with Mihoshi and Kiyone right behind her.

"Ohayo, Washuu-chan," said the two officers.

"Ohayo. So, they were already awake, Sasami-chan?" said Washuu, looking
up from her computer.

Sasami nodded. "Uh-huh. I'm really glad you made this invention, Washuu-
chan. Now we can have Kiyone and Mihoshi over for breakfast every day!"

Kiyone looked around, then quickly walked over to Washuu and bent down.
"Um, Washuu-chan, are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean, making
it so easy for Mihoshi to get into your lab where she can..."

A loud crash interrupted Kiyone. Knowing exactly what it had to be, she
turned her head towards the sound and snarled angrily. "MIHOSHI!!!"

"I'm *sorry*!" sobbed Mihoshi, standing in front of a large, tumbled pile
of metal rods, shattered glass, and sparking electrical wires. "I didn't
mean to!"

"Mihoshi, can't you watch what you're doing, for *ONCE*?!?!" shouted
Kiyone. "Now you've wrecked one of Washuu's experiments!"

"Actually, I put that together just so Mihoshi could break it," said
Washuu calmly, standing up. "It's insurance to protect my real
experiments."

Kiyone wiped her brow just as Sasami piped up from a dozen meters or so
across the lab. "What's *this*, Washuu-chan?" asked the princess, gazing
at a bright globe of blazing light set inside another glistening,
translucent blue sphere. The object floated in the air above a
complicated-looking device which projected a web of thin beams of light
around it.

"*That* is my latest invention!" replied Washuu proudly. "I've taken a
star just nanoseconds from going supernova, shrunk it down, and contained
it inside a special stasis field. Now, if the field is shut down, the
star will explode. If this went off right now, it'd vaporize everything
from here clear out past the cometary halo."

"That's pretty big, even for a supernova," said Kiyone, nervously
glancing at the device.

Washuu nodded. "Well, this star's a Class-I blue giant. Actually, it
might explode halfway out to Alpha Centauri, if I tickle it just the
right way."

Mihoshi quickly rushed up to Sasami and interposed herself between the
princess and the captured star. "I think you should stay away from this,
Sasami-chan," said Mihoshi. "I'm sure it's very..."

"NO, MIHOSHI, DON'T TOUCH THAT!!!" shouted Kiyone and Washuu
simultaneously.

"...dangerous," finished Mihoshi, just as she bumped the device.

A voice identical to those of Washuu's mini-robots, but much louder,
echoed through the lab. "Releasing stasis field. Stellar core collapse 
resumption and restoration of specimen to pre-capture volume in five...
four... three..."

Washuu summoned her keyboard as fast as she could and hit keys in rapid
succession.

"...two... one... ze... specimen returned to originating coordinates,"
announced the voice. "Restoration to pre-capture volume confirmed. Core
collapse confirmed. Estimate arrival of shockwave at chromosphere in one
hour fifty-eight minutes forty seconds with a velocity of..."

Washuu pressed another key, silencing the voice, and started to breathe
again.

"Is it safe now?" asked Kiyone.

"Yes, it's safe," replied Washuu. "I just hope no one happens to be close
to that thing a couple hours from now."

"It won't blow up for another two hours?" asked Mihoshi. "Why were you in
such a hurry, then?"

Washuu sighed and shook her head. "Oh, no particular reason. We'd have
been inside a star, that's all."

"Oh, wow!" gasped Mihoshi. "I've always wondered what the inside of a
star looked like!"

"Maybe you should let her find out," said Kiyone, her voice low enough so
that only Washuu could hear her.

For just a moment, Washuu considered it. It had taken her until nearly
three in the morning to set up that experiment, not counting the time it
had taken to find a suitable star. She clenched her fists and mentally
calculated the first fifty or so digits of pi until she calmed down.
"Mihoshi, come here," she said, after a few seconds.

Mihoshi walked over, looking sad and embarrassed. "I'm *sorry*, Washuu-
chan. I didn't mean to..."

Washuu shook her head again as she fiddled with her console. "Never mind.
Smile."

Obediently, Mihoshi smiled.

"OK, done," said Washuu. Mihoshi leaned over and saw a likeness of her
own face on the screen.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"The next time I revise the glossary to my Introduction to Quantum
Mechanics textbook, instead of *writing* something for the definition of
'entropy', I'm going to put in this picture, instead."

Mihoshi's eyes widened. "Gee, thanks, Washuu-chan!"

"Don't mention it," replied the scientist. "Now, you three go up to
breakfast."

"Aren't you coming, Washuu-chan?" asked Sasami, concerned.

"I'll be along in a little while, Sasami-chan," assured Washuu. "Don't
you worry. But there's something I have to fix first."

"OK. Just hurry up, or it'll get cold," said the princess, as she and the
GP officers headed towards the exit. They were almost there when the door
opened and Nobuyuki slunk inside. He straightened up and found himself
face to face with Mihoshi.

"I, uh, guess you're wondering why I'm sneaking into Washuu-chan's lab,
right?" he asked, sweating as he took a quick, stealthy peek down the top
of Mihoshi's blouse.

"Oh, no! I'm sure you've got a very good reason," replied Mihoshi
sincerely, not having noticed the darting of Nobuyuki's eyes. She and the
other two girls made their way around him -- Kiyone giving him a mildly
disapproving look -- and left the lab. Once the door shut, Nobuyuki
turned and walked towards Washuu.

"Um, Washuu-chan, I have a favor I'd like to ask," he said.

"Favor, huh?" said Washuu, not looking up from her keyboard. "What kind,
exactly?"

"It involves Tenchi."

"So does everything else around here, it seems. And?"

Nobuyuki wrung his hands in frustration. "He's sleeping with Aeka and
Ryoko now, and I've been trying so hard to capture it on tape for
posterity, but those log things -- Azaka and Kamidake -- they won't let
me into his room!"

Washuu nodded. "Juraian guardians aren't anything to mess with. I
wouldn't try to get past them, if I were you."

"Oh, I don't think they'd hurt me. But they're so stubborn about it,"
grumbled Nobuyuki.

"So, what do you want me to do about it?" asked Washuu.

"Well, do you have any... I don't know, X-ray vision cameras, or anything
like that?"

"Nope. Sorry," answered Washuu. "But there's something you can give me,
which would help *both* of us."

Nobuyuki's eyes widened. "Anything! If it will help me record my son's
development, no sacrifice is too great!"

Washuu grinned as she tapped some keys. "That's what I figured you'd
say."

Four clamps on the ends of gleaming metallic tentacles grabbed Nobuyuki's
wrists and ankles, pulling him spread-eagle in mid-air as a blinking
crystalline helmet with countless wires attached to it came down over his
head.

Inside his room, Tenchi sneezed, then leaned against the wall, shaking
his head. "I can't *believe* he said that! Why does my dad have to be so
*ecchi*!"

Ryoko chuckled. "Shouldn't you respect your dad, Tenchi?" she asked.
"And, anyway," she added, her voice turning sultry as she floated in
front of Tenchi and kissed him, "would you like to?"

"Sure, Ryoko, but not when my dad *tells* me to," he replied, annoyed.
"Can't he understand that it's none of his business?" Tenchi sighed. "I'm
sorry. But when he does stuff like that, it doesn't exactly get me in the
mood."

"It's OK, I can wait," said Ryoko. She put her arms around his neck and
kissed him again. "Besides, we're late for breakfast. Hungry?"

"A little, but I don't want to go downstairs until my dad leaves,"
replied Tenchi. Then he frowned, starting to sweat a little. "I just had
a really scary thought. What if he decides to stay home? We'll be stuck
in here all day!"

Ryoko pouted, then starting rubbing herself against him. "Is it so *bad*
to be trapped somewhere with me?"

Tenchi kissed her. "No, but I'm going to have to eat and go to the
bathroom *sometime* today."

"I'll pop downstairs and check in a while, OK? In the meantime," she
said, as the tail of her dress curled around his leg, "we can lie down
and cuddle, ne?" She gave his neck a brief lick. "Ne, Tenchi?"

Tenchi smiled as he looked her in the eyes. "Are you sure you wouldn't
like me to call you 'koneko' sometimes?"

Ryoko brought her lips next to his ear. "Yes, I'm sure," she whispered
seductively. "But I'd love for you to take me back to bed and pet me."

Meanwhile, Aeka was just about to go looking for Sasami when the younger
princess walked in to the kitchen with Mihoshi and Kiyone in tow. Aeka
quickly got up and bowed. "Ohayo."

"Ohayo," replied the two officers.

"I invited Kiyone and Mihoshi over for breakfast," said Sasami happily.

Aeka smiled. "Please, do join us," she offered.

The two officers bowed and sat down, followed by Aeka, as Sasami rushed
off to get two more place settings from the kitchen. She returned and set
them down, and took a seat herself. Then the four girls began eating.

After a minute or two, Sasami looked around worriedly. "Where are Tenchi
and Ryoko?" she asked.

Aeka waited just a moment before answering. "They're upstairs, Sasami,"
she said. "I think you should save breakfast for them," she added
quietly.

"But it's almost time for him to go wait for his bus," said Sasami.
"Isn't he going? He's not sick, is he?"

For a moment Aeka considered the question, her mind picturing Ryoko as a
kind of deadly, virulent plague. Then she took control of her thoughts
and chastised herself. She and Ryoko had been enemies for a long time, it
was true. They definitely weren't friends, even after the tumultuous
events of late. And many of the things Ryoko did had malice at their
root. But to write off the pirate's every action and every motive as
innately evil would solve nothing. Even putting aside Tenchi's sweet but
foolish hope for friendship between the two girls, Aeka realized that
deluding herself about Ryoko wouldn't help her fight her. To prevail, she
would need to see her adversary with vision unclouded by hate, to accept
that, sometimes, though Ryoko's actions might be wrong, her motives might
not be. She wasn't some sort of primal malevolent force. She was a
person, like any other. Maybe even a little like Aeka herself.

And perhaps, Aeka considered, perhaps if she made an effort to treat
Ryoko as such, life might be a bit more pleasant at times.

Aeka smiled slightly. "No, Sasami, he's not sick. Don't worry. I believe
he and Ryoko had something they needed to talk about."

"Oh, by the way," said Kiyone, reaching into one of her pockets. "Could
you hang on to this, Aeka?" she asked, holding out a key on the end of a
leather thong. "It's the spare to our apartment. This way you can lock
the door, if you use Washuu's portal to go into town."

"I hadn't considered that use of the portal," said Aeka contemplatively.
"I had intended to go shopping on Sunday, but didn't get the chance.
Perhaps this would be a good opportunity."

"But we did go shopping," replied Mihoshi. "We went to the mall and
everything, remember?"

"I don't think that trip to the Tenoji Mio is what Aeka had in mind,"
laughed Kiyone.

Aeka joined in with a demure laugh of her own. "No, it certainly wasn't."
She bowed slightly. "Thank you very much, Kiyone. You are most
thoughtful."

"Uh, actually, it was Mihoshi's idea," said Kiyone.

Aeka blinked, then turned and bowed to Mihoshi. "Thank you very much,
Mihoshi."

Mihoshi waved her hands and blushed. "Oh, don't mention it."

Kiyone finished her food and took a quick sip of tea. "Hurry up, Mihoshi.
Or we'll be late for work."

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" Mihoshi wolfed down the rest of her
breakfast, gulped her tea, and stood up, followed by Kiyone. The two
officers bowed to the princesses.

"Thank you," said Kiyone. "Especially you, Sasami."

"It was yummy!" added Mihoshi, looking over at the younger princess.
"That was much better than last week -- we had to skip breakfast every
day because we spent too much at the karaoke bar and we didn't have
enough money in our budget to..."

"MIHOSHI!" snarled Kiyone.

"Oh, sorry," apologized Mihoshi. "I guess I shouldn't have said that,
'cause Kiyone always gets so embarrassed whenever I talk about all the
money problems we have with..."

"MIHOSHI!!"

Mihoshi stopped herself, and she and Kiyone bowed goodbye, then hurried
towards Washuu's lab. Remembering something she wanted to talk to Washuu
about, Aeka got up as well, leaving Sasami to her breakfast. The three
older girls opened the door to the lab and headed inside.

This time they ran into Nobuyuki heading out. He bowed to them and
hurried off to the front door. The girls entered the laboratory to find
Washuu examining some sort of schematic on her computer.

"Now, you two probably want me to show you how to get back to your
apartment, right?" she asked, not looking up from her work.

"Yes, Washuu-chan," said Kiyone. "If you could show us how to work it..."

"First, I'm moving it," said Washuu. With a few taps on her keyboard, a
large hole opened up in the air. Out of it she withdrew the door that led
to Mihoshi and Kiyone's apartment. She pressed another key, and the hole
closed. Then she headed towards the exit, carrying the door, with the
other girls following behind her.

Once they were outside, Washuu placed the door upright against the wall
next to the bath. She extended her hands, and her keyboard appeared
underneath them. Another brief flurry of typing ensued. White light
momentarily engulfed the door before it vanished. "OK, it's ready," she
announced.

"But how...?" asked Kiyone.

Washuu knocked once on the wall. The door instantly reappeared.
"Understand?" she asked.

The girls nodded. Kiyone opened the door, revealing nothing but darkness
beyond, before she and Mihoshi waved goodbye, stepped through, and shut
it.

Washuu wiped her brow. "Now that *that* little problem's fixed, I can eat
breakfast without worrying about Mihoshi popping into my lab and
destroying the entire Sol system."

"If you have a moment, Washuu-chan, there's a favor I wanted to ask of
you," said Aeka, bowing her head slightly.

"A favor, huh? It seems everyone wants one of those lately," said Washuu.
"What is it you want?"

"Well, there was an addition I wanted to make to Ten-chan's room," said
Aeka. She blushed slightly. "For... intimate matters."

"A bigger bed, is that it?" asked Washuu.

Aeka thought about it. The bed she'd had on Ryuu-oh *was* quite a bit
larger than Tenchi's. But after a moment, she decided to stick to her
original plan. "No, I need some chains. And manacles. Made out of
precious metal, if possible. I'm not sure where I could buy them, on
Earth."

Washuu grinned. "Ah. I see. Doing some engineering?"

Aeka blinked, confused for a moment. "No, chemistry," she replied,
wondering if she had remembered Washuu's metaphor correctly. "I can have
the funds transferred to you from the Royal treasury on Jurai, if you
need to purchase the materials."

"Purchase?" laughed Washuu. "Don't be silly!"

Aeka's expression turned serious. "Please understand that I don't mean
this as an insult, but if this involves theft..."

"No, no, no," said Washuu, waving her hands. "What I mean is, if I have
enough protons and neutrons, the *last* thing I need to worry about is
how many there are in each nucleus. What do you want the chains made of,
silver? Gold? Platinum? Or I could use a non-radioactive uranium isotope,
if you'd like them to be really heavy."

"It truly makes no difference?" asked Aeka.

Washuu grinned proudly. "None whatsoever."

"Platinum would be nice." 

"Platinum it is, then."

Aeka hesitated briefly. "You're quite sure? It's not too much trouble?"

Washuu patted Aeka's hand, taking on a maternal demeanor for just a
moment. "No, it's not too much trouble. Don't worry." She grinned and
laughed again. "'Too much trouble?' Any of my students could have done
this after their first semester! Assuming I hadn't flunked them, of
course."

"You have my heartfelt thanks, Washuu-chan," said Aeka in the sincerest
of tones. She bowed again, smiling. "This means very much to me. You
truly *are* the greatest genius in the universe." She straightened up,
then giggled slightly. "Oh, I can't *wait* to show them to Ten-chan!"
Then the princess quickly regained her composure. "Well, I won't keep you
from breakfast any longer."

"I'll start the chains going now. That way they'll be done once I'm
finished eating," said Washuu, walking over to the door to her lab and
opening it.

"But there's an important measurement I need to take first," said Aeka,
following her. Then her expression became rather worried. "I hope Ten-
chan doesn't misunderstand my reasons, though," she added quietly. "And I
don't want to have to explain it to him. I want to make it a surprise."

The door shut behind them. "No need to embarrass Tenchi," said Washuu. "I
have comprehensive physical data on him." She grinned. "Especially *that*
data."

Aeka blinked. "How do you know what I need to measure?" she asked, before
frowning in anger. "And how are *you* privy to such information, anyway?"

Washuu summoned her computer and started typing. "Firstly, when you teach
classes to students from all over the galaxy, you learn a few things
about their customs. And secondly, I've scanned him quite a few times." A
wire-frame diagram of Tenchi appeared on her screen. "Here it is. Every
dimension of every body part, down to the angstrom."

Aeka relaxed for a moment, then tensed again. "Yes, but the measurement
needs to be taken when he's..." She began twiddling her fingers. "When
he's... he's..."

"Erect?" asked Washuu.

Aeka nodded. "Yes. He... wasn't, when you...?" She gulped and looked at
Washuu. "Was he?"

Washuu grinned wickedly. "I think I'll let you wonder about that. But
even if he wasn't, it's trivial to extrapolate, given the data I already
have." She tapped some keys, and a nearby transparent cylindrical chamber
lit up.

"About what you said, regarding your students. How did you find out such
a thing?" asked Aeka.

"Because one of them did just what I'm doing now for a mid-term lab,"
explained the scientist, as gas hissed loudly on entering the chamber.
"They had to synthesize solid matter from raw sub-atomic particles. Most
of them just made lumps of beryllium or carbon, but I gave bonus points
for going higher up the periodic table, and for being able to mold the
material during formation. And one of the Juraian students made a set of
chains."

"She did?"

"No, he did."

Aeka's eyes widened. "He made a set of chains for *himself*?" she asked
in an awed, disbelieving voice. She closed her eyes, clasped her arms to
her chest, and sighed dreamily. "Bound by chains forged in the fires of
his own heart. Oh, how romantic that must have been!" Then she opened her
eyes again, and her face fell as she thought about how unlikely it was
that Tenchi would do such a thing for her.

Washuu noticed. She stopped typing, and looked up at the princess. "If he
knew you wanted him to, he would, Aeka. Or at least, he'd try."

Aeka nodded sadly. "I know."

"You could tell him."

Aeka shook her head. "It just wouldn't be the same if I *asked* him to."

"No, I don't suppose it would be," agreed Washuu.

"I merely wish that he'd *want* to learn Juraian customs," said Aeka. She
hung her head sorrowfully. "Though I can't really blame Ten-chan, given
the way I introduced him to them. It's my own fault for blinding myself,"
she added quietly. "I truly wish I had seen clearer. As it is, I think
he'll always look on them either as something fearful, or as a kind of
silly game."

"Maybe, and then again, maybe not," said Washuu, pressing a key. Gleaming
ribbons of light appeared within the chamber, glowing brighter by the
instant. "People are a lot harder to predict than atoms, sometimes. Give
Tenchi a chance." She smiled. "Always remember that love is the most
quantum of all phenomena."

Aeka smiled. "Thank you, Washuu-sensei."

"You're welcome, Aeka."

For a moment, Aeka frowned, thinking. "Regarding your student, that still
doesn't explain how you knew... what needed to be measured." Then her
eyes widened suddenly. "Surely he didn't measure it in *class*?" she
gasped.

Washuu chuckled. "No. But why else would he take a laser micrometer to
the restroom with him?"

"Well, I trust you gave him the highest marks."

"Nope. Flunked him."

"But whatever *for*?"

"After making the chains, he didn't show up for class for a week
straight."

"Oh, I think that's quite understandable," said Aeka, smiling.

"Yeah, well I *told* them that coed dorms wouldn't be good for the
students' performance," grumbled Washuu.

"That depends entirely on what you mean by 'performance,' doesn't it?"

Washuu thought about it for a moment. "I see your point," she said
finally.

"One other thing," said Aeka. "As I've said, I truly do appreciate this.
Is there anything I can do to return the favor?"

"Hmm... well, there is *one* thing. There's a sample I'd like to get."

Aeka's eyes widened. "Washuu... I simply must refuse. It would be a
betrayal of Ten-chan's trust."

"That's not the sample I was asking for, though I wouldn't mind that,
either. But what I want is a sample of Ryuu-oh's sap."

Aeka looked shocked for a moment, then bowed. "I'm sorry, Washuu-chan.
But if that is the price of your favor, again, I must refuse." For a
brief instant disappointment filled her, quickly giving way to pride,
pride born of the knowledge that there were some obligations to Jurai
that she *did* keep. During every day she'd stayed since the first, the
voices of her offended forebears had whispered in her mind, reminding her
of oaths she'd bent and broken. In recent days those low, resentful
voices had become accusing screams. But now, for the moment, the
princess' ancestors were silent. Aeka straightened up. "Please
understand. The royal trees are vital to Jurai's power. For an enemy to
learn how to control or duplicate them would be disastrous for us. And so
it is my duty to see that knowledge of their nature never leaves Jurai's
royal family."

Washuu looked at Aeka, her expression unreadable.

"By 'enemy', I most assuredly did *not* mean you, Washuu-chan," the
princess quickly added. "If it were only up to me, I would trust you. I
have thought of asking you, before, actually -- to see if you might be
able to make Ryuu-oh fly again. But I must keep my promises."

"I probably *could* make it fly again, Aeka," replied Washuu. "I know you
don't want to leave, because of Tenchi, but it must hurt not being *able*
to."

"Please don't try to tempt me," said Aeka. "In this matter, I have no
choice." She bowed again. "I suppose I'll have to obtain the chains is
some other fashion."

Washuu shook her head. "No, you won't."

Aeka's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"I'll think of something else." Washuu smiled. "I don't know what, but
something."

Aeka was in mid-bow when the door to the lab opened and Sasami poked her
head inside. "Aren't you two coming to breakfast?" the younger princess
asked. "It's getting cold."

"Coming right away, Sasami-chan," replied Washuu, starting to walk to the
door with Aeka following her.

"I'll be outside with Ryo-ohki if you need me. And when Tenchi and Ryoko
come downstairs, tell them their breakfasts are in the oven," Sasami
called back just before she let the door close.

Washuu resisted the reflex to glance up at Aeka's face after hearing
Sasami's last sentence. For the moment she merely wanted to observe the
unfolding events, not alter them, and the Uncertainty Principle applied
just as much to people as it did to atoms. She quickly analyzed the data
at hand, considered the various possibilities, and arrived at a
conclusion.

Tenchi wasn't sick or injured. All of the girls would have been upstairs
doting on him, if he were. 
                                     
Tenchi wasn't dabbling in truancy because he didn't feel like going to
school. From what Washuu had seen, he wasn't a bad student, and he
actually *liked* school, after a fashion.

Tenchi wasn't staying home to have sex. She didn't need to call up his
recorded hentai pattern to determine *that*. Knowing Ryoko, sex was
probably in the offing anyway, but it wasn't Tenchi's motivation. He had
a fairly tight rein on his hormones for a male human his age. Perhaps
just a little *too* tight, but that was another matter entirely.
                                     
Which left just one other basic possibility, which Aeka had probably
deduced as well, if she was being honest with herself.

There was no need to look at the princess' face, Washuu knew. The pain
would be hidden deep.

Part of her wanted very much to sit Aeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi down, give
each one a good, solid whack on the head, and tell them what was what.
They were blind, stumbling children, all three of them, barely out of
diapers, even. Carefree infants toddling around the nursery with razor-
sharp knives in their hands, with no knowledge of how deep those knives
could cut.

No, not infants, really. They could learn, a little. Perhaps. But they
desperately needed her to make them sit still for a while, stop wounding
each other, and listen to the knowledge she would impart. For their own
good.

And yet, Washuu knew deep down, that wouldn't work.

They were much too headstrong, and the instruction was of much too
personal a nature, for them to listen and learn from her. Just like Ryoko
had been, that night, when Washuu had finally fixed the damaged dimension
tuner, and had asked her to willingly give up the perfect world she had
created. In the end, Ryoko had made the right choice, and in doing so had
grown a little. Hopefully, all three of them would, this time. But they
had to do so on their own. Trying to force them would only make things
worse. 

That was often the nature of such things. Some data would never be
believed unless one analyzed it for oneself. And sometimes, though
rarely, the most enlightening part of an experiment was learning exactly
why the lab had blown up. Mistakes, discoveries -- the two were
frequently one and the same.

She would wait, Washuu decided. If they came to her and asked, she would
answer, but until then, she would simply watch, letting them stumble and
learn.

Washuu reached up, turned the door handle, and pulled.

"I hope Sasami-chan fixed plenty of breakfast this morning," she said.
"I'm *starving*!"

Meanwhile, Tenchi and Ryoko lay face to face in the middle of his bed,
snuggled together under the covers as they kissed and slowly let their
hands roam each other's bodies. Though Tenchi, Ryoko decided, was being
much more forceful in his caresses than he had when they'd first lain
down. At the moment he had one arm wrapped around her waist, while she
could feel the other hand softly kneading one of her breasts, then the
other, as Tenchi alternated between them. There was a definite urgency
about his kisses, too. Ryoko slid her hand down between Tenchi's legs and
confirmed her suspicions. "Oooh, is this for *me*?" she asked, slowly
rubbing his erection.

Tenchi broke the kiss for a moment and looked around the room. "I don't
see anyone else here," he said.

Continuing to rub, she brought her face closer to his. "All mine, huh?
And just what should I do with it?"

"Whatever you want," Tenchi answered, putting both arms around her.

"I think I know what *you* want me to do," Ryoko said, smiling. She put
her elbows on Tenchi's chest and rested her chin on her hands. "There was
another reason you were pretending to be asleep, ne?"

Tenchi rubbed the back of his neck and grinned, but didn't say anything.

Ryoko floated up and sat lotus-style in the air, sideways, her arms
folded across her chest as she looked down sternly at Tenchi. "You wanted
me to think you weren't awake yet, so I'd suck you off, didn't you?" she
said accusingly.

Tenchi blushed. "Uh, well..."

"You were trying to trick me into giving you a blowjob, ne?" Ryoko poked
at the tip of his nose with her finger. "Ne, Tenchi?"

"Well, I guess I *had*, um, thought of that," he replied.

Ryoko quickly floated back half a meter. "Oh, *my*!" she gasped, in the
sweet, tremulous voice she'd used when the two of them had first met.
"Here I thought you were so brave and heroic, protecting me and letting
me stay here when I had no place else to go. But you were just hoping to
take advantage of me, weren't you?" She put her hands in front of her
face, managing to look very embarrassed. "And now that you've got me all
alone, you're trying to make me do all *kinds* of nasty things with you.
Don't you understand that I'm not that sort of girl, you awful hentai!"
Ryoko closed her eyes and put her hand to her forehead. "Oh! I'm so
scared! Oh, I think I'm going to... oooooohhhh...." She swooned and
drifted down on top of Tenchi, lying in a pretended faint for a few
seconds before she started giggling.

"Ha, ha, very funny," said Tenchi in a sarcastic voice.

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Well, I guess this
means no more 'Ryoko, you don't have to do that,' right?"

"Yeah. I guess you could say I've decided to stop struggling."

Ryoko pouted and twirled the tip of her finger on Tenchi's chest.
"Awwww... but you're so *kawaii* when you struggle!"

Tenchi blinked. "I am?"

"Mmm-hmm," Ryoko answered. She grabbed both of his wrists. "Struggle for
me, Tenchi."

"Huh?"

"Try to get away," she explained, kissing him.

"Ryoko, I promised you I wouldn't do that," Tenchi said seriously.

"It's just playing, Tenchi," Ryoko assured him. "Go ahead. Try to get
away. Do your best."

After a moment of indecision, Tenchi started trying to pull free. Ryoko
held him fast and began kissing and licking his neck, whispering taunts
at him. He tried harder. Ryoko pressed down on top of him, cooing
seductively as their squirming bodies rubbed against each other in the
midst of Tenchi's futile escape throes. Then their lips met, and Tenchi's
struggles ceased as he and Ryoko's tongues darted into one another's
mouths and they wrapped their arms around each other.

Two or three minutes later, Ryoko felt down between Tenchi's legs again,
then smiled. "I see *you* liked that, too," she said.

Tenchi smiled back at her. "I'm not complaining."

Ryoko hand rubbed some more. "I've got an idea," she said. "Close your
eyes and pretend to be asleep again, and *I'll* pretend I don't know
you're awake." She kissed him. "Sound OK to you?"

Tenchi nodded, smiling in anticipation. "It sounds OK."

Ryoko ran her tongue along her index finger, then slowly trailed the wet
fingertip down Tenchi's cheek. "Anything special you'd like me to do?"

Tenchi thought very briefly. "Well..." he began, before hesitating.

"Come on, Tenchi," Ryoko said, tracing the tip of the finger around his
face. "Isn't it a little late to be shy *now*?"

Tenchi blushed, then nodded and continued. "When you, uh, held it in your
teeth, and then you licked it. That was really good, Ryoko."

Ryoko folded her hands and rested her chin on them. "Is that so?" she
asked.

Tenchi nodded. "Yeah. Could you, uh, do that again?"

"Oh, I guess if I *have* to," she answered, giggling. "So, you like it
when I use my teeth, huh?"

"Yeah. It kind of... turns me on, I guess."

Ryoko leaned forward and put her mouth next to Tenchi's ear. "Any reason
why?" she asked. "Not that I mind at all if something about me turns you
on," she added in a sultry whisper, before kissing him.

"Well... I don't know. Maybe because it's a little scary, and it reminds
me that I don't need to be afraid of you anymore."

Ryoko sighed, and her face saddened a bit. "You never did need to be
afraid of me, Tenchi," she said quietly, as she bent down to gently give
him another kiss.

Tenchi groaned and put a hand over his face. "AAAAARRGGHH!! Not *AGAIN*!
What *is* it with me, this morning?!"

"It's *OK*, Tenchi," she said, smiling at him and kissing him once more.

"Ryoko, I'm sorry, but..." he began.

"Shut up, Tenchi," she whispered, tenderly pressing her lips against his.
"You're spoiling it."

"I know, I didn't mean..." he started.

"I said 'shut up,'" she said, her voice soft and lilting, after silencing
him again. "If you want to say you're sorry, tell me you love me,
instead. I'd much rather hear that."

Tenchi nodded. "I love you, Ryoko."

Ryoko closed her eyes, treasuring the sound of the words. Tenchi leaned
up and kissed her, then put his arms around her and pulled her down
against him. After a few minutes, she held his chin in her hand, kissed
him, and looked him deep in the eyes. "Now, do you want to pick up where
we left off?" she asked.

Tenchi shook his head. "If you don't mind, Ryoko, I'd rather just hold
you for a while."

Ryoko lay her head on Tenchi's chest and closed her eyes again. "Hold me,
then," she said. "I don't mind at all."

Downstairs at the breakfast table, Aeka sat in silent thought, every so
often eating a small bit of food. Across from her, Washuu ate just as
silently but with much more gusto, her green eyes observing the princess
between bites.

Aeka swallowed another morsel of fish and kept on thinking, asking
herself the same questions, over and over again.

What could she do, to keep her promise to Tenchi and try her best to
befriend Ryoko? How to undertake a task she knew to be impossible?

She forced herself to briefly consider Ryoko's current situation. Not
what the pirate was probably doing at that exact moment, upstairs with
Tenchi. *That* definitely didn't bear thinking about. But Ryoko was hurt
by Tenchi having to leave each day. She wasn't merely putting on an act
to cause trouble, or for some other sinister purpose. The suffering was
genuine. And what would Aeka do, knowing that a friend was in pain?

Ryoko, a *friend*? The idea was so strange, so *insane*, that Aeka's mind
could barely accommodate it as a premise for further thought. All of the
decisions that would come naturally, almost instinctively, were any other
person the subject of them, now became impossible puzzles. It was like
trying to imagine what the world would be like if gravity pushed things
up instead of pulling things down. And something else she couldn't quite
grasp seemed to make her recoil at the very idea. She gave up for a
while, and decided to take a different tack.

What if, instead of Ryoko, it was someone who *was* Aeka's friend? Asahi,
perhaps, from Ryuten?

For a moment, Aeka almost laughed. Asahi wanting to be near a man was
nearly as ridiculous as becoming friends with Ryoko. But the thought
lightened her mood somewhat, banishing the animosity and allowing her
thoughts to see through to the obvious.

She should try to help Ryoko feel less pain. Do something to comfort her,
somehow. Now that the idea had occurred to her, Aeka felt rather silly
for having had to actually *think* about it.

Then her black mood swiftly returned. Ryoko was upstairs with Tenchi,
receiving far more comfort than was her due. Aeka struggled and tried to
tell herself that her actions would be the same as when she'd gone and
talked to Ryoko, after the what had happened with Taro-chan. But it just
wasn't the same. To express kindness and regret at Ryoko suffering
terrible pain that could never be assuaged, that was one thing. It was
emotion, and it came with effort, but one could not lend approval to the
impossible. But to try to help Ryoko bear Tenchi's absence was to
sanction her being with him at all. And it would mean dwelling on the
fact that Ryoko and Tenchi loved each other, even *approving* of it,
rather than closing her eyes and ears and mind, trying her best to
pretend it wasn't so.

But perhaps, if Ryoko didn't feel so bad, she wouldn't display such
obvious distress, and Tenchi wouldn't feel the need to repeat what he had
done today. Which was worse, comforting Ryoko herself, or knowing that
Tenchi was doing so? Was being kind to the pirate too high a price to pay
to make her spend less time with Tenchi?

Shame welled up inside the princess. Tenchi wanted her to become Ryoko's
friend in *fact*, and even though she knew that would never really
happen, Aeka didn't want to take his good intentions and pervert them
into something negative, even to be used against Ryoko.

In any case, once she thought about it, Aeka realized that she had very
little idea of what might make Ryoko, in particular, feel better. Ways to
cause harm she had in great number -- a vast and varied arsenal of
emotional weapons, always at the ready, each one painstakingly-crafted
for maximum effectiveness against her enemy. But ways to help she knew
very few of. Once more she returned to the beginning and worked her way
through the problem, step by step.
                                     
Ryoko missed Tenchi. So, help her to miss him less. How? Explaining
things wouldn't work. When it came to Tenchi, Ryoko was completely
impervious to reason. Some other gesture was necessary. A gift, perhaps?
Yes, that just might work, Aeka decided. Get Ryoko something which
reminds her of Tenchi. Or something which says that he will return, even
if he isn't there now. Something, if it were possible, to make it seem as
if Tenchi was, in a way, still there.

An idea suddenly occurred to her. Something that would keep Ryoko
occupied. Something that would make it seem as if Tenchi were still with
her. A substitute for him, as it were...

Aeka blushed, and just as quickly slew the thought. It wasn't the right
thing at all. She was falling back into her usual habit of thinking of
Ryoko as just wanting Tenchi for sex. And besides, Aeka knew she didn't
want to go to a store that sold... *those*. She hurried her mind along to
something more appropriate.

A watch, perhaps, so Ryoko would always know how long it would be until
Tenchi got home from school? No, that wasn't quite right, somehow. The
meaning wasn't very clear. And besides, under normal circumstances, Ryoko
definitely didn't care at *all* what time it was.

Sitting and thinking about it wasn't helping, Aeka decided. Better to go
and let inspiration guide her. She breathed a deep sigh, content for a
moment that she had found the right direction to head in, after casting
about in vain for a way to fulfill Tenchi's wish and make herself feel a
little better in the process. 

"Washuu-chan, I'm going to do a little shopping today. Is there anything
you would like me to get for you while I'm out?" asked Aeka, looking over
at the scientist.

Washuu thought for a moment. This had the potential to be *very*
interesting...

"Mind if I tag along instead?" she asked.

Aeka smiled. "No, of course not. I would appreciate your company."

Washuu ate the last of her rice, then stood up. "I've got one last thing
to take care of in the lab," she said, walking off. "I'll be back in a
few minutes."

Aeka finished her breakfast quickly, then went outside to retrieve her
sister.

At the same time, a figure scarcely a foot tall and clad in black ninja
garb stood on a lab table and bowed to Washuu.

"I understand the assignment, Washuu-sama. It's my duty to record his
development in sex... uh, I mean, *life*."

Light from her console lit Washuu's face from below, highlighting her
sinister-looking grin. "Just remember, this is a test of your ability to
function autonomously while carrying out instructions. Everything's
already set up, so this should be fairly simple. But don't let them see
you. I don't want you upsetting them, and besides, if either of the girls
spots you, it'll probably be easier to make a replacement than to
reassemble what'll be left of you."

The small Mecha-Tenchi nodded nervously. "Hai, Washuu-sama!"

"Alright, then. Let's go." Washuu went to the door and opened it. The
robot scampered off into the shadows as his creator headed back to the
breakfast table. There she found Aeka standing next to Sasami while the
younger princess wrote out a note and placed it on the table.

Washuu smiled warmly. "Coming with us, Sasami-chan?" she asked.

Sasami nodded. "Uh-huh. I want to buy another Ribbon Magazine so I can
read the Hime-chan manga."

Her spirits high for the first time that morning, Aeka smiled as well.
"We'll make an outing of it, just the three of us, then," she said
cheerfully. "Shall we go now?"

The three of them walked into the hall. Washuu knocked on the wall, and
as before, a door appeared. She slid it open to reveal empty darkness
beyond, then waved the princesses through. "After you two."

Once they had passed the door, Washuu turned around and shut it. It faded
from sight, replaced by the wall as if the door had never existed in the
first place.

Upstairs, after a long time without any words being spoken, Ryoko turned
her head to look at Tenchi's face. He smiled at her, his expression
rather contemplative, and she gave him a brief kiss.

"Whatcha thinking about, Tenchi?" she asked. "Hmm?"

Tenchi sighed and shook his head, frowning slightly.

Ryoko caressed his furrowed brow. "Come on. You said you'd tell me when
something was wrong, remember? What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, just about how stupid I was to run away from such a beautiful girl,
and everything I missed out on all that time because of it," he said,
kissing her.

Ryoko closed her eyes and savored the kiss. "Mmmm... say that *again*."

"That I was stupid, or that you're beautiful?"

Ryoko didn't answer. Instead, she affectionately rubbed her head against
Tenchi's cheek and cuddled closer to him.

Tenchi sighed. "I really wish I hadn't been so scared of you, Ryoko. I
was a real baka."
                                     
"Yep. That's right, you *were* a baka," agreed Ryoko, hugging him
tighter. "But I love you anyway."

"Thanks," Tenchi replied, kissing her. "I love you, too. I just wish I'd
realized it, and said so. I wish I hadn't been so *scared* of you."

"Speaking of that, what was so scary about me using my teeth?"

Tenchi blinked. "Uh, *think* about it, Ryoko."

Ryoko looked puzzled for a contemplative moment. Then her eyes widened in
shock. "No...!" she said, sounding hurt. "Really?"

Tenchi nodded.

"Tenchiiiiiiiii! Just for that, I ought to never do it for you again."

"Well, I did say it turns me on *now*," he replied. "I'm sorry."

"I can't *believe* you thought that of me," she said, caressing his cheek
and pouting.

"I'm *sorry*. Like I said, I was a baka."

"You're not *kidding*, you were a baka!" Ryoko squeezed him almost-
uncomfortably tight. "Oh, Tenchiiiiii! I'd never, *never* do *anything*
to hurt Tenchi-ken!"

Tenchi stared at her. "'Tenchi-ken'?"

Ryoko slid her hand under Tenchi's briefs. Her warm fingers encircled his
penis in a firm yet gentle grip. "You know, Tenchi-ken." She tugged on it
a few times for emphasis. "Your *sword*, silly!" she giggled.

Again, Tenchi stared at her. "You're really *weird* sometimes, Ryoko. You
know that?"

"You run away from a pretty girl trying to get you into bed, and you
think *I'm* weird?" Ryoko countered.

"You've got a point there," Tenchi admitted. Moments later his stomach
rumbled loudly. He looked down at it for a moment, then over at her. "Uh,
Ryoko..."

"Yeah, I heard," she said. "I'll go check to see if your dad's gone so we
can eat breakfast. But after that," she said, kissing him as she gripped
his penis again and felt it stiffen in response to her touch, "the brave
Earthling is going to capture the wicked space pirate and run her through
with his sword."

Tenchi cringed slightly. "I wish you wouldn't put it so *violently*,
Ryoko," he protested nervously. "You make it sound like I'm going to hurt
you or something."

"I was just having fun with the words," Ryoko answered. "Please don't
take it wrong. I love how you're always gentle with me." Then she put her
lips next to Tenchi's ear. "But you don't have to be. You can't hurt me,
Tenchi," Ryoko whispered softly. "The only part of me you could ever
break is my heart." Then she vanished, and the covers that had been over
her slumped down, empty.

An instant later, she appeared floating in the middle of the living room.

No one was there.

"Ohayo!" she called.

No answer came from the adjoining rooms.

Ryoko quickly swooped around the first floor, going from room to room and
finding no one. Then she noticed a piece of paper sitting on the table.
She picked it up and read it.

"Tenchi, Ryoko: your breakfast is in the oven. Oneesama and Washuu-chan
and I have gone shopping. We'll be back later. Love, Sasami," said the
note, with a large heart drawn around Sasami's signature.

Setting the note back down, Ryoko hurriedly checked the rest of the house
to see if anyone besides the scientist and the two princesses was around.
It wasn't long before she discovered that, besides her and Tenchi, the
Masaki home was deserted.

Ryoko stopped, once more floating in the middle of the living room, and
thought about this very pleasant surprise. She and Tenchi were alone,
just the two of them, totally and completely alone. 

The only other time this had happened was nearly a week before, when it
had been just her and Tenchi... and Aeka in the closet. And then it was
Aeka and Tenchi, and Ryoko outside, trying to endure the sounds of what
was happening on the other side of the closet door.

But that wasn't how it felt now. Now, it was almost as if she and Tenchi
were a married couple and this was *their* house. Ryoko closed her eyes
for a moment, smiling and hugging herself, then phased into the kitchen,
clad in her pink dress and her hair tied back with a blue scarf.

Tenchi deciding to stay home from school to be with her was probably
something he wouldn't do again for a long time. He certainly didn't plan
on it, she knew. And she'd promised not to take advantage of it by
begging him do so the next day. But she wouldn't be breaking her promise
if all she did was do her very best to make the day as perfect for him as
she could, to show him how much better things would be if he would just
ignore whatever bizarre, unfathomable reasons he had for wanting to leave
her each morning.

She retrieved the two breakfast trays from the oven and placed them on
the counter. The food was still warm. Faint wisps of steam still rose
above the bowls of miso soup, in fact. Ryoko got two cups from the
cupboard and filled them with tea from the thermos sitting on the kitchen
table. One by one she saw to the other small, necessary items --
chopsticks, napkins, shouyu. She carefully looked over the trays to be
sure nothing was missing. Nothing seemed to be, but a nagging voice told
her that something wasn't right.

A memory came back to her, a scene from a soap opera she'd watched a few
weeks before. A young man had gone down on his knee before his girlfriend
and pulled a small black box out of his pocket. Opening it, he'd revealed
a ring, and as he'd presented it to her, he'd asked a question in a
sweet, hesitant voice.

"Will you fix miso soup for me every morning?"

Ryoko heaved a dejected sigh and eyed the trays sadly. Every morsel of
food, miso soup included, had been prepared by Sasami. Ryoko hadn't even
been in the kitchen and watched it being fixed.

Perhaps she should fix something for him herself? Ryoko sighed again and
shook her head. It wouldn't make Tenchi want to stay if she served him
something awful. And yet, she didn't want to merely deliver what Sasami's
hands had made. As she floated in the air, thinking, her eyes happened to
focus on the shopping list taped to the refrigerator. Then they idly
wandered onto one specific word.

Sake.

Ryoko snapped her fingers and smiled. Of course! Sake! Just the thing to
go with breakfast! She snatched two sake cups and put them on the trays,
then grabbed an unopened bottle of sake from Nobuyuki's liquor cabinet.

Now to heat it up, she decided. That way, at least part of the breakfast
would be something *she'd* prepared. It was one of the few things --
possibly the *only* thing -- she could reliably fix in the kitchen. She
got a large saucepan out of one of the cupboards, filled it with water,
set the bottle of sake in it, turned on the stove, and waited. 

Soon it was just the right temperature. Ryoko turned off the stove and
wedged the bottle under her arm, then picked up the trays. Pride swelled
within her again, as well as an incredibly-warm feeling of anticipation.
Unable to contain her joyful excitement any longer, she spun around the
kitchen, almost dropping the trays in the process. 

After nearly a minute, Ryoko slowed to a stop and, with agonizing effort,
managed to calm down. Though he didn't react to her the same way he had
before, her boisterousness still seemed to unnerve Tenchi a little, and
she wasn't going to allow the smallest detail to be anything but
wonderful for him.

Today was going to be *perfect*.

Ryoko composed herself, took a deep breath, and vanished.

An instant later, she appeared in Tenchi's bedroom, directly over the
unoccupied bed. Tenchi was sitting in front of his desk, facing away from
her as he opened a bottle of black paint. Ryoko set the trays and the
sake down near the door, then floated over behind Tenchi and put her arms
around him.

Tenchi chuckled. "I was beginning to worry that you'd decided to eat
breakfast without me. What took you so long?"

"Oh, nothing really," giggled Ryoko. She looked over his shoulder
curiously. "Watcha doing, hmm?"

"Painting in the second eye of this daruma doll," replied Tenchi, picking
up the ornately-decorated ceramic head and turning his head to face her.
Noticing from her expression that she didn't understand, he explained.
"You paint in the first eye when you make a wish. Then, when the wish
comes true, you do the second one."

Ryoko kissed Tenchi's cheek. "So, what did you wish for?"

Tenchi turned back to his work. He dipped a brush in the paint and
started filling in the doll's vacant eye. "For you two to stop fighting,"
he said.

Wordlessly, Ryoko watched Tenchi patiently paint the eye. Thinking back,
she decided that his wish had come true, so far. Nothing she and Aeka had
done since Saturday quite qualified as fighting. She'd known it was
something he wanted, but watching the obvious care he put into each and
every stroke of the brush, she realized that it meant a lot more to him
than she'd ever thought.

Once he'd finished, Tenchi put the doll back down, cleaned his brush, and
capped the bottle of paint. "Is my dad gone?"

Ryoko nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Let's go downstairs, then," Tenchi said as he stood up. "I'm starving."

"We're not going downstairs," said Ryoko, smiling. "We're going back to
bed."

Tenchi grinned. "OK, if you say so. But I really think I'd do a better
job if you let me eat breakfast first."

Ryoko kissed him. "I'll keep that in mind. Now get in bed, sit up, and
close your eyes. I've got a surprise for you."

"Surprise, huh?" asked Tenchi. He sat down on the bed and pulled the
blankets up to his waist, then shut his eyes and waited.

Ryoko picked up the trays and the sake again, and got into bed next to
Tenchi. She placed one tray on her lap, nestled the bottle between the
two of them, and leaned over, holding the second tray.

"You can open your eyes now," she said.

Tenchi did, and saw the tray Ryoko held out in front of him, as well as
the smile on her face, proud and radiant as the sun.

"Wow, breakfast in bed!" He took the tray from her hands, then bent over
and kissed her. "Thanks, Ryoko. This is great!"

Ryoko concentrated on the feel of Tenchi's lips on hers, her fists
clenched tightly from the effort it took not to throw her arms around him
and in so doing spill breakfast all over the bed.

After a few moments, Tenchi straightened back up and picked up his
chopsticks from the tray. Ryoko grasped his wrist and took them away from
him, setting them down next to her own.

"Don't I get to eat?" asked Tenchi.

"First things first," answered Ryoko, hefting the bottle of sake. She
removed the cap and moved to fill Tenchi's cup.

Tenchi shook his head. "No thanks, Ryoko. I think I'll pass on the sake."

"But Tenchiiiiiiii....!"

"I'm really not supposed to, Ryoko."

Ryoko leaned over and lay her head on Tenchi's shoulder. "Nobody's here
but us, Tenchi. And *I* won't tell anyone."

"But if I drink it on an empty stomach like this, it'll *really* affect
me."

"Please?" she asked, kissing him on the cheek. "For me?"

Tenchi kissed her forehead. "Come on, Ryoko. I like how you brought me
breakfast, but I just don't want to have any sake. OK?"

Ryoko sighed and looked down at the blankets.

"What's so important about it, anyway?" he asked, putting an arm around
her. "It's just sake."

"But it's the only part of breakfast that's really from *me*," answered
Ryoko sadly. "*I* fixed it. Just for the two of us, Tenchi." She sighed
again. "That's why."

Tenchi thought about it for a moment, then picked up his cup and held it
out to her. "I'm sorry, Ryoko. I was being rude. Pour some sake for me,
please."

Ryoko's face brightened instantly. She filled his cup, then her own, and
recapped the bottle.

"Just don't take advantage of me if I get drunk," laughed Tenchi, before
raising his cup. "Kanpai!"

Ryoko lifted her own cup. "Kanpai!" She watched Tenchi drink, and the
resulting vivid red flush which quickly blossomed in his face. Ryoko
giggled, drained her cup, then refilled it and waited until Tenchi set
his down. Once he did, she held the cup between them and leaned towards
him.

After a moment, Tenchi took the hint. He leaned over as Ryoko brought the
cup to their lips, and the two of them took a sip together, smiling at
each other over the sake. When the cup was empty, Ryoko set it down,
giggling again. "I like drinking sake that way. It's like..."

Tenchi grinned and nodded. "I know, I know, 'like indirectly kissing.'
But what's the point of doing it *indirectly*?" he asked, giving her a
real kiss.

"I see what you mean," she replied, returning the kiss and holding it for
a while. "Now, time to eat." She picked up a bite-sized piece of fish
with Tenchi's chopsticks and moved it towards him. "Open wide."

Tenchi blinked. "You're going to... feed me?" he asked in an amazed
voice.

"Uh-huh," said Ryoko, nodding. "Come on, open up."

For a moment Tenchi didn't know what to think. Even though he'd learned
to see Ryoko's gentle side, he wouldn't in a million years have imagined
her doing something so... so... 

So...

He couldn't think of the right word. Comforting? Nurturing, maybe? That
wasn't quite right, but it was the closest he could come. Recollections
of his early childhood -- images, sounds, smells, tastes -- came bubbling
up through his memory, and Tenchi lost himself in them, thinking, a
distant look on his face.

Ryoko nudged the fish against his lips. "Are you going to eat, or not?"
she asked. "I *told* you, I didn't fix the food, if that's what you're
worried about."

Tenchi shook his head several times, bringing his mind back to the
present. "Oh, sorry, Ryoko. What were you saying?"

Ryoko waved the food under his nose to remind him.

Tenchi opened his mouth, and Ryoko fed him the piece of fish. Once he
swallowed it, she was ready with another, then another.

"Enjoying this?" Ryoko asked.

"Uh-huh," answered Tenchi. "I haven't been pampered like this since...
well, for a long time, anyway."

Ryoko thought Tenchi's expression looked a little sad, but she decided to
overlook it for the moment. She finished feeding him the fish, then
picked up the bowl of miso soup. She brought it up to his mouth, then
tilted it, letting him take a sip or two. Seeing a trace of soup left
around Tenchi's mouth, Ryoko dabbed it away with a napkin.

Tenchi glanced at Ryoko, then down at the soup, and now Ryoko definitely
noticed sorrow in his face. In fact, it looked as if he might start to
cry.

"Tenchi, what's the matter?" she asked, setting down the soup and putting
a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Tenchi quickly turned his face away, blinking back tears and telling
himself that men weren't allowed to weep.

Ryoko put her hand under his chin and tried to gently coax him to face
her. "Come on, Tenchi, what is it?"

Taking a few deep breaths, Tenchi assured himself that he had renewed his
self-control. He looked over at Ryoko. "Well, it's just that, the last
person to feed me in bed like this was my mom, when I had a cold. It was
only a month or so afterwards that she died."

Ryoko's body seemed to wilt as she realized that instead of pleasing
Tenchi she'd torn open deep, painful wounds. It always seemed to happen
this way. Whenever she tried to do something to show Tenchi her feelings,
a lapse in judgement or gap in knowledge would twist her efforts inside-
out and turn it all into a horrible disaster. Ryoko meekly folded her
arms across her knees and lay her chin on them. "I'm sorry, Tenchi," she
said very quietly. "I wasn't trying to hurt you."

Tenchi looked over at Ryoko, then put his arm around her, shaking his
head. "No, no, *no*. I *like* being reminded of mom, even if it makes me
miss her." He squeezed Ryoko gently. "Don't be sorry. Don't be sorry at
*all*. I'd forgotten how good it feels to be taken care of like that."

Ryoko looked up. "Really?"

"Yeah." Tenchi kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, Ryoko. This is the best
breakfast I've had in a long, long time."

Her face beaming, Ryoko gave Tenchi a long, lingering kiss. "Now, time to
finish your soup," she said, picking up the bowl again.

Tenchi smiled, and let Ryoko continue feeding him. Rice came after the
soup, followed by tea to wash it down. Ryoko set Tenchi's tray on the
floor and picked up her chopsticks to begin eating.

Tenchi lay his hand on hers to stop her. "Hey, what are you doing? It's
my turn to feed you, right?"

Ryoko looked over at Tenchi, her eyes widening at this unexpected
surprise. She hadn't considered the possibility at all. "Sure, if you
want to."

"Of course I want to," he replied. He picked up a clump of rice with her
chopsticks. Ryoko waited with her mouth open. Tenchi brought the rice up
to her, holding one hand cupped underneath to catch any grains that fell,
and placed it in her mouth. Ryoko swallowed it, and Tenchi repeated the
process a few more times, watching her smile and the sparkle in her eyes.
"You sure look happy," he said.

Ryoko nodded. "It's almost like the first time we met," she said in a
soft voice. "You taking care of me, I mean."

Tenchi kissed her. "I'll take care of you, any time you need me to,
Ryoko."

"Thanks, Tenchi," she replied, kissing him back, wondering at the way
such a simple thing as eating breakfast could bring out such strong
emotions in the two of them. Ryoko closed her eyes for a moment, savoring
the warm feeling in her heart of hearts as she thought of Tenchi taking
care of her, comforting her, sustaining her. In the old days -- a dim,
misty time ages and ages ago, before she'd crashed on Earth -- she'd
never needed anything like that. Now she knew there was no way she could
live without it, ever again.

After a while, Ryoko opened her eyes again. Tenchi looked at her, still
holding the rice bowl and chopsticks. "Do you want me to feed you the
rest of this?" he asked. "I'll take it downstairs if you don't. It's
going to get cold soon."

Ryoko shook her head. "No, I'm still hungry." She looked at the rice for
a moment. "Put some shouyu on it, though. It's kind of bland when it's
plain."

"Sure."

Tenchi sprinkled some of the dark sauce on the rice, then lifted a clump
of it to Ryoko's mouth and fed it to her.

Miles away, Aeka, Sasami, and Washuu walked into a shopping mall not too
far from Mihoshi and Kiyone's apartment. Few customers walked about
inside -- it was Tuesday morning, after all. Students were at school,
workers at their jobs.

Sasami breathed a sigh of relief, enjoying the air-conditioned indoor
climate in contrast to the humid and unseasonably-warm weather outside.
"I'm sure glad it's cooler in here." She looked up at Aeka. "Oneesama,
why did they make it so hot outside today? After walking from the
apartment, I'm starting to feel a little icky."

"I don't believe the people of Earth have the ability to control the
weather yet," replied Aeka. "But I agree, it is rather uncomfortable. I'm
already looking forward to a bath when we get back. I certainly hope it
doesn't get much hotter today."

"Unfortunately, it's going to," said Washuu. "In the absence of an
advanced climate-control system, the atmospheric temperature peaks in
mid-afternoon due to the planet absorbing thermal energy from the sun
faster than it can radiate it back into space."

The princesses sighed. All of the scientific explanation wasn't really
necessary. The important part was that the walk back to Mihoshi and
Kiyone's apartment was going to be less than pleasant.

"This *is* an unusually-high temperature for this time of year, though,"
continued Washuu. "That could be due to any number of causes. At the low
end of the probability scale, something could have destabilized the
Earth's orbit and caused it to head towards the Sun. Or this could be the
initial stages of the Sun becoming a nova..."

Aeka looked down at Washuu, a horrified expression on her face.

"...though that's very unlikely given Sol's relatively young age,"
explained Washuu, warming up to her lecture. "And if the Earth's orbit
had changed, we'd have found out very quickly due to the resulting
tectonic upheaval -- Japan is a very seismically-active area. Now, a more
likely explanation is a sudden increase in carbon dioxide levels in
Earth's upper atmosphere, which would..."

The princesses sighed again, continuing to listen politely as Washuu
explained all about greenhouse gases and a half-dozen other possible
reasons why the day's weather was so unpleasantly-warm. In the meantime, 
the three of them went through the eatery that sat just past the entrance
to the mall, then turned down one of the mall's wings, casually window-
shopping for the moment.

Nothing very interesting presented itself for view inside the eyeglass
shop, the shoe store, or the camera shop. The next establishment sold
luggage. A smile formed on Aeka's lips for a moment. Handing Ryoko a
suitcase would send the *perfect* message. But it would definitely make
Tenchi very angry, she knew.

Looking down the length of the mall, Sasami spotted the sign for Animate,
an anime and manga shop. She tugged at her sister's arm and pointed. "I'm
going to go buy the Ribbon Magazine I came for, OK?"

"Alright," replied Aeka, nodding. "We won't be going into any of the
stores for a few minutes. But don't be too long."

"Thanks!" Sasami walked away quickly, as Washuu and Aeka continued on.
After the luggage shop came a men's clothing store. Not much chance of
finding anything suitable in there, Aeka decided.

The next store down was something called Victoria's Secret, apparently
new to the mall -- a sign on a stand out front proclaimed "Grand
Opening." Aeka's eyes widened a little as she stopped and regarded the
diverse array of lingerie displayed in the windows and inside the store
itself.

Washuu moved up to get a closer look at one of the peignoirs -- a lacy
black one cut for a tall woman, with plenty of room in the cups. "Too bad
I'm not in the market for one of these right now. This one's just about
perfect."

"I wonder if they have it in your size," wondered Aeka aloud. She
giggled. "The dimensions aren't quite right, if you noticed."

Washuu smiled. "You should know by now how easily I can manipulate
dimensions."

Aeka blinked, then laughed politely, as if understanding the scientist's
rather odd joke. One thing was certain, she *definitely* wouldn't be
purchasing a gift for Ryoko *here*. Finding some way to make a gesture of
sympathy regarding Tenchi's absence was within her, Aeka decided, but
giving Ryoko a gift to make her more enticing to him went *much* too far.

But other thoughts now entered Aeka's head, on the subject of enticing
Tenchi. Except for staying home to console Ryoko, which Aeka really
couldn't bring herself to think harshly of him for, Tenchi had been
wonderfully dutiful and *delightfully* obedient. It simply wouldn't do to
wear the black leather outfit that her mother had given her. That was the
garb to be donned to warn him that he had aroused her anger rather than
her passion -- a harbinger of punishment. That wasn't what Aeka wanted
him to see in her. Yet, when she chained him to the bed for the first
time, shouldn't she wear something special for such a romantic occasion?

Aeka turned and looked to Washuu. "Could you wait here for Sasami,
please? I want to buy something inside."

Washuu nodded. "I'll be right here." She watched thoughtfully as Aeka
went inside the store to browse, while outside she continued doing the
same through the windows. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight
of three women coming in her general direction, one of them pushing a
stroller. Washuu glanced inside at the baby for a moment, then returned
her eyes to the skimpy undergarments in the displays. As the women came
closer, their conversation found its way into her ears.

"I'm so glad you *finally* came to visit us, Kimiko."

"That's not fair, Namiko. You know how hard it is for neechan to get time
off. I'm happy she managed to make it down."

"Thanks, Shuuko. It's nice to be out of the office for a day! But
speaking of time off, I'm surprised they gave you enough leave to have
the baby."

"Someone else is teaching my classes for now. But you're right, it wasn't
easy."

Washuu nodded sympathetically without really being conscious of it, and
moved a few feet down to get a closer look at a pink nightie.

The front of the stroller nudged against the glass next to her. As the
three women started discussing the items on display, Washuu looked down
at the infant. The baby cooed at her, smiling and reaching out with
chubby little arms.

Washuu smiled back, a touch sadly.

"Say 'konichi wa' to the nice girl, Mineko," said the woman pushing the
stroller.

"Ga!" said the baby.

Washuu looked up at the woman. "It'll be a little while yet."

"Yeah, I think you're right," agreed the mother. She looked over at one
of the other women. "Want to grab something to eat?"

"Sounds good."

The women and the baby continued on in the opposite direction that
Washuu, Aeka, and Sasami had come. Washuu gazed wistfully as the stroller
receded into the crowd, then sighed and shook her head.

"Babies, babies, babies."

There sure seemed to be a lot of them around lately.

"Hi, I'm back! Where's oneesama?" asked Sasami.

Washuu looked over and realized she hadn't been paying attention. "She's
in the store, Sasami-chan. Actually... there she is, at the cash
register," she said, nodding towards the elder princess. 

A brief flash of white fabric was visible before the clerk placed it a
bag and bowed, presenting the bag to Aeka, who bowed back very slightly
in return. She walked out and over to Washuu and Sasami, a rather
playful-looking smile on her face.

"I'm going to tell mommy you're being ecchi," giggled Sasami.

Aeka frowned ever-so-slightly. "I am *not* being ecchi, Sasami. You'll
understand when you're older."

Sasami pouted. "You're *always* saying that."

"Did they have the manga you wanted?" asked Washuu.

"Uh-huh," said Sasami, pulling two manga an inch or so out of the bag she
carried. "And I got a Wedding Peach while I was there, too."

Aeka started walking down the fronts of the stores again. A sporting
goods shop didn't offer any promise. Neither did the beauty salon, nor
the video store after it.

Then they came to a pet store. "Oh, look at all the Ryo-ohkis!" gasped
Sasami, running up to peer down into one of the pens.

"I think those are rabbits, Sasami," explained Aeka, arriving behind her
with Washuu.

"I know, I know," the young princess replied, "but they really *look*
like Ryo-ohki. It's too bad I forgot to bring her with us. She might have
had a chance to make some new friends."

"I'm not sure that they could communicate, Sasami-chan," explained
Washuu. "Ryo-ohki's a *lot* more intelligent than these bunnies are.
She's about as smart as the average Earthling or Juraian, in fact. She
just can't talk. And that's not even counting the mathematics and physics
that most folks can't grasp but Ryo-ohki knows *instinctively*, the way a
bird understands aerodynamics." Washuu held her chin thoughtfully. "I
wonder if she'd like catnip, though."

Aeka stood for a while as her sister petted the rabbits, then noticed the
jewelry store two shops down and decided it might present some
possibilities. "Will you be here for a while, Sasami?" she asked.

Sasami nodded happily, then headed into the store to get a closer look at
some puppies.

Aeka turned to Washuu. "Washuu-chan, I don't mean to presume to treat you
as a nurse-maid, but do you suppose you could watch Sasami for me? She
has a tendency to wander off and endanger herself, sometimes."

"I'll keep an eye on her," assured Washuu.

"Thank you," said Aeka. "I'll be in the jewelry store if you need me."
She walked down and began examining the rings, bracelets, and other items
in the glass display cases. Then she decided to go inside.

An white-haired, bespectacled gentleman met her at the door and bowed.
Aeka bowed back. "Is there anything you wish me to help you with today?"
asked the man.

Aeka shook her head. "I'm just looking for now." She slowly made her way
around the perimeter of the shop. Although nothing like the priceless
examples of metal and crystalline artistry she was accustomed to being
presented with at her marriage meetings, the jewelry here had a charm of
its own, she decided. Some of it, in fact, could even be described as
beautiful.

And, as far as the rings went, the craftsmanship hardly mattered, so long
as Tenchi was the one to put it on her finger.

She certainly wouldn't be getting Ryoko one of *those*, of course. That
would be even worse than buying her the lingerie.

Aeka was on the verge of deciding to give up attempting to find something
for Ryoko in the jewelry store and try another shop instead when she came
across a display case full of lockets, most of them engraved with kanji
and kana. Some of them said "love" or "devotion" or similar things, but
many bore people's names. Aeka's face brightened and she nodded,
realizing that she'd found what she'd been looking for.

She would give Ryoko a locket with Tenchi's name on it. That way, he
would be with her in a symbolic way, even when he was gone. Very
carefully she picked out the most beautiful of the ones that had no
lettering on them, then turned to the shopkeeper.

"I'll take this one, please," she said, pointing to the one she'd decided
on.

"An excellent choice," the man replied. He handed her a piece of paper
and a pen. "If you'd please write what you'd like engraved on it, I can
start right away."

Aeka accepted the offered pen and paper. With smooth, flowing movements
of her hand, she traced the kanji for Tenchi's name, then handed them
back.

"I'll begin at once. Might I suggest one of our fine necklaces to
accompany your purchase?" the jeweler said, pointing at several display
cases in turn.

"Yes, I think perhaps I shall," agreed Aeka. She looked down at the
necklaces, and almost immediately one of them caught her eye. It was
fashioned to appear as if made of flowers strung together. Just like the
headdress of lovely blooms that Ryoko had stolen from her, many, many
years before.

Or had Ryoko stolen it? Aeka wasn't quite sure. It was so very long ago.

In any case, it would be perfect. It would be a peace offering, a way of
suggesting that she and Ryoko put their past arguments behind them.
Aeka's heart filled with joy. Even if it didn't work, Tenchi would be so
*proud* of her when he found out about the gesture she had made, the care
she had put into giving him what he wanted.

A few minutes later, when the jeweler finished with the engraving and
presented it to her, Aeka pointed out the flower necklace. The man
retrieved it from the case and attached the locket to it. "And might I
say it will look lovely on you."

Aeka blushed slightly. "Thank you, but it's for an... acquaintance of
mine."

"You're getting it as a present?" asked Sasami. "Who for?"

Aeka looked over at her sister, startled. "Where's Washuu-sama?"

"Oh, she's looking at the guinea pigs," replied Sasami. "Who's the
necklace for, oneesama?" The princess smiled. "For me?"

"No, it's for Ryoko," answered Aeka. "You've quite enough of my jewelry
as it is, without me buying you more. Now, don't tell her. I wish to make
it a surprise."

Sasami pressed her nose up close to one of the cases, peering inside with
wide eyes. "You do?"

"Yes. So please don't mention anything about it before I give it to her."

"Gee, that tiara sure is pretty," said the young princess innocently.

Aeka gritted her teeth. "Sasami..." she warned in a low voice.

Sasami continued gazing at the sparkling treasures on the other side of
the glass and said nothing in reply.

"I really wish you wouldn't do this," pleaded Aeka. "It isn't nice of you
at all."

Still, Sasami remained silent, smiling at her reflection.

"If I may say so, you have excellent taste in jewelry, for such a little
girl," said the man, trying to keep himself from drooling. The tiara was
one of the most expensive items in the shop.

Aeka shot an angry glance at the jeweler. "Sasami..."

The young princess stood up. "I was just kidding, oneesama," she giggled.

The man sighed regretfully. "That'll be fifty thousand yen, please."

Back at the Masaki home, Ryoko and Tenchi sipped their tea, having
finished feeding each other a few minutes before. Emptying his cup,
Tenchi took the breakfast trays and the sake bottle, got up, and set them
on the desk. When he turned around, he saw that Ryoko had floated up next
to him. She put her arms around him and kissed him.

"I've got an idea," she said.

"I liked the one about breakfast. What's this about?" asked Tenchi.

"Let's go take a bath."

Tenchi looked at her nervously. "T-t-together?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Tenchi thought about it. Somehow it was something he knew he shouldn't
do, but he couldn't articulate any clear reasons why. "I dunno, Ryoko.
What if... what if... what if Sasami-chan saw us going in there?"

"She won't," said Ryoko, trailing her fingers along the length of
Tenchi's jaw, then down his neck. "I told you, we're alone. Remember?"

"Oh. I thought you meant alone in the room."

Ryoko's hands slipped under Tenchi's kimono and onto his shoulders. "No.
She and Aeka and Washuu went shopping. They won't be back for a while.
And I checked around the house, to be sure." Her hands began to massage.
"It's just us, Tenchi," she said, in a soft, seductive voice, before
kissing him. "Just us."

"Well..."

"Please?"

Tenchi frowned thoughtfully.

"Please?" she asked again.

He nodded and smiled. "Alright."

"YES!" Ryoko hopped up and down excitedly for a moment, then held Tenchi
close and kissed him. 

A fraction of a second later, they were standing outside the door to the
bath. After getting over his brief shock at being suddenly teleported,
Tenchi closed his eyes and exhaled. "Uh, next time, *warn* me before you
do that. OK?"

"Oh, alright," she replied, as she opened the door and led him through,
then shut it once they were inside. Tenchi looked around nervously.

"Ryoko...."

She turned around and leaned against him. "Mmm-hmm?"

"This is the *women's* bath."

"And?" she prompted, pressing her cheek against his chest.

"I'm a guy."

Ryoko grinned and rubbed her foot up and down against the inside of
Tenchi's leg. "So I've noticed, these last few days."

"I'm *serious*. I shouldn't be in here."

"It's nicer than the men's bath, isn't it?"

"That's not the point. Us guys aren't supposed to come in here. That's
why Washuu set up the door the way she did."

"Well, since we're taking a bath *together*, one of us is going to have
to go where we're not allowed. And I like it better in here."

"Maybe, but the other girls will get upset. What if one of them walks
in?"

Ryoko sighed, getting just a little annoyed. "Nobody's here. I *told*
you, Tenchi. I checked the whole house."

"I still don't think it's a good idea."

"Do you have any idea how *long* I've wanted to get you in here with me?"

Tenchi thought about it, remembering. "Yeah, I think so. Since Washuu
built it, right?"

"That's right."

He considered the idea for a few more moments as he looked around. It
*was* much, much nicer than the men's bath. And the exotic decor
certainly made it a more romantic place than the everyday facilities the
males of the household used.

"Everyone's gone? You're *sure*?"

"Uh-huh."

"OK, OK, I give in."

Ryoko hugged Tenchi and gave him a kiss. "Yes! Ooh, this is going to be
*great*!"

Minutes later, their clothes lying discarded on the floor, Tenchi got
into the bath next to Ryoko and sank down in the water until it reached
his armpits. Then he closed his eyes and gave a deep, contented sigh as
the heat began to slowly relax his muscles.

"This sure is nice," Tenchi said.

"Yeah, I love a nice hot bath," Ryoko agreed. She twined her fingers with
his and closed her eyes as well. "Thank you for staying home with me
today, Tenchi. It's really made me feel a lot better."

"You're welcome. Just remember that I can't do this very often."

Ryoko nodded. The two of them sat there for a while, silently holding
hands as they relaxed in the buoyant warmth of the bath. Presently,
Tenchi opened his eyes, looked around, and smirked. "This isn't fair, you
know," he said.

"What's not fair?"

"That the guy's bath isn't like this. I'll bet you'd probably have to go
to one of the most expensive hotels in Tokyo to find a bath this nice.
Dad and jiichan and I have to use the same old one we've always had."

"Well, there *are* six of us and only three of you. Seven, if you count
Ryo-ohki. We need more space."

"This is *much* more than twice as big," Tenchi said. He smiled. "I'm
jealous. I mean it, I'm going to have a word with Washuu about this."

"You'll be sorry," warned Ryoko.

Tenchi frowned. "Hmm. Yeah, maybe you're right."

"You can take a bath in here anytime you like, Tenchi. I'll let you in."

"No way. Sorry, but if you hadn't made sure the house was empty, I
wouldn't be in here *now*." He looked around again, taking in his
surroundings. "It is nice, though. It's not really even a bath -- it's
more like a swimming pool." 

Tenchi thought about his words for a moment. He let go of Ryoko's hand,
got up, and waded a couple of meters towards the center of the bath. Then
he lay down in the water, floating on his back. He sighed and closed his
eyes again.

Suddenly, Tenchi felt something tickling his face. He opened his eyes and
saw Ryoko looking back at him. She was floating, too -- in the air, less
than half a meter above him -- and her bangs dangled down, brushing
against his face. He smiled. "I wish I could do that sometimes. It looks
like fun."

Ryoko's face took on a puzzled expression. "Do what?"

"Float in the air like that."

"I guess so," said Ryoko, shrugging. "I never really thought about it."
Considering an idea revived by Tenchi's words, Ryoko smiled at him. "But
I can make it so you can, if you want."

Tenchi blinked. "Seriously?"

Ryoko nodded. "Yeah. Want to try it, sometime?"

"Sure. But, how?"

"You'll find out when I show you."

"But how, though?"

"I want to surprise you. Don't you trust me?"

Tenchi thought of the times Ryoko had tricked him. But also in his mind
were the times where he'd refused to trust her and found out that he
should have. His mind replayed the battle the first night she'd arrived,
and the damage to the house after she'd lied to him to gain refuge there.
Then it brought back the memory of Ryoko weeping against him, after he'd
accused her of hurting Aeka to be with him and refused to listen to her
protestations of innocence.

Those tears and those sobs outweighed the risks, Tenchi decided. He'd
rather Ryoko smashed his house flat a thousand times over than to hear
and see them again.

"Sure, I trust you, Ryoko. Surprise me anytime you like. About this, or
anything."

Half a second, a yelp, and a loud splash later, Tenchi was up to his neck
in the water with Ryoko's arms around him.

"Thank you, Tenchi," she said softly.

Tenchi returned her embrace and nodded. "You're welcome, Ryoko." 

"You've made today perfect for me, you know that?"

"I'd do it every day, if I could."

Ryoko hugged him even tighter, but didn't say anything. Several minutes
passed before she let go of him and kissed him. Then they moved back to
the side of the bath and sat for a while longer, holding hands under the
water in silence.

"Wanna go wash now?" Ryoko asked presently.

"You go ahead. I want to soak a little more," replied Tenchi.

Ryoko folded her hands and put them on Tenchi's shoulder, then set her
chin on top of them, smiling. "I've got a much better idea," she said.

"Oh?"

"Same deal as before -- you wash my back, I'll wash yours." She moved
closer and whispered in his ear. "Take me up on it, this time?"

Tenchi's eyes widened. "Uh..."

Ryoko giggled. "Why not?"

"We'd probably wind up doing more than just *washing*."

Ryoko leaned forward and kissed him. "So what if we did?"

Tenchi gulped. "I'd rather we went to my room."

"We haven't washed yet, though," Ryoko answered, as she moved in front of
him. "And I want you to scrub my back."

"It's not your back I'm worried about," said Tenchi.

"Afraid to touch me, Tenchi?" she asked, putting her arms around his neck
and passionately kissing him.

"No, don't be silly," he answered. "I just don't think I could... control
myself."

Ryoko kissed him again. "Then don't. I don't want you to."

Tenchi glanced around nervously. Though it was connected to his house, he
really didn't feel welcome in the women's bath -- it was the women's bath
in more than just name. The special nature of the door symbolized the
essence of the place. It was the women's private haven, just for them, a
sanctuary safe from male intrusion. It wasn't a place where he belonged.
Even though Tenchi knew he and Ryoko were alone, the other girls were
there somehow, each one an almost-tangible presence, and out of the warm
steam he could feel unseen female eyes watching the two of them.

Aeka he wouldn't mind. She could watch if she liked, though he knew that
neither she nor Ryoko would want her to. But as for the rest of them...

Sasami walks up, Ryo-ohki perched atop her head, as Ryoko bounces on
Tenchi's lap. "Hi, Tenchi! Hi, Ryoko!" greets the princess, before she
looks down between them, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity. "Um, what
are you doing?"

Before either of them can answer, Washuu is standing next to Sasami. "Let
me know when you're almost there, Tenchi," she says, holding up a test
tube. "I need to collect that sample."

Then Ryoko's lips drove away the image, and Tenchi made up his mind.

*OK. I'll just wash her. No sex, not HERE. Just washing. I won't let
myself go any farther than that. No problem. I can do it. It'll be easy.*

He looked down, his eyes taking in the sight of Ryoko's body. Almost
instantly he felt a stirring in his loins.

Tenchi swallowed, hard. No, it would definitely *NOT* be easy. But he
resolved to try anyway.

"Alright," he said. "Since we're alone, I guess it'll be OK."

Ryoko gleefully squeezed him. An instant later, they materialized above
the floor, and she lowered him gently down. Seeing the surprised
expression on his face, she hung her head apologetically for a moment
before kissing him. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I was supposed to warn you.
It's just... natural for me to get around that way, Tenchi."

Tenchi shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Ryoko. Try to remember to
warn me, but if you forget, don't feel bad. I need to get used to it. And
there's no real *reason* why it should scare me."

"I'll try. I guess it takes some getting used to."

"Yeah. But I'll do my best. You shouldn't have to stop doing things that
are normal for you, just because of me. I'll bet my going to school every
day probably seems pretty weird to you, since *you're* not used to
*that*."

Ryoko's face suddenly became serious and rather sad as she looked him
straight in the face. "Tenchi, if all it would take to make you stay is
for me to stop..."

Tenchi sighed. "Ryoko, you *promised*."

"I know, I know," she said, hugging him. "I'm sorry. I had to try. But if
there's anything I could do that would change your mind, Tenchi --
anything at *all*. Anything. All you have to do is say what it is, and
I'll do it. Won't you tell me?" She kissed Tenchi and looked at him with
sorrowful, pleading eyes. "Please?"

"Ryoko, I wanted to make you feel better. I won't be able to do this
again that often, maybe not until after summer vacation." He kissed her. 
"Please don't waste it by making yourself upset, OK?"

"I *do* feel better. A *lot* better. How should I thank you?"

"You don't have to. This is for what I said. Remember?"

"No. I'd already forgotten that." Ryoko held him close. "Yesterday was 
*awful*, Tenchi. I missed you so much. But you made today wonderful for
me. So I want to do something that says I appreciate it."

"I told you, you don't have to," said Tenchi.

Ryoko kissed him. "I want to. Tell me what you'd like me to do."

Tenchi thought for a moment. An idea formed in his head, and he started
to speak, then hesitated, and stopped.

"What is it, Tenchi?" Ryoko asked.

"I... don't think you want to hear this."

"Yes, I do. What is it?"

"It'll make you upset, Ryoko."

"No, it won't. Speak up, Tenchi."

Tenchi took a deep breath. "Alright. But remember, you asked me."

Ryoko nodded.

"Can you try to be friends with Ae-cha... uh, I mean, with Aeka?" he
asked.

Ryoko closed her eyes and sighed.

Tenchi hung his head. "I'm sorry, Ryoko. But you wanted me tell you."

"She and I go *way* back, Tenchi. We've been fighting almost as long as I
can remember."

"You're not fighting over me anymore. That's a start," he said, kissing
her. "There are times, lately, when you've even been agreeing on things."
He smiled. "Remember Sunday?"

"That was to protect you, Tenchi. From Washuu. From getting in trouble
because of her robots. From the girls in that soapland place."

"No, I remember her offering to go shopping with you," said Tenchi. "Then
yesterday, she said she liked your poetry. And what were you whispering
to her, when I was practicing with jiichan?"

Ryoko smiled slightly. "That's a secret."

Tenchi smiled back. "See? If you two can have secrets from *me*, then
you'll be friends, someday, if you'd just give it a try."

"Alright. For you, I'll try," said Ryoko, kissing him. "I can't promise
anything, but I'll do my best."

Tenchi returned her kiss. "Thanks, Ryoko. It means a lot to me."

"And Tenchi..."

"Yes?"

"You can call her 'Ae-chan' around me, if you want to. I doesn't bother
me as much, now."

"You're sure it won't upset you?" he asked worriedly, remembering her
response the first time he'd called Aeka that.

"I'm getting used to it. Just don't expect *me* to call her that. I won't
go *that* far."

"Thanks. Um, are you really sure you don't me to have a special name for
you, too?"

Ryoko nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you, Tenchi. But I'm not a little
girl. Not everything about me is kawaii. And I want you to love all of
me."

Tenchi kissed her and smiled. "Everything about you *is* kawaii, Ryoko."

"No, it isn't," she said, her expression serious. "There are times when
I'm not sweet at all."

"If you're talking about that night with Mihoshi, I remember. But now
that I look back on it, you were kawaii, even then. Even when you're
mad."

Ryoko shook her head and kissed him. "Tenchi, Tenchi, Tenchi. I've told
you a hundred times -- I wasn't mad that night. I was only playing," she
said, kissing him again. "Especially with *you*. You've never seen me
mad." Ryoko cupped Tenchi's chin in one hand, stroked his hair for a
moment with the other, and looked deep into his eyes. "I want you to love
the name that's *me*, even if I'm angry."

"Angry, about what, for instance?"

"If someone ever hurt you -- then you'd see me get mad," Ryoko said in a
slightly-shaking voice, holding him close.

Tenchi began to sweat a little. "What exactly would you... do?"

Ryoko closed her eyes and gently pressed her lips against Tenchi's. "I'd
rip them apart from the inside out," she said softly.

Tenchi cringed. Ryoko nodded and looked him in the eyes again.

"'Koneko' wouldn't do something like that, Tenchi. But I would," she
said, kissing him again. "And I want you to love that part of me, too,
even if it scares you. So call me 'Ryoko.' OK?"

"Uh, yeah," said Tenchi, staring at her.

"Afraid of me, Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, sadness entering her voice and face.

Tenchi shook his head. "No. I just hope... I never see you do something
like that."

"I hope so, too," she said, giving him another tender kiss. "I'm sorry if
I upset you."

"I'll get over it," he replied, as he returned the kiss. "But it did kind
of spoil the mood, you know."

"I know just the thing to un-spoil it, then," Ryoko replied, lying on her
stomach and stretching out. She looked back at him over her shoulder and
smiled. "Start washing."

Meanwhile, at the mall, Aeka had finished purchasing the jewelry and had
gone, along with Washuu and Sasami, into a large video and electronics
store, where she was idly browsing through the movie section in a quest
for something romantic to watch with Tenchi. In the video game section,
Sasami was busily racking up points on a Playstation, while across the
store Washuu's voice carried through the speakers of a karaoke machine.

Deciding that the game wasn't challenging enough to bother buying, Sasami
headed over to Washuu and began listening to the scientist's song. "Want
to sing one together?" asked the princess, once Washuu had finished.

Washuu smiled. "Sure." After a quick switching of discs, she and Sasami
picked up microphones and began to sing "Fly Me To the Moon."

"Since it's going to be hot today, maybe we could go swim in the lake
when we get back, to cool off," suggested Sasami, after the song was
over.

Washuu's expression turned thoughtful for a moment. "Hmmm... how'd you
like to play in the snow, instead, Sasami-chan?"

Sasami giggled. "Don't be silly! It's almost summertime." Then she
gasped. "Oh, are you going to change the weather and make it snow?!"

Washuu thought some more. "I suppose I *could*, but I'd rather not upset
the Earthlings too much."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Washuu smiled.

Minutes later, in the women's bath, Tenchi sat next to Ryoko's shoulders
as he shampooed her hair, having decided to try the easiest part first.
Easiest, in terms of the self-control required, that is. But soon he was
finished. He poured hot water over Ryoko's head to rinse her hair, then
soaped up a washcloth and began washing her shoulders, then her arms. 

He breathed a slight sigh of relief. So far, so good.

Tenchi started on Ryoko's back, scrubbing gently around her shoulder
blades. She turned her head on one side and closed her eyes, smiling.
"That's nice, Tenchi. Just a little harder though, OK?"

"Harder?"

"Yeah, use both hands."

Tenchi nodded, re-soaped the cloth, and began washing again, pressing
down firmly with both hands this time. "Better?"

Ryoko shifted her position slightly. "Mmmmmm... perfect." She went on
letting out an occasional contented murmur as Tenchi continued downward,
working on her flanks and the small of her back.

When he arrived at Ryoko's butt, Tenchi stopped for a few seconds, then
proceeded very hesitantly.

Her eyes still closed, Ryoko smiled. "Tenchi?"

"Uh, what?" he asked, tentatively washing towards her thighs.

"Why don't you get rid of the washcloth, and use your hands instead?"

Tenchi momentarily froze. If they were someplace else, anywhere else,
he'd have gone along. As it was... no. Definitely *no*. He shook his
head. "I, uh, think I'll pass."

Ryoko's smile broadened a little. "Suit yourself."

Feeling a little relieved, Tenchi proceeded to wash Ryoko's thighs and
calves, then her feet. Triumphantly he took a bucket of warm water and
splashed it across her, then repeated the act, rinsing away the last of
the soap suds. He put his hands on his knees and exhaled, smiling.

He'd done it! It hadn't exactly been easy, but he'd done it!

Then he saw Ryoko roll over onto her back. "Time to do the other side,"
she said, folding a towel and putting it behind her head.

Tenchi stared at her.

Ryoko smiled at him for a moment, then closed her eyes again.

Tenchi sweated nervously, understanding his grave mistake. He'd been
thinking in just one dimension, the path from Ryoko's head to her feet.
And as his eyes took in its contours lying before him, he realized that
Ryoko's body was utterly three-dimensional. After a brief period of
indecision, he reminded himself where he was and what he mustn't do. He
soaped up the washcloth once more, summoning his discipline.

The front was going to be much more difficult than the back had been.

He began by washing Ryoko's face, rinsing it off once he was done. Then
he washed her neck. He started to head further down, then changed his
mind and moved his attention sideways, washing her arms.

"You already did that, Tenchi," said Ryoko.

Tenchi nodded nervously. "I... I... I just want to make sure I get them
clean, that's all." Once he'd washed Ryoko's arms, he washed her neck
some more, then her shoulders, then her legs -- twice. After that he
stopped again, fighting with himself.

*OK. Here goes...*

Slowly, *very* slowly, Tenchi began to wash Ryoko's breasts. He reached
the apex of one of them, feeling the nipple poking stiffly into his palm
through the soapy washcloth. Ryoko gasped softly and rubbed her thighs
together for a moment. Tenchi moved to the other breast and washed it in
turn, eliciting the same response. Several times he caught himself
kneading instead of washing, but in each instance he regained control.

Proceeding down again, Tenchi washed her stomach, receiving a brief
respite from tension before reaching the most difficult challenge. He
soaped up the washcloth one final time before beginning to wash Ryoko's
crotch. He tried his best to avoid brushing against her clit, but there
was no way he could do so entirely, and each time he did Ryoko's breath
quickened ever-so-slightly. He scrubbed some more. Suddenly he found his
hand moving up and down Ryoko's sex, his fingers seeking to make their
way inside her as if guided by some other will. Ryoko moaned and pressed
her thighs together around his hand. Swallowing hard, Tenchi focused on
overriding his hormones. He stopped and withdrew his hand.

He was done.

Tenchi filled the wooden bath pail with warm water again and doused Ryoko
with it, then did so a second time for good measure. He sat back,
breathing a little easier. Every part of his body felt weak and limp --
except for his very stiff erection. 

Ryoko sat up and kissed him. "Mmm... I really enjoyed that, Tenchi."

Tenchi gasped heavily once or twice and nodded.

"Now, it's your turn," she said. "Lie down."

Tenchi sighed and lay on his stomach, glad that he didn't have to worry
about controlling himself anymore. Sitting astride Tenchi's back, Ryoko
picked up the bottle of shampoo, squirted a large amount into his hair,
and began working it into a lather. As she scrubbed his scalp, she smiled
and moved her head down closer to his.

"Did you like washing me, Tenchi?" she asked.

"Well... yes and no," he replied after a moment. "If it wasn't *here*, I
wouldn't be so nervous about it."

Ryoko poured water over Tenchi's head, then started rubbing his
shoulders. "Stop being so worried, will you?

"I'm doing my best, Ryoko. Really. I've just always been kind of tightly
strung, OK?"

"Is this helping at all?" she asked hopefully, continuing to massage his
shoulders and giving similar attention to his neck.

Tenchi smiled and lay his head down, closing his eyes. "Yeah, that is
kind of nice."

"Really?!" gasped Ryoko. "You like it?"

"Sure. There've been days after school when I really would have enjoyed
this."

"Tenchiiiii, why didn't you *tell* me?" asked Ryoko, pouting. "All you
had to do was *ask*."

Tenchi sighed. "And you and Ae-chan would have wound up *fighting*. You
know how much I *hated* that."

Ryoko nodded and continued kneading Tenchi's shoulder muscles. "You'll
tell me if you want me to *now*, though, ne?"

"I will," Tenchi promised, smiling. "And thanks. That really does feel
good."

"You're welcome," Ryoko said, bending down and kissing him.

"I'm feeling a lot more relaxed now."

Ryoko grinned. "That's good, because it's time for me to start washing
you." She opened up a bottle of liquid bath soap and started pouring it
all over Tenchi's body.

"Isn't that a lot of soap you're using?" Tenchi asked.

"I'm going to do a lot of washing," Ryoko answered.

Tenchi's eyes snapped open as he felt Ryoko's breasts start sliding
around on his back. 

"Uh, Ryoko..."

Ryoko smiled. "Yes?"

"I really wish you wouldn't do it that way," he said nervously.

Ryoko lay down on top of him for a moment. "I don't think you really mean
that, Tenchi," she whispered in his ear.

"But Ryoko..."

"There's nothing to worry about. No one's going to walk in on us. I told
you, everyone's gone." She kissed him on the cheek. "You're spoiling it
for *both* of us, Tenchi. Loosen up a little so we can enjoy ourselves,
OK?" She kissed him again. "I thought that after we'd slept together
you'd stop being so shy around me."

"It's not *you* that's making me nervous, Ryoko. It's *here*. It just
feels so... *weird*."

"Listen to yourself. You're being silly."

Tenchi lay there silently.

"So what if it's the 'women's bath,'" continued Ryoko. "There's only one
woman in it right now: *me*."

"Yeah, I know," admitted Tenchi. "I just can't help thinking about who
*else* is usually here."

Ryoko pressed her cheek against his. "So, you're thinking about other
women when you're with me? Is that it?"

"No! That's not what I meant!"

"That's what you said. We're here together, and all you can think about
is *them*. Even though they're nowhere *near* here." She reached over and
held his hand. "Loosen up. For me. Please?" She squeezed his hand.
"Please? We're all alone, just the two of us. Can't you just think about
us and forget everything else for now?" She kissed his cheek again. "I'm
not thinking about anyone else but you, Tenchi."

Tenchi sighed. The way Ryoko put it, his unease did sound a little
ridiculous. "I'm sorry for being so uptight. Go ahead. I'll try my best
not to be nervous," he said, turning his head and kissing her. "But I
can't promise anything."

Ryoko smiled. "You *won't* be sorry, Tenchi."

Tenchi lay his head back down and, as calmly as he could, let Ryoko wash
his back, legs, and arms with her breasts. After a while, he smiled,
managing to enjoy the stimulation and forget where he was a little.

Warm water splashed over him, rinsing away the suds. Ryoko bent down and
whispered in his ear. "Time to turn over," she said.

Tenchi nodded and rolled onto his back. Ryoko poured more liquid soap on
him, paying special attention to his crotch, then put some on her chest
as she knelt next to Tenchi's side. Fixing his gaze with her own, she
began caressing her breasts, working the soap into a lather in the
process. Squeezing them together with one arm, she grasped Tenchi's wrist
with the other and guided his hand into her cleavage where she proceeded
to wash it. Once it was throughly clean -- especially the palm -- she
took his other hand and gave it the same treatment.

"OK, sit up now," she said, after she was done.

Tenchi pushed himself into a sitting position, feeling a little puzzled. 

Ryoko put soap on her chest again, then moved closer. As before she
started massaging her breasts, squeezing and rubbing them less than a
foot away from Tenchi's face. Her gasps and sensual moans went on for
several minutes until lather covered most of her upper torso. Tenchi
watched, his eyes growing wider and wider while Ryoko kept her own
squinted tightly shut. By now her hands weren't even visible underneath
the white froth that covered her breasts, but he could hear the noises
they made, mingled with the passionate sounds coming from her throat.

Finally deciding she had enough suds for her task, Ryoko opened her eyes
and smiled down at Tenchi, feeling very pleased at the way he now stared
at her body to the exclusion of all else.

"You'd better close your eyes now, or I'll get soap in them," she warned
in a sweet voice.

Tenchi blinked. "Uh... what?"

"I'm going to wash your face."

Tenchi's eyes widened still further, and a drop of blood ran down out of
his nostrils.

Ryoko inched a little closer, until the mass of suds covering her chest
tickled the tip of Tenchi's nose. "Come on, close your eyes."

Tenchi blinked, then shut his eyes, as Ryoko held his head with both
hands and pulled it into her cleavage. For a very long time she slid her
breasts up and down and all around his face, leaving neither cheeks nor
nose nor lips nor chin nor forehead untouched. All the while warm
murmurings of "mmmmmm..." and "oooooh..." and the like sounded in
Tenchi's ears. Finally finishing, she soaked a washcloth in the water,
then wiped the soap away from most of his face. "Lie back down," she
said, putting the cloth on the floor.

Tenchi lay down, and Ryoko proceeded to wash his chest and stomach in the
same fashion as his face. He waited, his anticipation a mixture of dread
and eagerness, having figured out what was coming next.

Ryoko lay down with her chest over Tenchi's crotch, looking up at him and
smiling. Grasping his penis, she placed her breasts around it and
squeezed them tightly together. With a playful giggle Ryoko began sliding
them back and forth, listening intently to the resulting gasps from
Tenchi's now-open mouth. The gasps gradually changed to groans, each one
louder, more urgent, more obviously rooted in a deep need for release.

Ryoko slowed the motion of Tenchi's erection through her cleavage, then
stopped it altogether. She let go of her breasts, letting his penis slip
out from between them, and sat up. She pulled Tenchi up to her, their
faces mere inches apart, their breathing ragged, his erection jutting out
of his groin and straining towards her crotch like a compass needle
indicating true north. She picked up a bath pail full of water, lifted it
above their heads, and let the contents cascade down over both of them.
Then she looked him in the eyes, and waited.

"Everyone's gone, right?" asked Tenchi, very slowly.

Ryoko nodded.

"You're sure? Everyone?"

Ryoko nodded again. "Yes. I checked."

"You're *really* sure?"

"I looked all through the house. No one but us is here."

"We're alone? Just us?"

Ryoko smiled and her eyes widened a little as she nodded once more. "Just
you and me, Tenchi."

He moved closer and pressed his lips to hers, putting his arms around
her. Seeing that she didn't need to hold back any longer, Ryoko pushed
Tenchi firmly onto the floor, then got on top and passionately kissed
him. Straddling his waist, she reached down between their legs and took
hold of his penis, preparing to mount him.

"Don't you want a little... you know, foreplay?" he asked.

Ryoko kissed him. "Baka!" She kissed him again, harder. "What do you
think we've been *doing* for the last hour?" She licked his ear, then
gently nipped at his neck with her fangs. "If you make me wait any
longer, I'll *die*, you big meanie!" She began kissing him again, her
fingers still wrapped around his erection. "Come on, Tenchiiiiiiii!"

"I never said you had to *stop*," he said, kissing her in return.

Ryoko gasped as she slid Tenchi inside her, then placed her hands on his
shoulders and began slowly rocking back and forth. Tenchi's hands roamed
over her, gently caressing. They went down her back, across her rear,
along her flanks, up her stomach, onto her breasts, and in back of her
neck before he pulled her face down closer and kissed her. Ryoko parted
her teeth and slipped her tongue into Tenchi's mouth. She wanted to
whisper in his ear and ask him if he still thought leaving her each day
was the right thing to do, if he really would rather go away to school
when he could hold her in his arms whenever he wanted to, instead. But it
would spoil the mood, she knew, and she'd promised him she wouldn't. She
did her best to drive those thoughts from her mind and concentrate only
on being with him at that moment.

Tenchi kissed up the length of Ryoko's neck, then returned to her mouth.
Suddenly, she felt climax take her, and she pressed down against him,
gasping his name in his ear over and over. Once it had passed she kept
going, her hips rising and falling rhythmically as she rode up and down
on him. 

At the same time, inside the house, a door opened next to the one to the
bath. Out of the pitch blackness beyond stepped Washuu, Sasami, and Aeka.
After closing the door, they set down their shopping bags, and Sasami and
Washuu headed towards the lab.

"Sure you won't join us, Aeka?" asked Washuu, turning around for a
moment.

Aeka smiled. "Perhaps later. I need to talk to Ryoko first."

"Let her know, too!" asked Sasami, as she and Washuu entered the
laboratory and shut the door.

Reaching into one of the shopping bags, Aeka retrieved a small bundle of
white crepe paper and unwrapped it, revealing the necklace she had
purchased earlier. Having noticed that the living room was empty, she
walked into the kitchen, only to find it deserted as well.

Were Tenchi and Ryoko *still* in bed? It was almost noon! Briefly Aeka
grumbled to herself, annoyed once more at Ryoko wearing Tenchi out on
Sunday night, and then claiming the benefits of the night of unbroken
rest Aeka had allowed him. Looking down at the necklace in her hand, the
princess reminded herself to try not to be so petty. Besides, perhaps
they'd gone outside.

Deciding to find out, Aeka headed up the stairs towards Tenchi's room.
She reached the top, then halted, once more dreading the awful sounds she
might hear coming from the other side of the door. She made herself go
on. They probably were just lying in bed, after they'd... after they'd
finished. Even the thought of *that* was unpleasant, though endurable.

"Konichiwa, Aeka-hime," the guardians said, when she stopped in front of
the door.

"Konichiwa. Are Ten-chan and Ryoko inside?"

"So far as we know," replied Azaka.

"We haven't seen either of them leave," agreed Kamidake.

Hesitantly, Aeka knocked at the door, bracing herself for the sound of
Ryoko's answering voice confirming that she was in bed with Tenchi.

Silence.

"Ten-chan?"

More silence.

"Ryoko?"

Still more silence. Aeka knocked and called their names again. No answer
came.

Aeka breathed a sigh that was half disappointment, half relief. If Tenchi
and Ryoko *were* still in the room, they were asleep. She felt a little
irked at the thought of the pirate infecting Tenchi with her laziness,
but it was a minor thing compared to the prospect of hearing what she
might have heard.

Well, if Ryoko was either sleeping or outside, Aeka decided that she
might as well take the opportunity to refresh herself. "If you see Ryoko,
tell her that I'm in the bath, and that I'd like to see her."

"We'll inform her of your summons, Aeka-hime," said Azaka.

"It's not a summons. It's an invitation," corrected Aeka sternly. "You
will use the appropriate measure of politeness. Do I make myself clear?"

"Quite clear, Aeka-hime," said Kamidake.

"Very well," said Aeka, nodding before she walked away. She went back
down the stairs and headed for the bath. She halted next to her shopping
bag and picked it up, about to put the necklace into it, then stopped. If
Ryoko saw the bags while Aeka was still in the bath, she was sure to go
snooping through them. Even if she didn't know who the necklace was for,
it would spoil the surprise a little. Aeka set the bag down, deciding to
take the necklace with her into the bath for safekeeping.

Aeka opened the door to the bath. When the scene beyond presented itself,
the princess stopped as if turned to stone.

Directly in front of her, not ten meters away, lay Tenchi, stretched away
from the door with his head towards it, and, on top of him, Ryoko, slowly
rocking her hips and moaning, her cheek pressed against Tenchi's chest.
Water glistened on their skin and pooled on the floor around them, laced
with soap suds.

Desperately, Aeka tried to make her legs move and carry her away from the
horrible sight, but they refused to bend, and almost gave way beneath
her.

Tenchi's hands, which had been moving up and down Ryoko's back and
thighs, stopped to squeeze her rear, then clasped around her waist.
"Ryoko... I'm... I'm almost... there..." he gasped, hugging her tight as
she continued thrusting.

"Me, too..." panted Ryoko in reply. "Oooooh... Tenchi... mmmmm..."

Aeka's mind shrieked at her to leave, but she still couldn't force her
body into motion. All of her awareness focused on Tenchi making love with
Ryoko, and the impossibility of reconciling his past behavior with where
and when he was doing so. A faint voice of rationality whispered in the
back of her mind, trying to tell her that this was what she had agreed
to, that the price of having Tenchi at all was for Ryoko to have him as
well, and that time and place made no difference in that. But the
deafening screams of tortured emotion drowned out reason, and her only
thoughts were of what he was doing right before her eyes, and a question:
what had happened to the shy, dutiful Tenchi she loved so much?

Suddenly, Tenchi squeezed Ryoko even tighter and thrust his pelvis up
against her, groaning. Moments later, Ryoko's cries quickened and
increased in volume, and she lay still on top of him, uttering rapid
moans of obvious delight.

Aeka watched, still unable to move, her heart wanting to burst at the
agonizing sight of Tenchi giving passionate rapture to someone other than
her and finding ecstasy in another woman's touch. Part of her mind still
continued to warn her that this was necessary, that having all of him was
not her option, that it was this or nothing. The warnings vanished amidst
overwhelming, incoherent pain.

Tenchi's breathing ebbed to shallow gasps and Ryoko's utterances gave way
to soft, pleasurable cooing sounds as their bodies gradually relaxed. 
Ryoko smiled contentedly, her head resting on Tenchi's shoulder and his
arms wrapped around her, holding her wonderfully close.

Today had been perfect. Just as she'd hoped.

"I love you, Tenchi," Ryoko sighed softly, lifting her head to give him a
kiss. As she did, her eyes saw the bottom hem of a kimono a short
distance away. Slowly she brought her eyes up, recognition growing as her
vision traversed up the height of the purple garment. By the time Ryoko's
gaze reached the figure's waist, she knew who it had to be, but she kept
on looking further and further up until her horrified eyes locked with
Aeka's.

Aeka stared back, wanting to scream or run but still too paralyzed with
shock to do either. Her face wet with tears, she finally gathered the
strength to slowly back away. Every line of her expression spoke of the
terrible hurt and betrayal she felt inside her.

Tenchi, unable to see Aeka from where he lay, pulled Ryoko's face to his
and kissed her. "I love you, too, Ryoko," he said. "I really liked that.
All of it. I shouldn't have been so stubborn." He squeezed Ryoko tightly
against him. "Let's do it again sometime, OK?"

Ryoko couldn't bring herself to answer. All she could think about was the
look on Aeka's face, and the memory of sitting outside the closet
listening to Tenchi and the princess inside. Ryoko had only had to *hear*
what was going on, and it had been almost unbearable. Aeka had just
*seen* her and Tenchi. How long had she been watching? Was she *still*
standing there?

Managing a quick glance up, Ryoko saw that she wasn't. That, at least,
was a relief.

For a moment Ryoko tried to make herself enjoy the fact that Aeka had
seen her with Tenchi. Somehow, she couldn't. It was impossible not to
imagine herself in Aeka's place and envisage how terrible the experience
would have been.

Thoughts came back to her of the previous day, when Taro's presence had
reminded Ryoko of what she and Tenchi would never have together, and when
Aeka had come upstairs to find her -- not to gloat over her life-long
enemy, as Ryoko had expected, but to express sympathy. And strangely
enough, her gesture actually had made Ryoko feel a little better.

Ryoko clenched her fists and cursed the conscience she'd never seemed to
have been burdened with until recently.

Tenchi kissed her again. "Now who's being distracted, huh?"

Summoning every ounce of discipline within her, Ryoko decided that she
had to go talk to Aeka. She needed to apologize for not having been more
careful, for not doing something to prevent what had happened -- put a
note on the door, perhaps, or have Ryo-ohki or the guardians stand watch.
Tenchi wanted the girls to get along. If she didn't do something to
smooth things over, she and Aeka would surely wind up openly fighting
again.

She had to go. She had to leave Tenchi's arms to go say she was sorry to
Aeka. And she needed to do it without making Tenchi suspicious, because
she was pretty sure she didn't want him to know about Aeka having seen
them. Not after the way he had worried about someone walking in and Ryoko
had repeatedly assured him they were alone.

She couldn't just leave Tenchi. He'd wonder why. But she couldn't delay
going to talk to Aeka either. The apology wouldn't carry much weight if
she didn't go and offer it immediately. That left only one possible
course of action.

Ryoko pressed her lips onto Tenchi's, giving him a warm, soul-probing,
extremely distracting kiss as a double of herself split from her body and
floated through the air towards the towels.

Tenchi's arms shifted a little around her. "Uh, Ryoko... did you just
feel something a little, well... *weird*, just now?"

"No," she replied.

It wasn't really a lie, Ryoko tried to assure herself. It was perfectly
normal, for *her*.

The duplicate Ryoko wrapped herself in a large towel and headed for the
door, stopping when she realized that opening it might make noise. She
was about to teleport out when she remembered that she couldn't do that,
either. The one time she'd tried, she'd wound up painfully injuring
herself when she struck the boundary between the bath's dimension and the
normal universe. The door was the only way, but Tenchi had to be kept
from hearing it.

Ryoko kissed Tenchi again, her soft moan just loud enough to drown out
the faint hiss of the door against the frame as it opened and closed.

Her doppleganger again prepared to teleport, then hesitated. She knew
full well how much her sudden materialization unnerved Aeka -- partly
because, sometimes, Ryoko popped up next to her for exactly that reason.
Appearing without warning in the same room as the princess would only
make things worse. It would probably be enough to precipitate a fight,
then and there.

The double sighed and floated to the door to the princess' bedroom. She
knocked and waited for a response. None came. Stealthily she slid the
door open a little and peeked in. No one was there. Next she checked
Tenchi's room, in the same fashion. It was empty as well. Growing
frustrated, the duplicate Ryoko began moving from door to door and room
to room, each time coming up empty-handed.

As Ryoko's double searched for her throughout the house, outside Aeka
stormed down the path to Ryuu-oh, crying tears of grief and rage.

She had pried herself from Tenchi's willing arms to keep the peace,
managed to accept him staying home to comfort Ryoko, done her very best
to honor his wishes and make a gesture of friendship to her, only to
see... *THAT*?!?!

Was that how her sacrifices were to be repaid?

Was this the justice she should expect? Ryoko could selfishly plead with
Tenchi for him to ignore his obligations, and she would be rewarded, yet
when Aeka did what was right, putting aside her feelings and standing
behind Tenchi in the fulfillment of his duties, she would be punished
with the sight of the one she loved and her worst enemy with their arms
around each other, locked in the throes of passion? Sow evil and reap
pleasure, plant virtue and harvest pain? That was how things were to be?

She'd known, of course, that Ryoko would be having sex with Tenchi -- but
in his *bedroom*, where Aeka wouldn't be tortured by the horrible sight
and sound of it! And at least the bedroom was a place that held memories
of when *she* was with Tenchi, to offset the knowledge of Ryoko having
him as well. If Aeka was there, Tenchi would be there too, in spirit if
not in body. But the bath afforded no such comfort. From now on, she
knew, she could never open that door without the dread of finding Ryoko
rutting on top of him. What were they going to do *now*, make love in
every room in the house, so that wherever she went, Aeka would be
reminded of it? Do it on top of the kitchen table, as Ryoko had bragged
she gladly would?

But that was the future. The immediate memory was worse, far worse. It
was one thing to reluctantly accept that Ryoko would be with Tenchi as
often as Aeka was. It was quite another thing to *see* it, right there in
front of her. To see him doing it, enjoying it, and then saying he wanted
more.

And on top if that, there was an awful *casualness* about their choice of
location. Somehow, it was as if Tenchi and Ryoko were saying that they
loved one another so much, they didn't care where they might be when they
chose to express it, or who might see. More than that, even. Ryoko now
seemed to hold Tenchi in the palm of her hand, controlling him, twisting
his behavior however she liked, able to convince him to do whatever
pleased her. Anything. Stay home from school, kiss her in front of
Nobuyuki's camera, go into the women's bath, and have sex there. Ryoko
had somehow gotten him to do all those things for her, things which Aeka
proudly knew she would never even *ask* of him.

It hurt. It hurt so *bad*, and it simply wasn't fair!

Reaching the lake, Aeka stopped, breathing heavily her emotions seethed
inside her. Suddenly she noticed that her hand hurt. She looked down and
realized that she still held the necklace. The points of the metal
blossoms had been digging into her palm as she clenched it tightly in her
fist. Tenchi's name flashed up at her, carved on the surface of the
locket, and she remembered why it was there.

To comfort Ryoko at Tenchi's absence.

Aeka's face contorted as if unable to decide to scream, cry, or laugh at
the stupidity of it. Comfort Ryoko at Tenchi's absence? What was the
point? It wasn't even necessary, much less deserved.

With all of her strength, Aeka flung the necklace out over the water and
watched it splash and sink, then continued out to Ryuu-oh. Halfway there,
she ran into Ryo-ohki.

"Miya!" greeted the cabbit happily, setting down a freshly dug-up carrot
for a moment.

"Go away," Aeka snarled, as she continued on without stopping.

Ryo-ohki looked at her sadly for a moment, then picked up the carrot and
continued after her. Lost in her thoughts, Aeka reached Ryuu-oh and sat
down under it without noticing that the cabbit had followed her. Ryo-ohki
set down her carrot again and nudged against Aeka's ankle. The princess
turned her head and glared down at her. "Go away! I don't want to see
anything having to do with *her* right now!"

"Miya?" asked Ryo-ohki, sounding hurt and confused.

"GO *AWAY*!!" shouted Aeka.

Ryo-ohki backed away for a moment. Then, once Aeka looked away, the
cabbit moved up to her again and started rubbing her head against the
princess' leg.

Aeka sighed. "I'm very angry with your mistress right now. I know it's
not your fault, but I cannot guarantee that it won't cause me to do
something unpleasant to you. So for your own good, please go away."

"Miya," replied the cabbit. She jumped up into the princess' lap and
looked up at her.

Clenching her teeth, Aeka grabbed Ryo-ohki, stood up, and prepared to
hurl her away as she had the necklace. Her arms trembled for a moment as
she managed to restrain her temper. She let out a deep breath and set the
cabbit down again. "Will you *please* just *go*?" Aeka asked quietly.

"Miya," refused Ryo-ohki.

Aeka stamped a pace towards the cabbit and screamed. "DON'T YOU
UNDERSTAND THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE REMINDED OF *HER* RIGHT NOW?!?! LEAVE
ME *ALONE*, YOU STUPID THING!!!!"

Ryo-ohki scampered frantically behind the nearest bush. Aeka sat down,
quite ashamed at having taken out her anger on the poor creature but very
glad to be alone. After a few moments, Ryo-ohki's head poked into view.
She sat there, watching the princess. Tears began streaming down Aeka's
cheeks, faster and faster, until she gave up trying to wipe them away and
put her face in her hands, quietly sobbing. The cabbit hopped out of
cover and sat next to Aeka, then rubbed her head against her again. Drawn
inside herself and surrounded with her sorrows, the princess didn't
notice.

Back in the baths, Ryoko sat and washed between her legs, part of her
mind elsewhere. Literally. This was the first time she'd had her two
halves in two different dimensions at once, and it made her feel a little
light-headed. But she was still aware of what her double was doing. She'd
searched the entire house, with the sole exception of Washuu's lab. And
Ryoko wasn't sure what would happen if both halves of her wound up in
dimensions that weren't even directly connected to each other.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced wistfully at Tenchi, who lay on
the floor, his hands folded behind his head, his eyes closed, and a
slight smile on his face. He seemed to have forgotten all about the fact
that he was lying naked in the women's bath. Temptation nagged at Ryoko.
She couldn't talk to Aeka if she couldn't find her. There wasn't much
point in checking the lab, anyway. The princess wouldn't have gone there
to rage or sob or sulk or whatever she needed to do. And if Aeka was
nowhere to be found, it wouldn't hurt to stay with Tenchi a little while
longer.

No. For whatever weird reason, Aeka *might* have gone into the lab. Or
she might have gone outside. Or she could have been outside, and come
back in, and gone to a room Ryoko had checked earlier.

A profoundly unhappy look on her face, Ryoko got up and fetched a towel,
then began drying off. Once done, she walked over to Tenchi. With great
effort putting on a mask of her usual cheerfulness, she knelt down and
kissed him. He opened his eyes and playfully tried to pull her down to
him, but she managed to resist him and, with much more difficulty, resist
herself.

"I've got to go talk to Aeka," she said.

Tenchi blinked, then started to scramble up, horrified. "I thought you
said everyone was *gone*, Ryoko!! What if she'd walked in here or
something?!" he demanded angrily.

If Ryoko had been unsure at all before, seeing Tenchi's face decided
things in an instant. He could never be allowed to know what had just
happened. She searched for the right lie to tell him, hating herself for
doing what had always come so easily to her in the past. But if he found
out, he'd be upset with her. Very upset. The way he had been so often
before. The way he was starting to be now. Ryoko stifled a shiver at the
sound and sight of his harsh voice and face, remembering the pain of
being yelled at, shoved away, and fled from. She didn't want to
experience even the slightest taste of that again. Not when she might be
able to fix things on her own.

Ryoko somehow managed to smile and laugh. "I told you. There wasn't
anyone in the house. But it's probably almost lunchtime, and she'll be
back soon."

Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief, shaking his head. "You really scared me
there for a moment, Ryoko. I'm sorry I yelled at you," He kissed her.
"What did you need to talk to her about, anyway?"

Ryoko tensed. "I'd rather not say, Tenchi."

"You two aren't back to fighting again, are you?" he asked, concerned.

"No, no, don't worry. We're not," she replied nervously. "It's more a
matter of... well... making sure we *don't* fight."

Tenchi sat up, put an arm around her, and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm
really proud of you, Ryoko. To see you trying so hard to get along with
Ae-chan, I mean. I know it's probably not easy for you."

"It's not so bad," said Ryoko, feeling horribly guilty, and dreading what
Tenchi would say if he ever found out *why* she was going to talk to
Aeka.

"It makes it a lot easier for me, knowing that there's finally some kind
of peace between you two. So I can take a walk with her, and not have to
worry about you chasing after us," Tenchi said, hugging Ryoko a little
more tightly against him. "Or spend some time with you if you're upset,
without it making her jealous."

Ryoko nodded, considering Tenchi's words and trying to do something she
generally did very badly -- think long-term. If leaving Tenchi now in
order to keep things quiet between her and Aeka meant receiving more
affection from him later, it would be worth it. And with each passing
moment, the likelihood of repairing the damage lessened. "Well, she's
waiting for me, so I've got to go, OK?" she said, after a few moments.

"That's fine. If you two are getting along, the last thing I want to do
is mess it up. It seems to be going alright without me meddling, so I
might as well just let you handle it yourselves."

Ryoko stood up and retrieved her clothes. Once she was dressed, she
floated back over to Tenchi, bent down, and gave him a parting kiss. He
reached over, grasped her hand, and looked up at her.

"You're feeling OK now, right?" he asked.

Ryoko tried her best to bring back the moment before she'd noticed Aeka.
"Better than OK. Today's been perfect."

Tenchi nodded and smiled at her. "Yeah, I guess it has been, hasn't it?
It's too bad we can't do this more often."

A mix of joy and disappointment swept through Ryoko. Tenchi had almost
said that he wouldn't leave her anymore. Almost. So close! Yet, in the
end, all of her efforts hadn't been quite enough. He obviously wanted to
stay with her. He'd practically said so! Why didn't he, then? Why did he
insist on hurting her *and* himself, for no reason at all? Try as she
might, Ryoko simply couldn't make sense of it.

"I'll see you after you're done talking to Ae-chan," said Tenchi.

Ryoko nodded and exited the bath, meeting her double just outside the
door. They merged into one self again. Then Ryoko vanished.

Tenchi got up and started to get dressed himself. He halted for a moment,
thinking. Picking up his clothes, he went to the door and opened it just
a little. Through the crack he could see that no one was around. He
opened the door further, went out, closed it, opened it again, and shut
himself in the men's bath to finish dressing.

Materializing next to the door of Washuu's lab, Ryoko ran into her and
Sasami coming down the stairs carrying ice skates. "Have you two seen
Aeka?" Ryoko asked.

"She went to take a bath," replied Sasami. "It was really hot outside
today."

"But I've come up with a much better way to deal with the heat," said
Washuu. "Wanna come skate and throw some snowballs with us, Ryoko?"

"Uh, not right now," said Ryoko, too distracted to notice the apparent
contradiction of it being hot and there being snow.

"We'll be in my lab if you want us," said Washuu, opening the door. A
brief flurry of white flakes blew into the living room as she and Sasami
disappeared into the laboratory. 

Ryoko stood for a minute or so, trying to think of where Aeka might have
gone. Then the lab door opened up again, and Sasami leaned through,
mounding up a snowball in her hands. "Uh, Ryoko, could you call Ryo-ohki
for me?"

"Yeah, sure, Sasami." Ryoko closed her eyes and concentrated, sending a
telepathic message to the cabbit, ordering her back to the house. An
image of Ryo-ohki's field of vision formed in Ryoko's head, unexpectedly
providing the information she sought.

Suddenly she felt something wet and icy-cold slide down her back.
Startled, Ryoko shook her dress until a lump of snow plopped onto the
floor. Hearing Sasami giggle, Ryoko turned, realizing what the princess
had done. She reached over and patted the girl on the head. "I'll play
with you later, Sasami-chan," she said, floating towards the kitchen.

Sasami blinked, staring at Ryoko's receding back. Besides the amusement
of playing a prank, she'd hoped to get Ryoko to chase her into the lab so
they could have a snowball fight, but the pirate had barely acknowledged
the snow put down the neck of her dress.

Once in the kitchen, Ryoko opened the refrigerator and pulled out two
cans of juice. Talk was better accomplished over something to drink, and
sake just wasn't the right thing for the kind of discussion Ryoko
intended. Then, again thinking about how much Aeka disliked having her
appear without warning, Ryoko went out the front door rather than
teleporting out to Ryuu-oh immediately. 

No sooner was she outside than Ryoko saw Ryo-ohki scrambling towards her.
The cabbit sat down at her mistress' feet and looked up. "Miya miya, miya
miya miyaaaaa!" she said urgently.

Ryoko sighed. "Yeah, I figured. Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Now,
go play with Sasami-chan, OK?"

"MIYA!" answered Ryo-ohki enthusiastically. Orders like *that* she had no
problem at all obeying. She leapt for the door, smacked into it, then
leaped again and phased through it.

Having noted from Ryo-ohki's memory where Aeka had been sitting, Ryoko
flew out to Ryuu-oh, then touched down about twenty meters off to the
princess' side and started walking towards her. Hearing the approaching
footsteps, Aeka turned her head. Tears stained her face, and hatred
simmered in her eyes. Hatred, but also pain, sorrow, and just a hint of
fear.

"What do *YOU* want?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

Ryoko hesitated a moment. This wasn't going to be easy. She set down the
cans of juice next to Ryuu-oh's trunk, then bowed slightly. "I wanted to
tell you I was sorry about what happened. I wasn't expecting you to walk
in on us."

Aeka looked away and wiped her tears, trying to summon up a brave,
threatening front. "Yes, I'm sure," she sneered. "I suppose I must have
simply *ruined* your good time."

Ryoko grit her teeth. "That *wasn't* what I meant, Aeka. I know it must
have been awful, seeing him with me. I just wanted to apologize, that's
all. I would have come sooner, but I didn't know where you were. I was
looking all over the house for you."

"I'm surprised you bothered. I expect you'd much prefer to stay and
indulge this taste for wanton debauchery you seem to have cultivated in
him," Aeka replied, sniffling.

Ryoko's fists clenched and trembled as she stifled an urge to toss up her
hands in frustration and leave. *I was stupid for even bothering with
this! I felt sorry for HER? This stuck-up little bitch? I left Tenchi and
came out here to listen to THIS?!* "It wasn't like that at all!" she
said, after a few seconds of calming down.

"No, of *course* not," answered Aeka. "Well, you've said what Ten-chan
sent you to say. Now please leave me in peace."

Ryoko fought off the temptation to comply. Instead, she sat down, staring
out at the water. "Tenchi didn't send me, Aeka," she said. After a
moment, she added, "Well, that's not totally true. I came because I knew
he'd want me to. But he didn't say I had to. He doesn't even know you
were there."

Aeka gave Ryoko a quick, surprised glance, but immediately looked away
again, and said nothing.

"I'm sorry about being careless and not warning you or anything. Maybe I
should have put out a 'do not disturb' sign, or something like that. I
just... I dunno, forgot."

Aeka gave no answer.

"I know how it must have felt. I wouldn't want to walk in when he was
with you."

Still the princess remained silent.

"Look, I didn't have to do this. But Tenchi wants us to get along. He
even said he wants us to be *friends*. It's silly, if you ask me, but he
wants it. And I'm not going to let him down without even trying." Still
receiving no reply, Ryoko frowned, annoyed. "Am I talking to you, or am I
talking to this tree of yours?"

Aeka continued to sit, motionless and mute.

Ryoko shook her head and sighed. "Sorry, Tenchi," she said sadly, as she
turned to leave.

Aeka hung her head and closed her eyes. "Ryoko, wait."

The pirate halted and looked back.

"Thank you for your concern," said Aeka quietly. "I accept your apology.
And please excuse what I said before. I know it was uncalled for, but I
was... very upset. Please forgive my rudeness."

Ryoko nodded. "OK."

"Ten-chan told you he wishes us to become friends?" asked Aeka.

"Yeah," sighed Ryoko.

"He said that to me, as well."

Ryoko nodded again. "I guess that figures."

"I wish he wouldn't ask such an impossible thing of me."

Another nod. "Me, too." 

Aeka turned her head and looked up. "Please, sit back down."

"Thanks." 

Ryoko sat, her back against the tree. She picked up the cans of juice and
held one out, offering it to the princess.

"Thank you," said Aeka, inclining her head slightly as she took the can,
moisture beading on its chill metal surface. "It's a hot day today.
That's... that's why I was going to take a bath."

"Oh."

"I wish they'd learn to control the weather properly."

Ryoko nodded. "I was thinking the same thing, over the winter."

Aeka glanced at the can contemplatively for a moment. "We usually drink
sake, don't we?"

"We usually wind up arguing, too," said Ryoko. "I figured maybe it would
work out better if we were sober."

They opened the cans and started sipping juice, looking out over the
lake. Sunlight coming from almost overhead shimmered on the calm surface
of the water. For several minutes, the two of them sat in silence. Then
Ryoko spoke again.

"Aeka?"

"Yes?"

"What you said before, about me and Tenchi in the bath... don't be mad at
him, OK? It was my fault. Blame it on me." Ryoko sighed. "We've always
hated each other anyway."

"I'm *trying* not to hate you, Ryoko. But things like that don't make it
very easy."

"I said I was sorry."

"I know. I suppose I shouldn't let it upset me so. I'm sure you would
have much rather continued without me intruding."

"Yeah."

"Please be more careful, if you do that again. You're right, it was...
very painful."

"This'll sound strange, coming from me, but I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"I know. I know," sighed Aeka, nodding.

"Are you... going to tell him?" asked Ryoko worriedly.

Aeka shook her head. "There's no point in upsetting him. And he'd feel
guilty, and I don't want him to." She smiled very slightly. "Besides, if
I told him, he'd never want to make love there ever again. And I think I
might like to do that with him, at some point."

Ryoko chuckled. "Washuu needs to put a lock or something on it, then.
Because if Sasami walked in, Tenchi would have a stroke for sure."

"I think I probably would, as well," said Aeka, shuddering but smiling
much more now.

"She has to learn about it sometime," said Ryoko, grinning and shrugging.
"What better way than that?"

"Ryoko, please! That isn't funny at all!" Aeka protested. Then, despite
her words, she started laughing, imagining the look on Tenchi's face. A
moment later, so was Ryoko. Once they stopped, Aeka looked over at her,
then down at the ground again, and sighed. 

"I wish we could be like this more often," she said. "It would make Ten-
chan so much happier."

Ryoko's smile vanished. "I know." She shook her head slowly. "Why does he
have to want something so... *weird*?"

"It's his nature. He's kind, and innocent. Those are the reasons why we
both love him, aren't they, after all?"

"He's not exactly *innocent* anymore," Ryoko said, smirking for a moment.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Yeah."

"Still, you're right. It's not at all an easy thing to ask. We've always
detested each other. We've fought so long, it seems like forever."

Remembering something that had happened earlier in the day, Ryoko looked
down at the ground. "Have you seen that... doll thing of his?" she asked.

"'Doll thing'?" asked Aeka, turning and giving Ryoko a quizzical look.

"You know, that little ceramic head on his desk."

"Oh. The one with one of it's eyes blacked in, you mean?"

Ryoko's voice became very quiet. "Well, he painted in the other one this
morning."

"I wasn't aware that Ten-chan was trying his hand at the arts."

Ryoko shook her head slowly. "That's not it. He explained it to me. You
paint in one eye when you make a wish, and the other when it comes true."

"I see. Did he say what he wished for?" asked Aeka.

Ryoko nodded, and stared at her.

Aeka's eyes widened. "No, he *didn't*..."

Ryoko sighed and nodded again. Aeka closed her eyes and winced.

"You should have seen him, Aeka," said Ryoko, her face full of bleak
despair. "The way he held it. The way he painted it. So careful. Like
having that wish come true meant more to him than *anything*." She wrung
her hands, almost on the verge of tears. "What are we going to *do*? Tell
him, 'Tenchi, you're nuts, it's never going to happen'?"

"I don't know, Ryoko. I simply don't know," said Aeka. She sat and
thought for several moments. "I wonder, though, if it's truly so
impossible a thing."

"Friends? *Us*?" Ryoko shook her head. "OK, so maybe it's not
*completely* impossible, but it's pretty close."

"Oh, I agree, it's most unlikely, but it *has* been at least three days
since we've fought one another."

"You've got a point," admitted Ryoko. Then she smirked. "Getting bored?"

"No, not really," said Aeka. She smiled slightly. "We both have much more
interesting things to do now, ne?"

Ryoko laughed and grinned for a moment before sighing and shaking her
head. "Yeah, but sometimes that's only going to make things worse. Like
today."

Aeka nodded. "Be that as it may, I think we should try to give him as
much of as we can of what he wants," she said. "We already said on
Saturday that we wouldn't argue in front of him. We should make even more
of an effort now. No insults. No taunting. Nothing he would perceive as
us being hostile towards one another."

"That's gonna be *tough*," said Ryoko, shaking her head. "For both of
us."

"I know. But we must at least try."

"I'll give it my best shot. I don't know how long it can last, though.
There'll be all sorts of things we'll be mad at each other about, and we
won't suddenly stop being mad just 'cause Tenchi shows up. He'll notice."

"Perhaps if we discussed what was bothering us, when Ten-chan wasn't
around, we could find a way to defuse the matter. Or at least we could
get the argument over with, without him seeing."

Ryoko thought about it for a moment. "You know, that's not a bad idea."
She smiled and looked over at Aeka. "So, princess, besides the thing with
the bath, what have I done lately to piss you off?"

Aeka sat in silence for a while. "On second thought, perhaps... perhaps
it wouldn't be so wise after all," she said finally.

"Why not? Look, you had an idea, and I liked it. How often does *that*
happen?"

"Not very often, I must admit."

"So why waste it? Come on. Think of something."

Aeka ran through her mind the events of that morning, and how hurt and
angry she'd been. She wasn't at all confident that she could discuss them
without eventually flying into a rage. For several minutes she continued
to sit, attempting to find something trivial to bring up instead, but all
of the many irritations associated with Ryoko had been eclipsed.

"I've been *that* nice?" asked the pirate, finally growing tired of the
uncomfortable silence. "Wow. I must be slipping."

"I just can't think of anything in particular," said Aeka, trying to be
diplomatic.

Ryoko shrugged. "Well, in that case, *I'll* go first."

Aeka tensed for a moment, remembering those words spoken in a very
different context. Then she relaxed again.

"Hmm... let's see... what have you done lately that's gotten me really
mad..." Ryoko's face brightened. "OK, this morning you were late getting
out of Tenchi's room and coming to get me."

Aeka counted to ten before answering, thinking of how painful it had been
to leave Tenchi when he obviously wanted her to stay. "I'm sorry. I was
discussing something with Ten-chan."

Ryoko looked over at her, frowning. "What?"

"I *told* you, I'm sorry," said Aeka.

"It's *my* day today. *I'm* the one who gets to wake him up. Got it?"
warned Ryoko.

Aeka blinked, too puzzled to be angry. "I *didn't* wake him up," she said
slowly. "He woke up before I did. But I fail to see what's so important
about..." Aeka paused, realization dawning. She winced as she thought
back to the previous Wednesday and what she'd managed to stop. "Oh.
*That*," she said, the faintest trace of sneer in her voice. "I hadn't
realized you were so obsessive about it. Very well, if it means so much
to you, I'll be careful not to accidentally awaken him on your days.
Satisfied?"

"Sure," said Ryoko, nodding. "OK. Now it's your turn."

The subject of waking Tenchi up having reminded her of events the
previous morning, Aeka composed her thoughts, trying to be tactful.
"Alright. I would appreciate it if you didn't tax Ten-chan's endurance
quite so much, when you're... with him."

Ryoko's eyes narrowed slightly. "Look, you can do what you want when
you're with Tenchi. But what I do with him's none of your business."

"It is when he's exhausted once you're through with him," said Aeka,
starting to get angry. "It's not fair to me, and it's not fair to him,
either. Didn't you notice how tired he was yesterday morning?"

"Oh. Yeah, now that you mention it." Ryoko smiled guiltily. "But he looks
so *sweet* when he falls asleep, all worn out." She glanced over at Aeka
for a moment. "So, I guess he didn't, uh, perform last night?"

"I didn't ask him to. He obviously needed his rest, and *I* make it a
point to be considerate," Aeka said proudly. "You might try doing the
same."

"OK, OK," sighed Ryoko. "I'll try to hold back a little."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. And I think you'll find that Ten-chan will,
as well."

"You know, princess," said Ryoko, a wicked grin starting to form on her
face, "if you're aren't gettin' any, you should tell me." She leaned over
and put her hand on the princess' thigh. "I know *I* could satisfy you,"
the pirate whispered seductively in Aeka's ear.

Aeka nearly fell over in her haste to distance herself, and Ryoko doubled
up, laughing. Aeka glared furiously at her. "Will you please stop *doing*
that! It isn't funny!"

"It isn't? I thought it was hilarious!"

"I find the prospect quite disgusting!"

"Yeah. I know," said Ryoko, managing to stop laughing.

"I take it this is the end of any *serious* discussion?" Aeka demanded
angrily.

"No, it isn't. Sorry," said Ryoko. "You never *could* take a joke," she
grumbled.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're joking," retorted Aeka. "Now, I believe it
was your turn?"

Ryoko nodded and thought some more. "OK. It really bugs me when you try
to make me stop kissing Tenchi and stuff just because there are people
around. How about you stop doing that?"

"But it embarrasses him!" snapped Aeka. "Do you see most other couples
groping each other in public?"
                                     
"So? Maybe they just don't love each other as much as we do," said Ryoko
with a shrug. "And who *cares*, anyway?"

"Ten-chan certainly does," said Aeka.

"He's just not used to it yet." Ryoko smiled. "I can convince him."

Aeka's fists clenched and unclenched as thoughts ran through her mind
once more of how much control Ryoko seemed to be gaining over Tenchi. "It
isn't right to cause him so much discomfort!"

"That's between me and Tenchi," insisted Ryoko.

Aeka frowned and fell silent.

"Does this mean you're going to keep bugging me about it?" asked Ryoko.

"Do whatever you like," replied Aeka. "If he gets angry about it, it'll
be at you, not at me."

Ryoko nodded. "Thanks. OK, your turn again."

Aeka sank into thought once more. Her mind swiftly returned to the
morning's events, and this time she couldn't think of anything else to
discuss. "Stop trying to convince Ten-chan to stay at home."

Ryoko frowned and looked over at her. "What?!"

"I said, stop trying..." started Aeka.

"I *heard* that," interrupted Ryoko. She shook her head. "No. Forget it."

"All you're doing is making it difficult for him. That's all you're going
to accomplish. You *should* want to make it easier for him."

"I said 'no.'"

"It's important for him to..."

"*NO*, dammit!" snarled Ryoko.

"You will hear me out!" snapped Aeka. "It's important for Ten-chan to do
what's right, even if he doesn't want to. *More* important, in fact."

"What's so important about that stupid school thing of his?"

"It's not the specific thing. It's the importance of fulfilling one's
duties and obligations, in general. Of doing what one is supposed to do,
regardless of one's own wishes or feelings."

Ryoko began crumpling her empty juice can. "I've had just about all I can
stand of 'supposed to.'"

Aeka sighed, deciding to try a different route. "Ryoko, I know it hurts.
It hurts me as well. But he has to go. Do you want him to spend all day
aching inside just because you're too selfish to put aside your feelings
and stand behind him?"

Ryoko said nothing, concentrating on crushing the remains of the can into
the smallest space possible.

"It will make him feel better if he knows he has our support," said Aeka.
"Or are you only prepared to do easy things for him?"

Ryoko clenched her fist. The wadded aluminum oozed out between her
fingers like clay. "I'd do anything for him. So don't say anything like
that ever again," she warned.

"Then do as I did yesterday."

"What, push him out the door, you mean?" asked Ryoko.

"That is *not* what I did!" insisted Aeka, sounding more hurt than angry.

Ryoko shrugged. "Sure looked that way to me."

"I don't care *how* it looked to *you*!" Aeka took several deep breaths,
trying not to completely lose her temper. "Ten-chan worries whenever
someone close to him is upset. It will comfort him to see that we accept
his having to leave. It's something he must do, so we should see to it
that it hurts him as little as we can."

"Yeah, right. 'Ja ne, Tenchi. Don't worry, I won't miss you at all.' I'm
sure that makes him feel *terrific*."

Aeka shook her head. "You're utterly impossible!"

"No, I'm not. I'm just not going to hurt him like you do."

"*I'm* not the one causing him pain!"

Ryoko thought back to the things Tenchi had said that morning, and tried
her best to be fair. Her voice calmed and softened a little. "I'm not
saying you meant to, Aeka. But he doesn't really want to go. *I* sure
don't want him to." She looked over at the princess, and her eyes
narrowed. "And if you say *you* want him to, you're lying through your
teeth."

"I never said I *wanted* him to go, Ryoko," said Aeka sadly. "I'll ask
you once again. Help me. Do as I do. *Please*. It will be much better for
him."

"It would be better if *you* helped *me*."

Aeka blinked. "What?"

"I *told* you. He doesn't really want to go. He said me he wishes he
could stay."

"Of *course* he does, Ryoko, but..."

"Let me finish. I tried to talk Tenchi into staying. He *almost* did,
Aeka. Almost. Just a little more and he would have said 'yes.'" Ryoko
sighed regretfully. "Look, both of us got nowhere all that time because
we fought each other. I can't convince him by myself. But if you would
just help me, we could do it. He'd listen. I *know* he would." She looked
over at Aeka. "Come on. All we have to do is go and ask him to forget
about school and stay home with us. That's all it would take."

Aeka stood up. "I cannot *believe* you'd delude yourself for a moment
that I would do such a thing! I am *NOT* going to help you tempt him into
wrongdoing and dishonorable behavior! I am not at selfish as *you*
apparently are."

"I'm not being selfish. He'd be with you just as much, or can't you get
that through your thick head?" asked Ryoko, standing up as well.

"That's not what I meant! You're putting your feelings above his honor."

"Will you stop saying 'honor, honor, honor' like it's a war we're talking
about or something? It's school. That's *all*."

"Honor matters equally as much in small or great things."

"It's a good thing this isn't the old days his grandpa talks about
sometimes. Because if someone told Tenchi he had to cut his guts out,
you'd stand behind him, all right... with a sword."

Aeka blanched. For a few moments she faltered, so shocked she couldn't
speak. "How *dare* you accuse me of such a thing!" she said icily, once
she regained her voice.

"You're the one who keeps talking about honor. Is that all you care
about? If you love him, you've sure got a weird way of showing it."

"I love him just as much as you do," declared Aeka, her voice trembling.
"But I love him as he *is*. I don't want to change him, as you seem so
intent on doing."

"I'm not the one trying to make Tenchi do something he doesn't want to
do."

"Hmpf! If you're right, then why hasn't he done as *you* want?" demanded
Aeka.

"Sometimes Tenchi wants to do something, but he needs a push." A memory
came back to her, and Ryoko's eyes blazed with angry recollection as she
glared at Aeka. "I'm sure you can think of something I had to push him
into, a few days ago. Right, princess?"

Aeka's face went slack as she realized what Ryoko was talking about. She
tried to come up with a verbal counterattack, but all of the fight seemed
to have gone out of her. She sat down, closed her eyes, and looked away.
"I never asked you to do that, Ryoko," the princess said quietly. Painful
recollections came back of the long wait for Tenchi to become bolder, to
get closer to her, to acknowledge and return her feelings and desires.
The pirate's reminder that he had never done so, and that Aeka owed Ryoko
for forcing the issue, momentarily tore the princess' pride to shreds.
She tried to choke back a sob, and failed. Tears started running down her
face. The knowledge that Ryoko was watching her made it all the more
humiliating, and the tears came faster.

Ryoko looked on, the anger draining out of her as well as she remembered
why she'd come out to find Aeka in the first place. To apologize to Aeka
and make her feel better. For a while, it had seemed as if things were
improving. They'd actually shared a drink and a few laughs. But now Aeka
was sitting and crying, just as she had been when Ryoko had arrived.
Things had come full circle. No, they were worse. Even worse than when
she'd started. She ran the conversation back in her mind. Towards the
end, there were a dozen things she wished she hadn't said, but the words
were beyond recall. And what was the use in apologizing now when it was
an attempt at apology that had started it all in the first place?

Listening to the sound of Aeka weeping, Ryoko looked down at the ground,
ashamed at having failed Tenchi so miserably and more than a little
disgusted with herself. This was twice now that she'd seen Aeka humbled.
And much though she'd wanted it in the past, it now seemed such a
pathetic victory to strive for.

And then there was the matter of the faint but unmistakable feelings of
sympathy and regret inside her. Present, despite the rest of her psyche
trying to deny them and drive them out. She glanced over at Aeka,
wondering if there was anything she could do, then shook her head,
deciding that there was nothing she would accomplish besides making
matters worse. Ryoko stared back down at her feet and stood motionless
for a few moments.

"Sorry, Aeka," she sighed. "Sorry, Tenchi."

Then she was gone.

Back at the house, Tenchi came down the stairs, dressed and carrying the
breakfast trays he and Ryoko had used, along with the bottle of sake and
his schoolbooks. He returned the sake to its proper place -- he hoped his
dad wouldn't notice, as it was the expensive kind, reserved for special
occasions -- then went into the kitchen and began washing the trays and
chopsticks. Once he was done, he put everything away, got himself a can
of soda, and sat down on the couch. As long as Ryoko and Aeka weren't
around, he decided, he might as well make use of the time and study to
compensate for the day of school he was missing.

Resisting the temptation to turn on the TV, he opened up his science
textbook and began going over his assignment, which he needed to turn in
by the end of the week. He solved the first few problems relatively
easily, but after a dozen or so, they became rather difficult. Fifteen
minutes or more went by as he puzzled over one particularly tough one,
flipping back through the text in search of the information he needed.

He was still poring over the words, frowning in concentration, when
Washuu and Sasami came out of the lab amidst a blast of cold air and
swirling snowflakes. Tenchi looked up, stared at the snowflakes drifting
downward, then shook his head. There usually wasn't any point in trying
to figure out what went on in Washuu's lab.

"Konichiwa!" called Sasami, quickly walking over to the couch, followed
by Washuu and Ryo-ohki, who hopped up on the back next to Tenchi's
shoulder. "What're you doing? Homework?" asked the princess, sitting
down.

Tenchi smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I think some of it's going to have to
wait until I can ask my teacher tomorrow, though." Then he blinked,
remembering that there was a teacher standing not four meters away -- and
the universe's greatest genius, to boot. "Uh, Washuu-chan," he asked,
looking over at her, "could I bother you with a couple of science
questions?"

Washuu came over and peered down at his textbook, smiling. Seven hundred
years on sabbatical was just a little too long. "What did you need to
know?" she asked.

"Well, this one's kind of tough," said Tenchi, pointing to problem #16.

"Hmmm... having trouble with chemical bonding, huh?"

"Sort of."

"OK. The first thing you need to understand is..."

Meanwhile, Ryoko stood next to the torii that arched over the path from
the house to the shrine. She looked into the distance, watching Aeka
sitting under Ryuu-oh. The princess had stopped crying. At least, her
body wasn't convulsing as if she was. It was difficult to tell from that
far away. In any case, she'd calmed down, and now just stared at the
ground. For some reason, Ryoko found the sight more than a little
disturbing. Along with all of Aeka's talk about honor and duty, it made
Ryoko think back on the day the princess had arrived and the words Aeka
had spoken, high above Earth.

"There is nothing left for me to believe in. Well, if that's the case, we
*die*!"

While it didn't seem *too* likely, it was just possible that Aeka might
decide to commit suicide in her moment of grief, Ryoko decided. That last
comment, the one about Ryoko pushing Tenchi into the closet with Aeka,
must have really, really hurt. Once more she wished she could take the
words back. It didn't do any good, of course. Every now and then Ryoko
glanced nervously at the rope that, last Saturday, Tenchi had hung from
by his arms. It still dangled from Ryuu-oh's lowest branch.

So she watched, just in case Aeka's grief pushed her too far. Ryoko knew
that if Aeka were to kill herself, there was no way she could conceal the
reason behind it from Tenchi for very long. She was a good liar, but not
*that* good. And once he knew... it would be like what Aeka had
experienced on Saturday, but without any hope of forgiveness.

And that was the only reason she was concerned, Ryoko quickly assured
herself. Definitely. That was absolutely, positively her only interest in
Aeka not ending her life. Without a doubt. For certain.

Suddenly, Ryoko felt a hand grab her butt and squeeze several times.

"Never let your guard down, or your enemy will strike when you least
expect him to," chided Katsuhito.

Ryoko whirled around in a fraction of a second, her eyes blazing with
fury and her sword burning in her hand.

Katsuhito was standing at least ten meters away.

"Your reflexes seem to be a little slow, as well," the old man said.

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing?" demanded Ryoko, baring
her fangs menacingly.

"Testing a student's awareness and reaction time," replied Katsuhito.

Ryoko blinked, remembering that she was supposed to spar with Tenchi's
grandfather today. Now she desperately hoped the match wouldn't involve
getting fondled by him. At least all Nobuyuki wanted to do was look, not
touch. She extinguished her sword and bowed.

"I was going in to the house to have lunch," said Katsuhito. "I presume
you're coming as well. We need to decide when you want to practice."

Ryoko straightened up and looked worriedly at Aeka for a moment. She
definitely couldn't leave the princess distraught and unwatched to go eat
lunch. "Um, ojiisama, um... do you suppose we could, um... do that
tomorrow?"

Katsuhito frowned. "Is there a particular reason? I don't need *two*
inattentive students who keep skipping practice."

Ryoko made another furtive glance at Aeka before making herself stop.
"There are just some... things I have to do this afternoon. Very
important things."

"I see," said Katsuhito, holding his chin in his hand contemplatively.
"Alright. But don't make a habit of it."

"Thank you, ojiisama," said Ryoko, bowing again.

Katsuhito continued down the path towards the house. An idea occurred to
Ryoko, and she followed a few paces behind. Partly because that was the
respectful thing to do, and she definitely didn't want to offend
Katsuhito, but mostly to avoid being in a position to be groped.

Reaching the house, they went inside, and found everyone else in the
kitchen, filling up trays with food. Sasami turned and smiled cheerfully
at them. "You're just in time! Oh, Ryoko, did you find oneesama?"

"Uh, yeah. We're out by her tree, talking. I was coming in to get lunch
for us," explained Ryoko, a little nervously.

"Isn't it great how big Ryuu-oh has gotten since spring came?" asked the
princess.

"Uh-huh," agreed Ryoko, piling chilled noodles, pickled cabbage, and
sushi onto her and Aeka's trays. As she had the previous day, Sasami had
only fixed cold foods, in deference to the hot weather. Not able to
remember which kind of sushi Aeka liked best out of tuna, cucumber, or
daikon sprout, Ryoko selected a few of each.

"Is it OK if I come out and sit with you?" Sasami asked, looking up at
Ryoko.

"Uh... it's... it's sort of a private conversation, Sasami-chan,"
answered Ryoko. "I'll let you know when we're done. OK?"

Sasami nodded. "OK."

Tenchi stopped and frowned slightly, having noticed the unease in Ryoko's
voice. He waited until the others had left the kitchen, leaving the two
of them alone as she put ice in two large glasses and filled them with
lemonade from the pitcher on the table. He stood next to her and put his
hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright, Ryoko?" he asked,
concerned. "You look a little nervous."

Ryoko looked away. "Well..."

"What are you two talking about that's got you so upset?"

"I... I really think it would turn out better if I didn't talk about it,
Tenchi," she said, still not meeting his eyes.

Tenchi reached over and took hold of her hand. "Alright. Whatever keeps
the peace between you two is fine with me. Just as long as it turns out
OK. That's what's important."

Ryoko hung her head. "Tenchi... what if, sometimes -- just once in a
while, I mean -- it doesn't turn out... well, completely, totally...
*perfect*?" she asked in a quiet, hesitant voice, slowly raising fearful
eyes to look at him.

Letting out a sigh, Tenchi smiled and put his arms around her. "Come on.
I'm not *that* unreasonable, am I?"

"No, not really," answered Ryoko, resting her head on his chest.

"The very first day she got here, you two went up into space and tried to
*kill* each other. Remember?"

Ryoko nodded, reminded once more of why she needed to get back outside,
quickly.

"So, I don't expect you to always get along perfectly. Sure, if you
argue, I won't like it. But I know it's going to happen." Still keeping
one arm wrapped around Ryoko, Tenchi put his free hand under her chin,
and tilted her head up to face him. "And I told you before, I'm really,
*really* proud of you for trying so hard. Both of you." He bent lower and
kissed her. Ryoko hugged him and held on tightly, silently promising him
that she wouldn't rest until things between her and Aeka were the way
Tenchi wanted them to be, at least as far as their current dispute went.

After a few moments, Tenchi broke the kiss and laughed, trying to cheer
her up. "OK, now go work out whatever it is you two are arguing over this
time," he said. "You're probably mad about who ate the last cookie,
again."

Ryoko managed to smile as Tenchi let go of her, gave her one more kiss,
and walked out of the kitchen. She picked up the trays and glasses and
teleported to the same spot near Ryuu-oh she'd gone to before. Then she
quickly glanced over to where Aeka had been sitting.

The princess was still there.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ryoko walked to the tree and set down one
glass and tray. Then she went over to Aeka and looked down. The princess'
eyes were rimmed with red, and she sat motionless, staring at the ground.
If it weren't for the faint sound of breathing, Ryoko might have
suspected that the princess was dead. Aeka definitely didn't seem to
notice her presence.

"I brought lunch for you," said Ryoko.

Just as she had earlier, Aeka remained silent. But it wasn't just a
refusal to answer. She didn't even seem to know Ryoko was there.

Hoping that maybe a simple gesture might work better than words, Ryoko
wordlessly set down the tray and glass next to Aeka, then retreated. She
started in on her own lunch, but without much enthusiasm, eating with one
eye on her food and another on the princess, waiting for some reaction,
even a twitch. But none came.

Once she'd finished her lunch, Ryoko walked closer to Aeka again and
looked down at the untouched food. "You'd better eat that pretty soon.
The sushi'll go bad."

Silence.

Ryoko sat down, folded her arms across her knees, and lay her chin on
them. Many minutes passed, without a word from either of the girls.

"Aeka, I'm sorry about that stuff I said towards the end. It was really
shitty of me. I take it back, OK? I know you love him, and I know you
wouldn't really hurt him."

Silence.

"And what I said about me pushing Tenchi into the closet with you... I
know you probably don't want to think about that. I'm sorry."

Silence.

"It's not like it took so long because of he didn't like your looks. Like
I said before, putting aside the jokes and all, I don't think either of
us needs to worry about that."

Silence.

"I mean, it's not like *I* got anywhere with him, all that time, either.
And maybe nothing would have happened between him and me, if you hadn't
been with him first, and loosened him up a little."

Silence.

"You weren't that far off. You just weren't aggressive enough," said
Ryoko. She sighed. "And I guess I was *too* aggressive. Maybe all that
had to happen was for you to act just a little like me, and for me to act
just a little like you. Then everything would have worked out OK." Ryoko
smiled and looked over at Aeka. "Pretty profound, huh?"

Aeka continued to sit, motionless. The only sound was that of the cicadas
chirping. Ryoko sighed and looked down at the ground, as motionless as
the princess save for the occasional sideward glance. Another long
stretch of silence ensued. Finally, Ryoko stood up, her fists clenched at
her sides as she glared at Aeka and contemplated one last possible course
of action.

Ryoko picked her up and tossed her into the lake. The princess' surprised
and offended shriek ended in a loud splash.

After foundering for a moment, Aeka stood up in the shallow water and
started wading to shore, her face a scowl and the rage in her eyes
directed at Ryoko like a lance. "H-h-how *DARE* you!!!" she snarled in
fury, striding onto land as the water streamed from her drenched kimono.

Ryoko put a hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and sighed with relief.
"Now *that's* the princess I'm used to."

"Haven't I suffered enough humiliation at your hands today without you
doing *THIS*?!" demanded Aeka, pointing at her very wet self.

Ryoko grinned. "Sorry, Aeka, but that statue act of yours was getting
kind of spooky. I had to do *something*."

Aeka stood, hands balled into fists, taking deep breaths as her anger
mounted.

"If you're going to try to zap me with your forcefield, go ahead," said
Ryoko. "At least that would be *normal*."

The princess slowly calmed down. "I'm not speaking to you," she said,
after a while.

"Yeah, whatever. At least you're not acting like you're going to..."
Ryoko's voice became just a little quieter and rather more serious,
"...kill yourself or something."

Aeka blinked, then stared at Ryoko, an expression of confused disbelief
on her face. "Is that what you thought I was going to do?" she asked
slowly.

Ryoko hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Aeka continued staring, completely at a loss for words. Finally, she
tossed her head and turned her nose up. "Hmpf! I wouldn't give you the
satisfaction!" she said contemptuously.

"It's not like I cared or anything," Ryoko said. "I just didn't want to
have to clean up the mess, that's all."

"I should have known laziness would be your motive," said Aeka, sitting
down.

"Weren't you not talking to me?" asked Ryoko.

Aeka picked up her lunch tray and took the chopsticks in her hand. "Thank
you for reminding me," she said, viciously stabbing the chopsticks into
the food and beginning to eat.

Ryoko glanced over at the princess, thought for a while, and stood up.
"Back in a sec'," she said, before dematerializing. Aeka stopped eating
and looked at the spot Ryoko had occupied, her expression once more
baffled and incredulous. She slowly shook her head for a moment, then
resumed eating her lunch.

Shortly thereafter, Ryoko re-appeared. Wordlessly she offered Aeka a dry
kimono. Just as silently, Aeka accepted it. While Ryoko stood watch, Aeka
went behind Ryuu-oh to change kimonos and wring out her undergarments.
Now significantly less wet, she sat back down, and finished her food. For
several hours the two of them sat, not speaking, sparing each other a
brief glance every so often but otherwise not acknowledging each other's
presence. As the sun started to go down, by some unspoken mutual
agreement they got up and walked back to the house.

"So, we're going to forget about the stuff we said before, right?" asked
Ryoko, as they approached the front door.

Aeka frowned. "I believe I said I wasn't speaking to you."

Ryoko sighed. "I said I was sorry."

Aeka briefly glanced at Ryoko, as if unsure of what to do, then turned
her face away and said nothing.

Heading into the living room, they found it deserted. Silently they sat
down, not looking at each other, lost in thought. They barely noticed
Tenchi when he came in, carrying a can of soda, and sat between them. He
set the can on the coffee table, then put one arm around each girl. "So,
you two are done talking now, right?" he asked hopefully. "Everything's
OK? No fighting, or anything like that?"

Ryoko and Aeka stared at each other for a moment.

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine, Tenchi," said Ryoko cheerfully.

"Yes. Nothing you need concern yourself with, Ten-chan," agreed Aeka.

Tenchi looked at each of them. "You're sure?" he asked.

"Quite sure," said Aeka.

Ryoko nodded. "Definitely."

Tenchi smiled and gave each of them a kiss. "Great. That's just what I
wanted to hear." He hugged them close for a moment, then took a sip of
soda and picked up the TV remote. "Either of you want to watch anything
in particular?" he asked, turning it on.

"Whatever you want to watch," the girls said, simultaneously. 

Tenchi looked back and forth at them, chuckled, shaking his head. He
flipped the channels until he reached a station playing music videos,
then stopped, considering whether to watch it or look for something else.

Then came the sound of the front door opening and shutting. "Tadaima!"
called Nobuyuki's voice.

"Okaeri, dad," replied Tenchi, as his father walked into the room.

"Okaeri nasai, otou-sama," said Ryoko and Aeka, not quite at the same
time, but almost.

Nobuyuki sighed. "That's such a wonderful sound to hear!" He handed a box
to Tenchi. "Here. I picked it up on the way home, like you asked."

"Thanks, dad," replied Tenchi. He set the box -- the label said "clock
radio" -- on the coffee table. "I'll take it upstairs when I go to bed."

"Just don't break *this* one," said Nobuyuki, sitting down and picking up
the remote. "Now, time for Pamela-chan. This is the first time this month
I've gotten home early enough."

Tenchi cringed. "Jeez, dad, not *that* show! All it is is girls running
around on the beach giving people CPR every five minutes."

"And...?" said Nobuyuki, switching channels. Moments later the screen
filled with tanned gaijin women in skimpy bikinis, and Nobuyuki watched
intently, not bothering to read the subtitles.

Shaking his head in disgust at his father's lecherousness, Tenchi pulled
Aeka and Ryoko closer. The girls looked at each other across him for a
moment, then lay their heads on either shoulder and did their best to
ignore one another's presence.

Soon, dinner was served. It passed rather uneventfully, except for a
groan from Tenchi at having unagi *again* and a polite request to Sasami
that it not be served three evenings in a row. Afterwards, as the dishes
were being cleared, Tenchi stood next to Ryoko. "Would you like to go for
a walk?" he asked.

"Walk?"

"Yeah. Ae-chan and I went for one yesterday, and I figured we could go
for one tonight. Maybe look at the stars."

Ryoko put an arm around him, smiling. "Sounds nice."

"I'll go say goodnight to Ae-chan, OK? In case she wants to go to sleep
before we get back," he said.

A nervous look passed over Ryoko's face as she wondered if, once Aeka was
alone with Tenchi, she might tell him about having walked into the bath
that morning. The princess had said she wouldn't tell him, but that was
before they'd started arguing. And if Tenchi found out *now*, he'd also
find out about Ryoko having lied to him, and the hurtful things she'd
said to Aeka. It would probably destroy all of the closeness that seemed
to have grown between Ryoko and Tenchi that morning.

"Come on, it'll only be for a minute or two," said Tenchi, misreading
Ryoko's expression.

Ryoko nodded. "I'll be outside," she said. She blinked out in front of
the house and sat down, dread weighing on her as she waited for Tenchi to
come outside and either walk with her, or yell at her.

Inside, Tenchi met Aeka as she walked out of the kitchen. "I wanted to
say goodnight. Ryoko and I were going to go for a walk, and I didn't want
you to have to stay up for me."

Aeka's spirits sank. "A... walk, Ten-chan?" she asked quietly, looking
away.

Tenchi sighed and put his arm across her shoulders. "Just for a while,
Ae-chan." He looked over at Nobuyuki, Washuu, and Sasami sitting on the
couch, and wished he was someplace more private. Out of the corner of his
eye he noticed the door to the laboratory. Considering it for a moment,
he turned to Washuu.

"Uh, Washuu-chan, do you mind if Ae-chan and I step into your lab for a
moment?" he asked.

Washuu nodded. "Sure. Just as long as you don't blow it up again."

"I won't," promised Tenchi. He and the princess walked over to the lab
and went inside, shutting the door behind them. Once inside, the door
vanished, and the two of them looked around, very puzzled.

The floor around them was covered with deep snow for a hundred meters in
all directions. Flakes drifted down through the cold air. For another
hundred meters outside that snow-covered ground, snowflakes filled the
air as well, but for some reason they seemed to vanish on reaching the
gleaming ice criss-crossed with skate marks. Beyond the ice not a trace
of snow or ice was visible, just Washuu's normal (if it could be called
that) lab equipment. A short distance away from where the door had been
sat a snow cabbit about ten times life size and a pile of snowballs.

"This is really *weird*," said Tenchi, forgetting for a moment why he'd
wanted to go into the lab.

Aeka nodded, then suddenly remembered. "Oh. Yes, Washuu-san decided to
make some snow to play in, because it was so hot outside today.

No sooner had the words left her mouth, however, when she remembered
where *she* had gone to refresh herself after enduring the uncomfortable
heat, and what she had seen the moment she'd opened the door to the bath.
Aeka looked over at Tenchi, her mind filled with the memory of him lying
underneath Ryoko with his arms around her, giving and receiving pleasure
and seemingly unaware that anything else in the universe even existed.
Pain welling up from deep in her heart filled Aeka's face.

Seeing it, Tenchi sighed, remembering what he'd came to do. He embraced
Aeka and kissed her, then held her as he looked down into her eyes. "It's
just a walk, Ae-chan. I took one with you yesterday, and if you want,
we'll go again tomorrow. OK?"

Aeka turned her face away slightly. "Yes, I'd... I'd like that, Ten-
chan."

"Ae-chan, I'm sorry. I know I'm asking a lot of you two." He hung his
head guiltily. "I kind of wonder if *I* could take it, if it was the
other way around. If there was another guy, I mean."

Aeka's eyes widened as she looked back at Tenchi. She brought her face
very close to his. "There could *never* be another, Ten-chan," she said
softly. "Please, don't even speak of such an impossible thing."

"Yeah, I know. That's what's so awful about it," said Tenchi. "You'd
never even *think* of hurting me like I'm doing to you. Neither would
Ryoko. And you two just take it." He shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry,
Ae-chan."

The princess stared into his eyes for several moments. Regardless of the
pain seeing him with Ryoko had caused Aeka, she couldn't bring herself to
blame Tenchi for it if he hadn't done it out of malice. Nor did she wish
to remind him of it. He looked remorseful enough as it was, over what he
thought was just a matter of him taking a walk with Ryoko. If he knew
what the true cause was and the severity of the anguish Aeka had suffered
as a result... 

No. Tenchi would try to bear the whole burden, place all of the blame on
himself even though he didn't deserve it. Aeka didn't want him to feel
that guilty.

"There is nothing you have done to be sorry for, Ten-chan," she said,
kissing him. "So long as she and I are equals in your heart, you needn't
be concerned."

"Don't ever worry about that, Ae-chan," Tenchi said. "Ever." He kissed
her deeply and held it for a long while as the snowflakes drifted down
around them.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Aeka said, after their lips parted.
"Oyasume nasai."

Tenchi gave the princess another quick kiss. "Oyasumi."

Aeka reached for where the door should be, and as usual, as if knowing
that it was needed, the door appeared. She opened it, and she and Tenchi
walked out amidst a brief flurry of snow.

Outside by the front door, Ryoko continued to sit. Tenchi seemed to have
been gone quite a long time. She tried her best not to imagine that Aeka
was telling him everything that had happened since the moment the
princess had walked into the bath, but each passing moment made it seem
more likely.

Behind her, the door finally slid open. Ryoko closed her eyes and braced
herself, trembling just a little, for Tenchi to begin shouting at her.

"Ready?" Tenchi asked, putting his hand on Ryoko's shoulder.

Ryoko let out her breath and stood up. "Let's go."

Tenchi crooked his arm, offering it to her, and she took it, smiling.
They walked off into the woods. Once they'd left the glow of the house's
lights, the stars shone down, twinkling crystals, and the faint glowing
band of the Milky Way stretched across the sky, unobscured by the light
of the thin crescent moon.

As they walked, Ryoko began to recognize some of the features of the
landscape. She looked over at Tenchi. "Was there anywhere in particular
we're going?"

"No place, really. Why?"

"Wait and see."

Ryoko steered him a little to the right, and they continued walking.
After a few minutes, they reached a clearing. Tenchi stopped and looked
around. Things seemed... familiar. Then he realized why.

"It was *here*, wasn't it?" he asked, turned to Ryoko.

Ryoko smiled and nodded, then pulled herself close.

The intervening months of weather had altered some of the features of the
crash site, and it was overgrown with grass now, but it was still
recognizable.

"Tenchi..." she whispered

He smiled at her. "Hmm?"

Suddenly, Ryoko grabbed Tenchi and wrapped her arms tight around him.
"Oh, help! My name is Ryoko and I'm being chased by a ruthless space
pirate! Please, I'm begging you, save me!"

Tenchi smirked and shook his head. Ryoko giggled for a while, then kissed
him.

"Want to stay here for a while?" she asked.

"Sure," replied Tenchi. He sat down on the ground. Moments later, Ryoko
floated onto his lap and put her arms around him. For about fifteen
minutes they alternately kissed and gazed upward at the brilliantly-lit
sky. Then Tenchi decided to lie down. He stretched out on the ground, and
Ryoko lay her head on his chest. They sat silently for a while, Tenchi's
arm partly wrapped around Ryoko, as they continued staring up into
silver-speckled blackness.

As her eyes roamed from star to star, recognizing some despite the
unusual Earth-bound vantage point, Ryoko chanced upon a blue spot amidst
the dark. In the center of her vision glowed the emission nebula IC 4604,
surrounding the star Rho Opiuchi, near the yellow star Antares, heart of
the constellation Scorpio.

Of course, she'd never heard of IC 4604, or Rho Opiuchi, or Antares, or
even Scorpio. Those were strictly Earth names, and few even on Terra knew
the first two, besides astronomers. Ryoko's knowledge of space was a very
casual thing in any case, and she depended greatly on her ship's
instincts to get around. "Ryo-ohki, go towards that big red star over
there," or "Take us back to Tenchi's house now," was usually about as
technical as she got.

But IC 4604 she was quite familiar with. She stared at it, recalling a
much closer view.

Memories of a glorious field of hot stars blazing with unbearably-bright
light, flooding space with searing blue glare from cores newly-ignited by
crushing gravitational collapse, came back to her. They were the most
beautiful stars she had ever seen. Faint, twinkling azure light half a
millennia old struggled down through Earth's atmosphere and shone in
Ryoko's eyes. She reached over and grasped Tenchi's hand, giving it a
gentle squeeze as she sighed regretfully and sadness crept across her
face.

Wanting to think of something more pleasant, she turned her mind to the
argument with Aeka. Things were both much better and much worse than they
could have been, but for now, Ryoko felt at ease. At least, for whatever
reason, the princess hadn't told Tenchi what had happened in the bath.
And, despite the final argument about him going away every day, Aeka's
idea of discussing their disagreements before things got out of hand had
actually worked, a little. Aeka would make sure not to accidentally wake
Tenchi up on Ryoko's days, and she wouldn't nag Ryoko with her silly
limitations on showing affection to Tenchi when people were watching.

Then Ryoko considered what *she* had promised. She'd have to... how had
Aeka put it? Not tax Tenchi's endurance, that was it. Ryoko frowned,
annoyed. As long as he was still able to have sex, what was the point in
stopping? It was silly. And she'd miss the warm, proud feeling of Tenchi
falling into exhausted sleep, knowing she'd satisfied him even more than
he could admit he wanted to be.

She sighed and did her best to put herself in Aeka's position. It *would*
be really disappointing if, one morning, Tenchi was too drained to do
anything. And if she handed him over, completely spent, to Aeka, the
princess might retaliate in kind. Ryoko doubted if Aeka would be able to
wear Tenchi out, but there was always the chance. Plus, if the promise
was broken, a fight might well result.

Ryoko reached over and idly fingered Tenchi's hair. "Do you mind if I
sleep with you tonight?"

Tenchi laughed. "Since when do you *ask* me about that?"

"No, I mean just *sleep*."

He paused for a moment, a little surprised. "OK."

"You're sure?" she asked.

"I think I'd like it, actually." He thought for a moment. "You know, it
just occurred to me. You don't have your own room, do you?"

"Not until lately."

"I'm really sorry, Ryoko. I should have noticed. It must have made you
feel really unwelcome."

"Don't worry." She grinned. "I've always thought of your room as
belonging to me, more or less. And I don't have anything to *put* in a
room, anyway."

Tenchi shook his head. "Still, I'm sorry if we made you feel bad. It's a
big house. We should have found *somewhere* for you that was private."

"Don't feel guilty, Tenchi. What you've given me this last week would
make up for anything you could have done since I got here. Especially
today."

"But..."

Ryoko kissed him. "Stop apologizing. I just want to be with you. The
place doesn't matter to me. So shut up, OK?"

"Gee, thanks."

"Besides, Sunday night I moved a futon into the princess' room, and I've
been sleeping there."

Tenchi looked down at her, puzzled. "Isn't it kind of crowded? And I
didn't think you and Aeka were getting along *that* well."

Ryoko tensed for a moment, then continued. "We're hardly ever there at
the same time, Tenchi. And this way, Sasami always has someone to keep
her company."

"Sasami-chan must like that."

"Yeah, we can talk about things." Ryoko smiled. "She's got a crush on
you, you know."

"She does?" asked Tenchi, amazed.

Ryoko kissed him. "Have you *always* been this blind, Tenchi?"

"I never thought about Sasami-chan. She *is* a great cook," Tenchi said.
"I'd never go hungry." He fell silent and his face took on a very
contemplative expression as he waited for a reaction.

Ryoko sat up and mock-punched him in the gut, then glared at him, baring
her fangs. "Tenchiiiii! I am *not* sharing you with *two* Juraian
princesses!"

"OK, OK," said Tenchi, pretending to cringe.

"You're getting to be just like your dad," said Ryoko, shaking her head.

"Hey! That's *NOT* funny!" shouted Tenchi.

Ryoko laughed and kissed him again. "I thought it was."

Tenchi frowned. "I'm not ecchi like he is."

Ryoko arched an eyebrow. "Isn't it just a *little* ecchi to fuck in the
women's bath?" she asked. "Hmmmm?"

"Well, maybe," admitted Tenchi, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Alright, then," said Ryoko, smiling.

Some time later, the two of them climbed the stairs and walked down the
hall to Tenchi's bedroom. Everyone else in the house had gone to bed,
except for Azaka and Kamidake, who stood, ever-vigilant, on either side
of the bedroom door.

"Oyasumi, you two," said Tenchi, yawning slightly as he and Ryoko entered
the room.

"Oyasume nasai," chorused the guardians, keeping their voices low to
avoid waking everyone up.

Tenchi shut the door, got his alarm clock out of the box, plugged it in,
and set the time. Then he undressed and got into bed, joining Ryoko, who
had already gotten under the covers. She quickly cuddled up to him and
gave him a kiss. "Oyasumi, Tenchi."

"Oyasumi, Ryoko."

Laying her head on Tenchi's chest, Ryoko closed her eyes and listened to
the beating of his heart, letting the sound lull her to sleep.

Less than six hours later, the clock radio switched on, filling the room
with a suave male voice.

"...by CoCo, and 'Oyasumi,' by Dreams Come True. To those of you just
joining us, oyaho. It's 4:00am and 21 degrees here at JOFV 80.2, and I'm
your host for the Love Overtime early morning show, Masayuki Suzuki. Next
we'll be playing four in a row by Princess Princess, so all you lovers
out there, don't go away, we'll be right back..."

Grumbling and barely awake, Ryoko reached out and fumbled at the
obnoxious sleep-interrupting device. She had just enough presence of mind
to know that she wasn't supposed to destroy it. In the process of trying
to silence it she yanked the cord out of the wall, and the sound died in
mid-word. Satisfied, Ryoko set the alarm clock back down on the
nightstand, then snuggled against Tenchi once more and started falling
asleep again.

Trying his best to keep from disturbing her, Tenchi gently pried Ryoko's
arms off of him and began slowly sliding away from her. He sat up on the
edge of the bed, yawned, and stretched. Awakened once more, Ryoko shifted
slightly under the covers. "Come back to bed, Tenchi," she said, before
yawning. "You must have set your clock wrong. You don't have to get up
for another three hours."

Tenchi yawned again. "I'm going to watch the sunrise with dad. Believe
me, I'd *love* to go back to sleep, but we do this every year, and he's a
little funny about it."

"But the sun won't come up for another hour or so."

"Yeah, but it takes a little while to drive to school."

Ryoko frowned. "School?" she asked, floating up behind Tenchi and
wrapping her arms around him. "Your bus gets here around eight, doesn't
it? This is making less and less sense."

"Dad and I are going out to my school to watch the sun rise and take some
pictures," said Tenchi. He tilted his head to one side, then to the
other, cracking the joints in his neck, then rolled his shoulders. "I'd
explain, but it's kind of a long story." He turned around and kissed her.
"Anyway, sayonara. I'll see you this afternoon." He kissed her again.
"Now, go back to sleep. I'm sorry you woke up."

"No, I want to see you off," said Ryoko.

Tenchi shook his head. "It's too early, Ryoko. Just because I have to get
up, it's no reason for you to have to."

"I said, I want to."

"Are you sure?" asked Tenchi, smiling at her. "You look really kawaii
curled up under the blankets."

Ryoko smiled back at him. "Is that so?"

"Uh-huh."

"How about getting under the blankets with me?" she whispered, leaning
forward.

"Sorry, but I just don't have time," Tenchi said. He stood and picked up
the school uniform that sat folded over the back of his chair. Ryoko got
out of bed and floated alongside him as he left the room.

"Ohayo," said the guardians, as Tenchi closed the door behind him.

"Ohayo," replied Tenchi and Ryoko, heading down the hall. To Ryoko's
surprise, Tenchi went past the princess' room without stopping. 

A thought occurred to her. Aeka would probably be rather hurt if she woke
up and Tenchi had left without saying goodbye.

*So what if she is? This is your chance to be alone with him just a
little more. It's not dawn yet. It's still your time with Tenchi.*

*We still haven't settled everything from yesterday.*

*What's that got to do with it?*

*It's my chance to show that I meant it when I said I was sorry.*

*Wait a minute, you're not going to...*

*He wants us to be friends. And if I were, then...*

"Uh, Tenchi, aren't you going to wake up Aeka?" asked Ryoko, tugging at
his arm.

"Come on, Ryoko. It's four in the morning. If you hadn't already woken
up, I would have let you sleep, too."

Inside Ryoko's heart, her love for Tenchi fought against itself. She'd
forced herself to make the suggestion, and he'd said no, so now she could
remain alone with him. But he wanted her and Aeka to get along, so...

"I... I really think you'd better wake her up, Tenchi," said Ryoko
hesitantly. "It'll hurt her feelings if you don't."

Tenchi blinked. "You really think so?"

Ryoko nodded. "I know *I* wouldn't like it."

After a few moments' thought, Tenchi walked back to the princess' room,
quietly opened the door, and tiptoed inside. Kneeling between the two
occupied futons, he looked down at Aeka. She lay in beautiful, serene
repose, and he hesitated again, not wanting to disturb her so early. But
Ryoko might be right, he decided. He bent down and kissed Aeka gently on
the lips. "Ae-chan..." he whispered.

Aeka slept on. Tenchi shook her, and after a couple seconds she stirred,
opening her eyes. He put a finger to his lips and jerked his head in
Sasami's direction, and Aeka nodded, sitting up. "Ohayo, Ten-chan," she
said in a hushed voice. She looked over at the darkness outside the open
doorway. "What time is it?"

"Just after four. I'm sorry for waking you up, but I'm leaving early
today, so in case you want to see me off..."

"Of *course* I do! Don't be absurd!" replied Aeka, pulling off the covers
and starting to get up. "Thank you for awakening me, Ten-chan."

"Well, actually, you should thank Ryoko," said Tenchi.

Aeka frowned, puzzled. "Ryoko?"

Tenchi straightened up and pulled Aeka with him. "Yeah. I was going to
let you sleep, but she insisted."

"I see," said Aeka slowly. This was something she never would have
expected. Suspiciously she searched for some possible ulterior motive
Ryoko might have, but none came to mind. It was very, very strange.

"Anyway, I've still got to take a bath and get dressed. I'll wait in the
living room for you once I'm done," Tenchi said, giving Aeka a kiss.

At the mention of the word "bath" the princess tensed slightly. Then she
returned Tenchi's kiss. He walked out of the room, and as she retrieved a
change of clothes, she heard Tenchi's voice from out in the hall.

"Well, you were right. I know I keep saying this, but I'm really proud of
you, Ryoko." Aeka heard the two of them kissing. "I mean it. Gambatte!"

"Thanks, Tenchi," replied Ryoko, the happiness caused by his words
unmistakable in her voice.

Aeka sighed regretfully, trying not to be jealous. Ryoko apparently *had*
prevented Tenchi from inadvertently hurting the princess' feelings, and
deserved his thanks for it. She thought about how she'd spent most of the
previous morning trying to do precisely the same thing, and imagined
experiencing Tenchi's gratitude at her efforts. But she'd thrown that
chance away, literally, and now Aeka wished very much that she hadn't.
She exited the room and shut the door quietly, then turned to see that
Ryoko had waited for her. The two of them stood, not quite meeting each
others' eyes.

"Ohayo," said the pirate.

Aeka nodded. "Ohayo." She hesitated briefly, then spoke again. "Ryoko...
thank you."

"You're welcome."

"About yesterday," said Aeka, as they started towards the stairs. "I
think it would be best if we simply forgot about it. And if we refrained
from discussing... that subject... any further."

"Yeah. You're probably right," said Ryoko. They began their descent down
the stairs.

"Ten-chan seemed most... pleased... with your having asking him to awaken
me," the princess said quietly.

Ryoko nodded. "Uh-huh."

Aeka stopped and turned towards her as they reached the foot of the
stairs. "Was it... worth it?" she asked.

Ryoko smiled and nodded again. "You bet."

The continued on to the bath, Ryoko floating behind while Aeka walked.
Arriving at the door, the princess reached out to open it, then stopped,
hearing the sound of Tenchi's voice from the other side. She continued to
stand, wide-eyed, frozen except for her trembling extended arm.

Ryoko reached past her and slid the door open. Aeka reflexively braced
herself for the terrible sight she was about to confront, even though she
knew that Tenchi was in the men's bath and Ryoko was standing right next
to her.

The women's bath was deserted.

They proceeded inside and shut the door. Aeka stood for several moments,
staring at the spot where Tenchi and Ryoko had lain the previous day. The
memories were far worse than she'd expected them to be. Then she placed
her clothes aside, got undressed, and joined Ryoko, who had already
started washing.

"Um, Aeka," said Ryoko, after a while.

"Yes?"

Ryoko searched for the least painful way to phrase things. "I'm not, you
know, a shrink or anything, but sometimes the best way to stop being
afraid of something is to face it head-on." That was the closest she
could get, Ryoko decided. Coming straight out and suggesting that Aeka
might banish her memories of Ryoko having sex with Tenchi in the women's
bath by doing so herself wasn't something she could manage. Accepting,
for a while, that Aeka could be with Tenchi was one thing. Encouraging it
was something else entirely.

Aeka nodded slowly, understanding Ryoko's meaning. She'd considered such
a thing herself, but now, looking around, she decided that she couldn't
go through with it. The place was too thick with the sights and sounds of
the previous day, as if Tenchi and Ryoko had placed an indelible mark on
it. "Thank you for your advice, but I think it would be best if I didn't,
just yet. Perhaps later."

Ryoko shrugged and continued washing. Soon the two of them rinsed and
dried off, dressed, and walked out of the bath. Entering the living room,
they saw Nobuyuki setting down a small stand with a samurai helmet on it
next to Achika's kami shrine. He clapped his hands, bowed his head, and
whispered for a few moments, then turned to walk to couch. Seeing Aeka
and Ryoko, his face brightened. "Ohayo!"

"Ohayo, otou-sama," the girls chorused.

"If you're looking for Tenchi, he's still in the bath," said Nobuyuki,
picking up a large paper streamer, painted to look like a fish, that had
been lying on the couch. "I hope he hurries up, I need him to..."
Nobuyuki stopped and looked over at Ryoko and Aeka. "Actually, could you
two lend me a hand with this?"

The girls rushed over to help him, holding the end and the middle of the
streamer as Nobuyuki carried the head out the front door.

Aeka frowned. "Since when do *you* help around the house?"

Ryoko paused for a moment. "Tenchi, um, asked me to."

"Oh. I see," said Aeka. "That explains a few things."

"Shut up," growled Ryoko.

Once outside, Nobuyuki turned around. "Just hold the koinobori while I
get a ladder?"

"Ladder?" asked Aeka.

"That's right. I need to climb up and tie this to the roof," said
Nobuyuki.

Without another word, Ryoko flew up, carrying the banner with her, and
tied it to the peak of the roof, letting it flutter in the light breeze.
Then she floated back down, and theatrically dusted off her hands.
"There. Piece of cake."

Nobuyuki chuckled. "Wow, it sure must be convenient to be able to do
that."

"Is this for some sort of festival?" asked Aeka, looking up at the
streamer.

"The koinobori, you mean? Ah, I forgot. You probably don't celebrate
Children's Day in outer space," said Nobuyuki. "Well, today is the day
everyone in Japan prays for their children to grow up healthy and strong.
The carp streamer is to honor the strength the carp has for swimming
upstream, so that the children will have the same strength."

"Oh," said Ryoko, suddenly very quiet.

"So, this is for Ten-chan, then?"

Nobuyuki nodded and smiled. "Yeah. But this is probably the last year I'm
going to do this. Tenchi's all grown up now." He glanced over at the
girls. "Especially this last week."

Aeka blushed, and Ryoko grinned, managing to shake off her momentary
gloom.

Nobuyuki turned away again. "Besides, it won't be long now before I'll be
doing this for my grandchildren, right?"

Ryoko's eyes widened, and she stood completely still. Aeka glanced over
at her for a moment, then looked away.

"Pretty soon, the house will be full of the sound of them. That's one of
the reasons I built it so big," he said quietly, gazing up at the
koinobori flapping in the wind. "Our dream house. For us, our children,
and theirs." A touch of sad humor entered Nobuyuki's voice. "Well, we
only had time for one, so I hope you two and Tenchi are going to work
extra hard."

Ryoko stared bleakly up at the waving streamer for a while, then sighed
and looked down at the ground. Watching from the corner of her eye, Aeka
wondered if she should do something, and if so, what.

*Do something? Yes, you SHOULD do something -- tell Nobuyuki that Ryoko
cannot bear children for Tenchi. Once he knows, he'll never approve a
marriage.*

*That would not only be cruel, it would be foolish. Tenchi doesn't
hesitate to defy his father, and he'd see the motive immediately. Even
Nobuyuki might, it's so pathetically transparent.*

*Even so, you owe nothing to HER.*

*What about this morning?*

Slowly, hesitantly, Aeka stretched out a trembling arm towards Ryoko. She
grit her teeth and stopped for a moment, then lay her hand on the
pirate's shoulder.

Ryoko started. Her eyes almost bugged out as she turned her head and
looked down at Aeka's hand, then up the arm to the princess' face. Ryoko
stared at her, briefly flabbergasted. Then, a surprised expression still
on her face, she nodded, acknowledging Aeka's gesture. Aeka withdrew her
hand, slowly and steadily, fighting the impulse to jerk it back, then
lowered her arm. The two of them continued staring at each other, neither
one quite able to believe what had just happened.

Nobuyuki turned around and noticed the looks on their faces. He reached
around and scratched the back of his neck, laughing nervously. "I, uh,
didn't mean to pressure you two or anything. I keep forgetting that women
nowadays want to have their own careers and all that. It wasn't that way
when I was Tenchi's age."

Before either of the girls could answer, the front door opened and shut
behind Tenchi. He walked towards them, dressed in his school uniform and
carrying his briefcase.

"Ready to go, Tenchi?" asked Nobuyuki.

"I guess so," replied Tenchi, a hint of weariness in his voice. He walked
over to Aeka and kissed her, then kissed Ryoko. "Sayonara."

"Sayonara, Ten-chan," replied Aeka.

"S-s-sayonara, Tenchi," said Ryoko sadly, her eyes pleading for him to
stay.

Tenchi walked over to the van, Nobuyuki already in the driver's seat.
When he reached it, he turned around and looked back.

Aeka smiled for him, but Ryoko's eyes stared at him, still begging him
not to go, the hurt written unmistakably all over her face. At her sides
her fists were clenched, and Tenchi could see them trembling as Ryoko
visibly fought to control herself. He wished, somehow, he could make it
easier for her.

Then a thought occurred to him. He started walking back towards them, and
at the first step hope bloomed in Ryoko's face. With each additional step
Ryoko looked happier and happier, and by the time Tenchi stood in front
of her, she was barely able to keep still. Meanwhile, Aeka fought inside
herself, desperately trying not to wish that Tenchi had decided to stay
home. She didn't want to influence him into doing wrongful things, but if
he chose to remain at home, it was her day, *her* day...

Tenchi stopped. "You know, I was thinking, maybe I could..." he began.

Unable to hold back any longer, Ryoko launched herself at Tenchi and
hugged him, tight. By now he'd become somewhat accustomed to it, so he
didn't try to dodge, and he didn't flinch that much. "I was saying, maybe
I could have you two come along. I'm sure my dad won't mind driving you
back -- he usually takes the whole morning off, anyway."

Ryoko sighed and looked up at him. "So, you're still going?" she asked
quietly.

"Ryoko, you *promised*," Tenchi reminded her gently, kissing her.

"Yeah, I know," said Ryoko, sighing again.

"Besides, this way we don't have to say goodbye until nine, instead of
right now. So do you want to come along, or not?"

Ryoko hugged him again. Tenchi let out an "oof!" from the pressure, then
smiled. "I guess that's 'yes'," he said. "What about you, Ae-chan?" he
asked, turning towards the princess.

Aeka nodded, doing her best to ignore Ryoko's closeness to Tenchi. "I
would like that very much," she said.

Tenchi extended an arm to her. Aeka took it and leaned against him as the
three of them headed to the passenger side of the van. He opened the
doors and helped Aeka inside. Ryoko didn't let go, choosing instead to
continue clinging to Tenchi as he climbed into the van, shut the doors,
and sat down.

"Dad, do you mind dropping off Ae-chan and Ryoko at home before you go to
work?" asked Tenchi.

"I'd be glad to," replied Nobuyuki. "Now, remember, no hanky-panky back
there," he added, trying -- and failing -- to be stealthy as he adjusted
the rear-view mirror.

Seeing his father's eyes reflected in the mirror, Tenchi groaned and
shook his head. Nobuyuki started the van and steered it onto the road.
"So, another year, another sunrise to watch, right, Tenchi?"

"Yeah," replied Tenchi, yawning. "I just wish we did this during the
winter, when the sun comes up later."

Ryoko rested against Tenchi and closed her eyes. "You said it."

"Why are we going to watch the sunrise at your school, though?" asked
Aeka, also leaning against him.

"Every since Tenchi started school, I've made a tape every Children's Day
of him going there in the morning," said Nobuyuki. "A few years later, we
decided..."

"You decided," corrected Tenchi, closing his eyes and putting one arm
around each of the girls.

"...that as long as we were already making a special day of it,"
continued Nobuyuki, "we'd get up early and greet the sun, too. And once
he started high school, we..."

"You," said Tenchi.

"...figured, as long as we're watching the sun come up, why not do it at
Tenchi's school?"

Tenchi shifted slightly, holding Aeka and Ryoko closer. "Because then
we'd have to get up even *earlier*, maybe?"

"Quit whining!" said Nobuyuki. "Anyway, it's a family tradition, now.
Just like going to the hot springs every fall."

"Hot springs?" asked Ryoko.

"There's an onsen we go to once a year," explained Tenchi. "Last year we
went about two weeks before you showed up. And dad, I don't think *she's*
going to let you come back again. Not after *that*."

"It was all a big misunderstanding," replied Nobuyuki. "And you know I'm
not afraid of *her*."

"I don't think I understand," said Aeka.

"I don't think you want to," said Tenchi, in a low voice.

"Now, how about some music?" suggested Nobuyuki, turning on the radio. He
tuned to a station that played American and British oldies, and began
singing along, very badly, to the Beatle's "Yellow Submarine."

Despite the noise of his father's singing, Tenchi began to doze off, and
Ryoko and Aeka soon did likewise.

Some time later, the van pulled into the parking lot at Tenchi's high
school, and stopped. Glancing in the rear view mirror, Nobuyuki quietly
picked up his Polaroid camera, got out of the van, and went around to the
side. Carefully he opened the doors.

Tenchi sat, slumped in his seat, Ryoko and Aeka lying against him on
either side. All three were asleep. Nobuyuki aimed his camera and took a
shot.

A motor whined, ejecting the snapshot from the camera. Disturbed by the
sudden sound, Aeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi awoke and opened their eyes, then
stepped out of the van. Nobuyuki slung his still camera and his
camcorder, and picked up a sketch pad he'd set on the dash, while Tenchi
picked up his briefcase and retrieved a picnic basket from the back of
the van. Nobuyuki leading the way, the four of them headed off into the
woods adjacent to the campus.

After a few minutes walking along the winding path amongst the trees,
they found themselves out in the open, at the top of a small hill
overlooking the school. Nobuyuki sat down, as did Tenchi, the girls
taking up positions on either side of him. Off in the east, the horizon
had started to take on a faint pink glow.

"We're just in time," said Tenchi, now wide awake. He opened the basket
and got out one of the two thermoses inside, then poured a cup of tea and
handed it to his father. Suddenly he realized that he'd only brought
breakfast for the two of them, but he decided to handle it as best he
could. He poured another cup of tea and started sharing in with Ryoko and
Aeka.

With patient slowness the eastern sky began to turn red, then orange,
then yellow, while overhead the stars lost themselves amidst ever-
lightening shades of blue. Light flared brighter on the horizon as the
sun peeked over it, casting golden illumination across the landscape. All
the while the four of them sat, quietly watching.

As the light of the dawn shone in her face, Aeka smiled, knowing that
until it rose again the next day, Tenchi was hers.

Then she frowned. She hadn't made love with him for two whole days now.
It was strange to think of that as such a long time, after having endured
months without so much as a kiss from him, but now it felt galling to
know that she'd have to wait until that night. The sunrise was more than
a little romantic, and if they'd been alone, truly alone, she and Tenchi
could go off deeper into the woods and partake of one another.

But such a thing was out of the question, with Nobuyuki there, and his
camera close at hand. The princess reminded herself that she and Tenchi
shared bonds deeper than flesh, and that she shouldn't be impatient. She
smiled and leaned more firmly against him.

Once it was light enough, Nobuyuki opened his sketch pad and began to
draw. Gradually the lines took recognizable shape: a house. It was the
Masaki home. Almost. A basic style was the same, but the layout was
larger. As his father continued to sketch, Tenchi dug into the basket
again, retrieving two covered bowls filled with rice, and two empty bowls
which he proceeded to fill with miso soup from the second thermos. He
held one of each out to Nobuyuki. "Dad. Breakfast."

"I'm not hungry," said Nobuyuki, still drawing. "You three can split it."

Tenchi nodded and handed the rice and soup to the girls. "I'll just get
an extra sandwich at lunch," he said.

"Ten-chan, I simply won't hear of it," insisted Aeka.

Ryoko nodded. "Right."

After a few minutes of futile attempts to persuade them to eat without
him, Tenchi shrugged and gave in. They proceeded to have breakfast, each
of the girls eating from her half of the food while Tenchi alternated
between them.

The sun climbed higher and higher into the sky, as Nobuyuki's pencil
scratched lines into the paper and Tenchi and the girls talked. Down in
the school the clock tower sounded the hours -- six o'clock, seven...

About halfway between seven and eight, Ryoko got tired of just talking
and the occasional kiss. She floated up, about to settle down on Tenchi's
lap, when her eyes met Aeka's.

Aeka frowned slightly.

Ryoko sighed and nodded. She gave Tenchi a quick kiss on the cheek, then
flew off and sat down next to Nobuyuki, pretending to be interested in
his sketch.

Tenchi stared after the departing pirate for a moment, then curled his
arm around Aeka's waist and kissed her. "You know, this is getting a
little weird, you two handing me off like a baton or something," he said
in a hushed voice.

The hurt showed in Aeka's face for a moment, before she managed to
suppress it. "Are you angry that Ryoko 'handed you off' to me?" she asked
quietly.

"No, it's not that," replied Tenchi. "It's just that you two do it
without asking me."

"We already discussed that, Ten-chan. Ryoko and I will deal with the
matter, so that you needn't trouble yourself over it."

"I know, but sometimes if feels like I'm five years old, and you two are
deciding what my bedtime's going to be."

Aeka smiled. "Has your bed been such a terrible place to be sent to, of
late?"

Tenchi chuckled. "Not exactly."

"Then cease your complaints," said Aeka, leaning over and kissing him.

Tenchi nervously glanced over her shoulder at his dad. Seeing Nobuyiki
still occupied, he held Aeka closer and returned her kiss.

"Wouldn't it be more comfortable if you lay back?" asked Aeka, moving
over and sitting on Tenchi's lap.

"Um, I really shouldn't," said Tenchi. "I'll get my uniform muddy."

Aeka put her arms around Tenchi's neck. "Tsk, tsk. Such mundane
considerations," the princess chided.

Tenchi kissed her. "You're getting to be as bad as Ryoko."

"Oh? And what is *that* supposed to mean?" she asked, running a fingertip
along his jawline. "When have you known me to be anything but ladylike?"

"Well, we *are* necking where anyone could see us," he said.

A twinge of pain went through Aeka's heart, thinking back to how bold
Tenchi had apparently been with Ryoko the previous day, and the timidity
he was showing now, with her. Once more she considered the way Ryoko
seemed to be able to make him dance like marionette, and wondered why he
wouldn't respond to her wants just as easily.

Perhaps she judged Tenchi too harshly. Perhaps she just needed to be a
little more insistent.

"No one is watching," Aeka replied after a moment. "Your father was quite
occupied, last time I noticed. And you'll see him, if he looks around,
won't you?"

"Yeah, you're right."

Aeka put her lips next to Tenchi's ear, her warm breath flowing over his
skin as she whispered seductively to him. "Perhaps we could go back along
the path through the woods, and find a less conspicuous place. Then, who
knows what we might decide to do?"

Tenchi shifted his legs a little. "I... don't think that's a good idea."

Aeka smiled as she reached down to his crotch, running her hand along the
erection she'd felt pressing against her thigh. "Are you sure that's what
you *truly* think?"

"That's not what I think with, Ae-chan," said Tenchi, grinning a little.

One of Aeka's eyebrows arched dangerously. "Oujo-sama," she corrected.

Tenchi's eyes widened slightly. "Oh," he said nervously.

"I desire you, Ten-chan," the princess whispered.

"This... this isn't a really good place. Or time," said Tenchi nervously.
"Can't it wait until tonight?"

Aeka shook her head. "No. Your flesh, and your obedience. I desire them,"
she said, softly kissing him as she continued to stroke his penis through
his pants. "*Now*."

"I really don't know..." said Tenchi. "What if... what if..."

"What if I had walked in on you in the bath and seen you making love to
Ryoko? What if *that*? Where were your thoughts of consequences
yesterday, when you were with *her*?" Aeka wanted desperately to ask. She
slew the words as soon as they formed in her mind, and buried them deep.
Then she kissed him again.

"Submit your body to my command, and fear nothing," the princess
admonished, slowly rubbing her hand up and down. "Will you obey me?"

"You *know* I will, Ae... oujo-sama," answered Tenchi, gulping.

"Perhaps I *don't* know," said Aeka. "Perhaps you should tell me."

Tenchi began to sweat. "Ae-chan, if you keep doing that, you're going to
make me cum in my pants."

"'Ae-chan'?" she asked, pointedly not stopping.

"Oujo-sama," said Tenchi.

"Yes, Ten-chan?"

"I'll obey you, oujo-sama."

Aeka stopped rubbing. "There, you see? Obedience makes everything so much
easier, ne?" She withdrew her hand as she leaned over and spoke next to
his ear, but before the words came, her commanding tone melted away,
replaced by her usual soft, shy voice. "We needn't go, if you truly don't
wish to, Ten-chan. I don't wish for you to be embarrassed."

Tenchi thought about it for just a moment. Then he smiled, and kissed
her. "I'll only be embarrassed if we get caught. And my dad's no ninja,
anyway. If he comes sneaking through the woods, we'll hear him." He
gently slid Aeka off his lap, then stood, pulling her up with him. "Come
on. We don't have much time."

After a rapid backward glance at Nobuyuki, who was still busy drawing,
they headed back along the path. Once the trees and shrubs thickened,
they ducked through a gap in the undergrowth and hunched down, shielded
from view by a large bush. Looking down at the bits of leaves and other
debris that covered the ground, Tenchi frowned thoughtfully.

"Is something wrong?" asked Aeka.

"I'm just trying to come up with a way we can do this without getting my
uniform messy," he replied.

Aeka considered the idea for a moment. Then she began taking off her
outer kimono.

"W-what are you doing?" stammered Tenchi.

"We can lie on this, and you won't get your clothes dirty, if we're
careful," said the princess, smiling a little. She moved to spread the
kimono on the ground, but Tenchi stopped her, picking up a stick. Using
the tip, he picked up a dried-up used condom from amidst the leaves, and
flung it and the stick away.

"I guess we're not the first ones to think of using this spot," he
chuckled.

Checking a little more carefully, Aeka lay the kimono down and knelt at
one end of it slipping off her panties. Tenchi knelt facing her, and,
undoing his pants, slid them and his boxers down to his knees. He stayed
that way, waiting, until Aeka leaned forward to kiss him and, taking his
hand, guided it in between her thighs.

Tenchi hesitated. "Uh, oujo-sama, aren't you going to, you know, tie me
up?" he asked.

Aeka smiled, thinking to what she had planned for him that night, the
things they would do once he was suitably chained. And if Tenchi was
willing to do things the Juraian way, it was only fair if she
reciprocated once in a while. "That won't be necessary, this time," she
said. "We'll make love Earth-fashion. Call me 'Ae-chan', and pretend I'm
a schoolgirl who goes here."

"That's crazy. You're prettier than any girl on campus," he said, putting
his free arm around her and holding her close. "Besides, you're not
wearing a sailor fuku." He started rubbing her sex. "And I haven't *had*
sex with anyone from Earth."

Aeka reached around him with one arm, and took hold of Tenchi's penis
with her other hand. It was already mostly hard. Closing her fingers
around it, she began stroking up and down, letting go every few seconds
to tickle his balls. She planted a warm, lingering kiss on Tenchi's lips.
"Prettier than *any* of them?" she asked.

Tenchi nodded. His fingers alternately teased Aeka's clit and slipped
between her labia to probe inside her. The princess crooned
appreciatively and started kissing the underside of his neck while his
erection grew stiffer and stiffer as it slid through her grasp.

After a while, Aeka gave him another deep kiss, then got onto his lap and
guided his penis into her. Tenchi closed his eyes and stifled a moan,
then put both arms around her. "Ae-chan, just one thing -- we're going to
have to be *quiet*. OK?"

"I know," said Aeka, nodding. She smiled. "If I need to silence myself, I
can always do this," she added, before kissing him and keeping their
mouths pressed tightly together. Then she began bouncing slowly on his
lap, the sounds of her pleasure muffled by Tenchi's lips.

Aeka was still riding him, the tension of her impending climax nearing
its peak, when there came the sound of someone jogging down the path, and
a loud male voice singing. Aeka and Tenchi froze.

"...with a mountain man, your heart's left in the valley when he climbs
again." The voice stopped right on the other side of the bush, and they
could hear the panting of breath. "Whew! I need a drink!"

Terrified recognition dawned on Tenchi's face as the man sat just over a
meter away, separated from them only by vegetation. Moments later came
the sound of something liquid being gulped, followed by a satisfied
"Aaaah!" The sounds repeated at least half a dozen times. 

Tenchi's expression of fear was matched, and then some, by Aeka's look of
frustration, annoyance, and disappointment, for at the first sign of
intrusion his erection had started to vanish, and now he was completely
limp.

A brief period of silence ensued before the sound of a match being
struck. Soon, cigarette smoke began to waft around the bush. Tenchi and
Aeka struggled to prevent themselves from coughing and giving themselves
away.

After leisurely smoking three cigarettes, the intruder got up, started
singing again, and continued down the path, pursued by the princess'
furious glare. Then she and Tenchi began waving away the smoke and
coughing. "Who *was* that person?" she asked angrily.

Tenchi sighed with relief. "*That* was my homeroom sensei. I forgot, he
takes his morning jog through here."

Aeka slid off of Tenchi's lap, shaking her head. "He chose the most
inopportune time he possibly could to intrude." She took hold of Tenchi's
flaccid penis and gently massaged it.

Tenchi glanced down, then hung his head. "I'm, uh, sorry about that, Ae-
chan," he said sheepishly, "but he scared me half to death."

"It's not your fault, Ten-chan," Aeka replied. She began doing her best
to revive Tenchi's member, but his nervousness and distraction made that
rather difficult. Her efforts had just started to bear fruit when Ryoko
phased into the air above them.

Ryoko's eyes widened, and she quickly looked away as Tenchi scrambled to
cover himself and Aeka gritted her teeth. "S-sorry to interrupt you two,
but Tenchi's dad is looking for him," the pirate said.

Tenchi shuddered. He quickly hiked up his pants and helped Aeka to her
feet. Picking up her kimono, he shook out most of the loose leaves, then
held it open for her. "Quick, before my dad gets here," he hissed. "I
don't want him seeing you like that."

Silently Aeka put the garment on. As she re-tied her obi, there came the
sound of Nobuyuki's voice. "Tenchi?"

"Coming!" Tenchi gave Aeka a quick kiss, then looked over the remaining
bits of leaves stuck to her kimono. "I'll go see what he wants. That'll
give you time to get all the stuff off your clothes." He looked up at
Ryoko. "Thanks." Then he vanished through the gap in the bushes again,
and ran off.

"Yes, thank you," said Aeka, scowling at Ryoko.

Ryoko turned and looked down at her, frowning. "Would you rather
*Nobuyuki* found you two?"

Aeka sighed. "No," she said quietly.

"Do you think I *wanted* to see that?" demanded Ryoko.

"No. Of course not," Aeka admitted, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I spoke
hastily. You spared Ten-chan and I great embarrassment, and I appreciate
it. And I'm sorry you had to see us together."

Ryoko floated down to ground level. "Anything you can take, I can take,"
she said. "And it's not like I didn't know what you two were doing. It
wasn't anywhere *near* as bad as what I expected to see."

Aeka nodded. "Even so, it must have hurt." She looked Ryoko in the face.
"I just want you to know, I understand."

"Thanks."

"I suppose such things are inevitable, given the situation," said Aeka.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Ryoko. "And if we throw fits every
time we see each other with him, we'll go nuts."

Aeka nodded again, brushing small bits of detritus from the front of her
kimono. "By the way, is my back clean?"

Ryoko floated around behind the princess, peering closely. "Nope. Want me
to get rid of this junk?"

Aeka frowned suspiciously. "You're not going to tape another sign on my
back, are you?" she asked.

Ryoko considered the idea, then shook her head. "Nope. Tenchi'd get mad,"
she replied, picking pieces of leaf from the cloth. "OK, it looks alright
now."

Aeka ducked under the bush and Ryoko flew over it. Then the two of them
started down the path towards Tenchi and Nobuyuki.

In the meantime, Tenchi sat next to his father, looking over at the
drawings. "Going to build another house, dad?" he asked.

"Only in my head," replied Nobuyuki. "At least, that's where it's
probably going to stay. I was just seeing what improvements I could make
on ours."

Tenchi looked rather startled. "But dad, that's you and mom's dream
house. You can't just go and change it."

"Don't worry, I'm not. I was just seeing how a few extra bedrooms would
fit in," Nobuyuki explained. "At the rate people have been dropping in
lately, it wouldn't hurt to have some spare space. And even if I did
change things, mom would understand. Guests have to be treated right." He
added a few final touches and handed the pad to Tenchi. "Here, what do
you think?"

"The balconies would be great, dad," said Tenchi, after briefly examining
the drawings. "Same thing for the deck. And I like my bigger bedroom,
too." He examined what seemed to be a new room next to his, then laughed.
"Jeez, that walk-in closet is *huge*! I'm *never* going to need *that*
much space."

"Yeah, but women need *lots* of closet space," replied Nobuyuki.
"Especially when there are two of them."

Tenchi looked a little nervous. "Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

"Well, anyway, I just wanted to see what I could come up with. This
hill's still an inspirational spot." Nobuyuki closed the pad just as Aeka
and Ryoko arrived and sat down next to Tenchi. Then he got out his
camcorder and started taping. He captured a lot of footage of of Tenchi
sitting with the girls, as well as some of the school below, the
surrounding woods, a flock of birds, and a passing airliner.

Soon, students began gathering in the schoolyard below.

"Do you need to go now?" asked Ryoko worriedly.

"Not quite yet. At a quarter 'til," replied Tenchi.

Time passed all too quickly, however. As the time to leave neared, Tenchi
got up and made sure they hadn't left any litter from breakfast, then
waited as his father put a fresh blank tape in the camcorder.

"Do you think you two could walk with Tenchi while I stand behind you and
record it?" asked Nobuyuki hopefully, looking at Ryoko and Aeka.

The girls nodded. Tenchi thought for a moment, then frowned and walked
over to his father. "Dad, just one thing," he said.

"What?" asked Nobuyuki innocently.

"If you start focusing on their butts or anything like that..." warned
Tenchi.

"You just don't understand how women think, son," protested Nobuyuki.
"The ultimate compliment to a lady's beauty is to record it for later
viewing. Ignoring the best-looking parts would be rude. Just like not
peeping."

"Dad!" snarled Tenchi menacingly.

Nobuyuki sighed. "Alright, alright."

Satisfied for the moment, Tenchi went back to Aeka and Ryoko, took one
girl on each arm, and started walking. Nobuyuki followed, taping until
they left the woods. Once out in the open, Tenchi let go of the girls and
turned around. Nervously glancing at his father's camcorder for a moment,
Tenchi gave a kiss each to Aeka and Ryoko. 

"See you after school," he said. He cupped his hand and whispered in
Aeka's ear. "I'm sorry about my sensei interrupting us, OK?"

The princess smiled, and whispered a reply. "You'll make it up to me
tonight, ne?"

Tenchi nodded.

"Now, you three turn and smile for the camera," ordered Nobuyuki.

They turned and faced him, but Ryoko's face was anything but happy.

"Come on, Ryoko," said Nobuyuki. "Show me that pretty smile of yours."

Ryoko managed the faintest trace of smile. It vanished as Tenchi walked
away, waving, towards the lines of students forming in the campus' main
quad. She watched, detesting the people and the place that robbed her of
him. Hatred simmered in her eyes like yellow fire as she fought the urge
to snatch him away and rain death and destruction on everything in sight,
until not one stone stood upon another and flame and smoke climbed high
into the sky as testament to what would happen to anything or anyone that
dared come between her and Tenchi.

She knew she couldn't go through with it. Though they were rather broad,
Ryoko did have moral limits, and killing helpless people who didn't seem
to mean any harm fell outside those boundaries.

What if she did it at night? From what Tenchi said, no one was at the
school then.

No, someone might still see her. And if Tenchi found out, he'd probably
be angry at her, even if it was for his own good. He just wouldn't
understand, even now.

But what if she arranged for it to look like an accident? She could go up
into space with Ryo-ohki, and send a meteor hurtling down onto the
school. The Earthlings had no planetary defense system, she knew.
Certainly such things had to happen *sometimes*. And if a large chunk of
rock should just happen to fall on Tenchi's school, well, no one would
think to blame *Ryoko* for it, would they?

No, that wouldn't work, either. She could steer it down accurately
enough, but she didn't think she could judge the right size of meteor to
use. She'd never done anything like that before. And if she wound up
using one that was too big, it would kill a lot of people. Maybe even
Tenchi, if she misjudged very badly. And even if she managed to get that
detail right, Kiyone and Mihoshi kept the Yagami parked in stationary
orbit directly over their apartment. It's sensors would see her, and
while she knew they wouldn't be able to arrest her, they'd be sure to
tell Tenchi. So that was out, too.

The hatred in Ryoko's eyes gave way to despair as Tenchi and his
classmates filed into the buildings, Nobuyuki still taping him. As he
neared the door, Tenchi turned for a moment and waved one last time.

Ryoko swallowed the lump in her throat and waved back as he disappeared.
Aeka and Nobuyuki also waved, then headed back to the van, Ryoko floating
listlessly behind them. They climbed into the van, Aeka taking the
passenger seat while Ryoko lay on the floor in back, huddled in a fetal
position, quiet and still.

"I think I see why Tenchi wanted to stay home yesterday," said Nobuyuki,
sounding concerned, as the van pulled out onto the road.

"Yeah," said Ryoko, her voice barely audible. She closed her eyes and
tried to relive the memories of the previous day, but all she could see
was Tenchi vanishing into the school building amidst a crowd of
strangers.

"Cheer up, OK? He'll have summer vacation soon, and he'll be home all the
time."

"How many days 'til it starts?" asked Ryoko hopefully, raising her head.

"A little more than a month," replied Nobuyuki.

Ryoko lay her head back down again. "Oh," she said, as sad as ever.

"Just remember that he's doing it all for you two, now. He knows that
he's going to have to provide for you once you're married."

"That's not important to me," said Ryoko quietly.

Aeka turned her face away and pretended to look at the scenery rushing
past her window. Although Nobuyuki couldn't know it, so far as it
concerned her his statement was ridiculous. Either the Emperor would
approve a marriage, in which case Tenchi would have entire planets at his
disposal, or, more likely, the union would be forbidden, and she would
not be Tenchi's to support.

"Yeah, I know it seems that way now, but it *is* important," said
Nobuyuki. "Besides, Tenchi's the serious type. He takes after his mom
that way. Why, I'll bet his grades will go up, now that he knows he's
going to have two wives to support."

Both of the girls simultaneously suppressed shudders at the thought of
having to *permanently* share Tenchi. Putting up with one another while
Tenchi made up his mind, that was tolerable. But forever?

"Like I said, just remember that now, he's not doing it only for himself.
He's doing it because he loves you."

Ryoko's eyes widened a little as she considered this new angle. "You
really think so?" she asked.

"I *know* so. All the time I was studying during my last year of high
school, it was so I could become an architect and build the house his mom
and I would live in." A touch of sadness entered Nobuyuki's voice. "You
know, you two are the best thing to happen to him since she died."

"Thank you," said Ryoko, sitting up.

Aeka nodded. "Yes, thank you very much. I'm sure you do us both too much
honor."

Nobuyuki smiled. "I don't think she'd agree with you."

"So, how'd you two hook up, anyway?" asked Ryoko.

"Remember that spot we ate breakfast at this morning?"

The girls nodded.

"Well, one day I was sitting there drawing, and..."

A while later, the van pulled up in front of the Masaki home. Aeka and
Ryoko got out, and waved to Nobuyuki as he drove away again. Then they
looked at each other, considering what was probably the first serious
conversation they'd had with Tenchi's father.

"That sure was different," said Ryoko thoughtfully.

Aeka nodded. "Indeed. I do believe that's the longest I've ever heard him
speak without saying anything ecchi."

They walked in through the front door and found Washuu sitting on the
couch typing on her computer, a cup of tea steaming on the coffee table.
She looked up at them and frowned slightly. "I was wondering when you two
would get back. Sasami-chan was getting worried about you. You forgot to
let her know where you were going."

Aeka and Ryoko hung their heads, mumbling embarrassed apologies before
sitting down on the couch.

After a few minutes, Aeka looked over at Washuu. "Um, Washuu-chan, is the
item you were making for me finished yet?"

Washuu nodded. "It was ready yesterday. I've got it tucked away in
subspace for you."

Aeka's face lit up, and she bowed. "I would greatly appreciate it if you
would retrieve it for me."

"I think it would be better if I did that in Tenchi's room," said Washuu,
standing up. "That way you won't have to carry it upstairs. Platinum is
awfully heavy."

"What are you putting in Tenchi's room?" asked Ryoko.

"It's, well, something of a romantic nature," replied Aeka, blushing.

"Like what? A waterbed? Or a hot tub?" asked Ryoko hopefully. Then she
grinned and elbowed Aeka. "A mirror on the ceiling above the bed, maybe,
princess?"

Aeka blushed deeper. "Nothing of the sort!" she protested.

"Are we going upstairs, or not?" asked Washuu. "I've got analyses to sift
through."

"Yes, certainly. Let us go," said Aeka, starting towards the stairs, and 
Ryoko floated next her, following. The princess glanced to her side
nervously. "This is something of a private matter between me and Ten-
chan," she said.

"If it's going in his room, it's my business, too," said Ryoko. "Besides,
whatever it is, I'll see it tomorrow morning, won't I?"

Aeka sighed in resignation. "I suppose you're right. You might as well
see it now."

A minute or so later, in Tenchi's room, Washuu flexed her fingers, and
her keyboard appeared under her hands as she briefly glanced around. Her
eyes lingered for an extra moment or two on a shadow at the top of the
bookshelf before she returned her gaze to her computer display.

"So, how are things going between you two?" she asked.

The girls looked at each other for a moment. "Quite well, actually, all
things considered," said Aeka. 

Ryoko nodded in agreement. "Any reason for asking?"

"Just curious," said Washuu, typing some commands. A hole opened in the
air. One at a time, she reached in and brought out four long chains of
gleaming white metal, each with a manacle at one end and a flat circular
plate at the other. She pressed another key, and the portal vanished.
"Figure out where you want to put them, and press the flat part against
the surface," the scientist explained, turning to Aeka. "That'll activate
the adhesion field."

Aeka ran the chains through her fingers, closed her eyes, and sighed.
"Thank you, Washuu-chan," she said quietly, smiling.

"That's OK. Enjoy them," said Washuu. "I'll be downstairs."

As Washuu left, Ryoko looked at the chains and frowned. "Um, Aeka..."

Aeka sighed again and opened her eyes. "Yes?"

"Remember yesterday, when we said we'd let each other know if something
was bugging us?"

"Yes."

"I'm not sure I like this."

Aeka looked at her, puzzled. "I don't see what possible objection you
could have."

"It reminds me a little too much of... *Saturday*," said Ryoko quietly.

"Am I going to have to keep apologizing about that *forever*?" asked
Aeka, not meeting Ryoko's eyes.

Ryoko shook her head. "No. But we agreed, no whips or anything like that,
unless Tenchi said it was OK. Did he say you could do this?"

Aeka thought about it. "Not specifically. But I don't think he'd object.
And I presumed you simply meant you didn't wish me to inflict pain on
him." She looked the pirate in the face. "I promise, Ryoko. These won't
hurt Ten-chan at all."

"Yeah, I know," said Ryoko, still not sounding at all pleased.

"I don't see what's wrong, then," said Aeka, sitting down on the bed. "I
was very much looking forward to using these. If you don't mind my saying
so, I think you're being rather unreasonable."

Ryoko closed her eyes and sighed as she sat down as well. "It's just that
it makes Tenchi's room so much more... *yours*."

Aeka thought about it for a while. "If you don't object to this, I won't
protest if you add something of your own."

Over a long span of silence, Ryoko considered the idea. Then she nodded.
"I guess it's OK with me, then."

Aeka smiled. "Well, perhaps we *are* capable of working matters out
peaceably on occasion."

"I just wonder what I'll put in, though," said Ryoko, looking around the
room.

"I believe you were mentioning something about a mirror?" suggested Aeka.

Ryoko laughed. "I was kidding. That would be so *tacky*." She stared off
into space, her expression contemplative. Then she glanced down at the
chains. "Uh, Aeka, those are going to be in here permanently, right?"

Aeka nodded.

"Do you think maybe I could use them, sometime?" asked Ryoko.

The princess' fists clenched for a moment. "I must insist that you
don't," she said evenly. "No insult is intended, but they are of a
symbolic nature, and no one but me is to bind him with them."

Ryoko shrugged, then got up. "Alright. But I wanted Tenchi to use them on
*me*." She grinned. "No one's *ever* captured Space Pirate Ryoko before,"
she said proudly, as she phased through the wall.

A look of utter horror filled Aeka's face. Then she shook her head,
reminded herself that Ryoko had absolutely no idea what she was saying.
Still, it was unnerving. *Very* unnerving. "What is she going to do next,
start parading around the house in a wedding gown?" muttered the
princess, as she stood up and started attaching the chains to their
appropriate spots. Once they were in place -- two joined to the floor at
the foot of the bed, two to the wall above the pillows -- she lay back on
the bed, closed her eyes, and sighed, looking forward to a very blissful
evening with Tenchi.

The princess smiled. Blissful, but torrid as well.

Downstairs, Ryoko sat on the couch next to Washuu, flipping through the
Masaki family's photo albums. There were plenty of pictures of Tenchi. In
the most recent one, there were pictures of her as well. And there were
some group portrait shots. But there were no pictures of just her and
Tenchi. She shut the album, then frowned in thought for a moment. Setting
it down on the coffee table, she turned to Washuu. "Um, Washuu-chan,
greatest scientific genius in the universe..."

"Yes?" sighed Washuu.

"Well, if you had pictures of two people, you could combine them and make
it look like a picture taken of both of them at the same time, right?"

"Of course! The Earthlings can do that *now*!" replied Washuu, sounding
rather insulted.

"Um, then, could you do that with pictures of me and Tenchi?" asked
Ryoko.

Washuu nodded. "Sure. But I already *have* pictures of you and Tenchi."

Ryoko blinked. "What?! Where?"

"In my lab monitor archive. I can print out a frame of it, if you want."

"Can I pick which one?"

Washuu nodded again. A few keystrokes on her translucent keyboard brought
up a display of a gleeful Ryoko and a nervous Tenchi cleaning out a bank
vault.

"You mean you were watching me and Tenchi all that time we were traveling
through dimensions?" demanded Ryoko.

"No, I was tracking each person in their respective worlds," said Washuu.
"This one's yours, so we're seeing you. In Mihoshi's world, we'd see what
she was doing. And so forth. I *always* record the progress of my
experiments. It comes in handy later."

"Oh."

"Found what you're looking for, yet?"

Ryoko stared at the screen. Then an idea came to her in a flash. "Can you
go to the end?" she asked.

"OK." The footage sped at blinding speed through several days of bank
heists, car chases, and shootouts, until it stopped on Ryoko and Tenchi
sitting on their car in San Francisco.

"Here?" asked Washuu.

"After this. Just before we came back," said Ryoko.

Washuu pressed a key, and everything was in motion again. Ryoko watched
herself flying around alone, sitting alone atop a Ferris wheel, then
finally materializing on the car roof and jumping down next to Tenchi.
They conversed with Washuu, then walked up to her equipment, standing
side by side.

Ryoko looked over at Tenchi and grasped his hand. He stared at her. Her
eyes widened, revealing a little of the vulnerable side she kept so
carefully hidden. Seeing it, Tenchi smiled slightly, and squeezed her
hand.

"That," said Ryoko quietly. "That, right there."

Washuu nodded and froze the image. Ryoko continued gazing at the screen,
her expression almost like the one she wore in the picture, but with more
of a smile. "What am I going to owe you for this?" she asked, her eyes
starting to moisten.

Washuu looked up at Ryoko's face, then smiled and shook her head. "Don't
worry about it," she said. She entered a command, and her subspace hole
appeared in front of her. Reaching inside, she retrieved a half-life-size
version of the image on the screen, and handed it to Ryoko.

Ryoko took it, then got up and bowed to Washuu. "Thanks, Washuu-chan."

"You're welcome," replied Washuu.

Holding the picture carefully, Ryoko vanished. She was barely gone when
Aeka came into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"They're perfect, Washuu-chan," said the princess, smiling. "I truly do
appreciate it."

"You're welcome. But I'm going to have to start wearing a Santa Claus
outfit pretty soon," said Washuu, going back to reading the data
scrolling on her computer's display.

A few minutes later, Ryoko reappeared and floated down onto the couch.
Aeka poured her a cup of tea and passed it over, and Ryoko smiled and
thanked her. Washuu's eyes darted back and forth for a moment, observing
this minor bit of politeness with interest, and wondering how long it was
going to last.

"Have you thought about what you're going to put in the room?" asked
Aeka.

"Already decided -- a picture," replied Ryoko. "I'm going to let Tenchi
decide where to put it."

Aeka's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "It's *tasteful*, I trust?"

Ryoko rolled her eyes. "*Yes*, don't worry. It's not me in the nude, or
anything like that. Ask Washuu if you don't believe me."

Aeka turned to the scientist.

Washuu nodded. "Not even any cleavage."

"Alright, then."

Finishing her tea, Aeka got up and proceeded to vacuum the carpets. When
she had finished hers, Ryoko grabbed one of the cushions from the couch
and went to nap on top of one of the wooden support beams. After the
princess had finished her task, she walked over to Ryoko and looked up.

"By the way, it's your turn to dust today," said Aeka in a polite tone of
voice.

Ryoko yawned. "Yeah, yeah. I'll do it after lunch," she mumbled.

"Alright. I simply wished to remind you."

Lunch came and went. Once it was over, and the dishes washed and put
away, the two girls sat down in front of the TV, waiting for their
favorite soap opera to come on.

"Regarding the dusting, Ryoko..." said Aeka.

"Will you quit nagging me?" asked Ryoko, annoyed. "I thought we agreed to
try to be nice to each other."

Aeka frowned. "I would hardly call it 'nice' to saddle the rest of us
with what are supposed to be *your* chores."

Ryoko pretended not to hear.

"My, I'm sure Ten-chan will be most pleased at how you honor his request
to be more helpful around the house," said Aeka, demurely sipping her
tea.

"That's between me and Tenchi. Don't start trying to hold that over my
head," said Ryoko. "And anyway, I'll do them after the show is over."

"Whatever you say."

They watched the rest of the soap opera in relative silence. When it
ended, Ryoko got up, stretched, and yawned. "I think I'll go take another
nap."

"Right now? You're not going to do something *else* first?" prompted
Aeka.

Ryoko sighed. "I'll do it this afternoon. It'll only take a few minutes
anyway."

Aeka shook her head. "That's what you always say."

Wordlessly, Ryoko teleported up into Tenchi's bedroom and sat down on his
bed. She sniffed. Aeka's scent was there, fresh but not intolerably
strong. And it was just the overall smell of the princess' body, not the
odor of recent sex. Ryoko got under the covers and closed her eyes, doing
her best to imagine Tenchi was lying next to her as she dozed off.

Two or three hours later, Ryoko turned in her sleep. She smiled and tried
to embrace someone who wasn't there. Feeling her arms clasp nothing, she
frowned, and tried again. "Tenchiiiii..." she whined softly, grabbing
frantically at him in her dream. Then she blinked, suddenly awake.

Ryoko sighed and rolled over on her back. For a while she looked up
through the skylight, her hair splayed over Tenchi's pillow, while she
tried to think of something, *anything* she could do about his absence
during the day. Even being able to talk to him, just *talk*, would make
things better.

Talk to him...

She considered an idea briefly. Yes, it would work. And she wouldn't be
showing up at his school, where he was so afraid of someone seeing her
use her powers, it wouldn't make him mad at her.

Ryoko phased into existence in front of the telephone. She picked up the
receiver -- the Masaki's had recently upgraded to a cordless -- and the
phonebook, just as Aeka entered the room.

The princess silently gave her an expectant look.

"Yeah, yeah," answered Ryoko, before vanishing again.

Aeka shook her head and walked off.

Upstairs, Ryoko floated down onto Tenchi's bed and started thumbing
through the phone book. Eventually she found the number she wanted, and
dialed it.

"Anime International Company," answered a polite female voice. "How may I
direct your call?"

"Uh, sorry, wrong number," said Ryoko, hanging up. She checked the number
carefully and decided that she must have dialed incorrectly. So she tried
again...

Tenchi sat at his desk, his attention evenly split between his math
teacher's lecture and the numerous Ryo-ohki pictures he was scrawling on
his notepad. He finished one, and started another, when one of the office
staff walked into the classroom and started talking to the instructor.

"Masaki!" said the teacher, after a while.

"Yes, sensei?"

"Phone call. Go down to the office with Akamori-san here."

Tenchi got up and followed the man out of the classroom and down the
hall. "Did they say what they're calling about?" he asked.

"I didn't take the call," answered Akamori. "But it's some kind of
emergency, I'm told."

Tenchi became very worried, wondering if perhaps Sasami-chan had been
hurt. Or one of Washuu's experiments had gotten out of hand and blown up
the house. Or maybe Nagi had come back. Or any number of terrible things.

They walked into the office and went to Akamori's desk. He handed the
phone receiver to Tenchi and pressed a flashing button for one of the
lines, then walked off to take care of other business. Tenchi nervously
put the phone to his ear, hoping whatever it was wasn't that serious.

"Hello?" he said, waiting for the awful news.

"Hi, Tenchi!" greeted Ryoko cheerfully, a comforting warmth filling her
at the sound of his voice.

"Uh, hi, Ryoko. What is it?"

"I need to talk to you," she answered.

"What happened? Is somebody hurt?"

"No, nothing like that."

"But they said it was an emergency!"

"It *is*, Tenchi. I miss you."

"Ryoko! That's *not* an emergency!" he said angrily.

"It isn't?" she asked, sounding puzzled and sad.

Hearing her tone of voice, Tenchi sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like
that. But you shouldn't say it's an emergency unless someone's gotten
hurt, or something."

"But *I'm* hurt, Tenchi," she answered, and he could almost hear her
pouting over the phone. "I love you, and there's a ache in my heart
whenever you go away."

"I'm sorry, Ryoko. I love you, too. But you can't get me called out of
class like this. If it's not a real emergency, I've got to go."

"Can't you talk just a little bit more?" she asked. "Just a *little*.
Please?"

"Well..."

"Pretty please?"

"Alright," he said, sitting down on the desk. "Just don't make a habit of
this, OK?"

Ryoko closed her eyes. "Thank you, Tenchi," she said softly.

"You're welcome," said Tenchi, smiling. 

"I'm sorry for being a pain. I just miss you, that's all."

"You're not being a pain, Ryoko," he replied. "Well, not *that* much. So,
what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Anything. I just want to hear your voice."

"Well, what have you been doing all day?" he asked. "It's your turn to
dust the furniture, right? Did you do that yet?"

Ryoko frowned for just a moment. "Not yet. But I'll do it. I promise. I
was just finishing my nap."

Tenchi smiled. "Nap, huh?"

"Yeah. I was lying in your bed, thinking of you. That's what made me
decide to call."

"Thinking what, exactly?"

"Just thinking," she answered. "Sleeping in your bed always gives me nice
dreams. It smells like you."

Tenchi chuckled. "When you said you were in my bed, I thought you might
have called me up to talk dirty."

For a moment, Ryoko was completely speechless. Tenchi had brought up the
subject of sex *first*? He hadn't had to be forced, or cajoled, or even
enticed? He'd thought of it entirely on his own?

Ryoko quickly switched gears, so to speak. "Oooh, that sounds like a
*great* idea, Tenchi," she purred seductively. "Hold on just a second
while I take my clothes off..."

Tenchi's eyes widened. *Oh, no! Me and my big mouth!*

"I'm ready, Tenchi," came Ryoko's sensuous voice, after a few moments.

Tenchi gulped.

"Are you there, Tenchi? Are you listening?" she asked in a breathy
whisper.

"Y-yes," he replied.

"I'm lying on your bed, and all my clothes are off. Close your eyes. Can
you see me?"

Tenchi's cheeks flushed. He couldn't help but see her, *without* closing
his eyes.

"Now I'm putting my hand down between my legs..." continued Ryoko.

A few beads of sweat started to form on Tenchi's brow.

Ryoko began moaning softly over the phone.

The drops of perspiration on Tenchi's forehead grew larger and more
numerous.

"Talk to me, Tenchi," husked Ryoko's voice, after her moaning subsided.
"Tell me what to do with my hands."

"I... uh, can't, Ryoko," he said, glancing around. "There's lots of
people here."

"Don't back out *now*, Tenchi," she cooed.  

"But, Ryoko..."

Tenchi heard her licking her fingers. "Mmmm... Talking to you's making me
hot. How about you?"

Tenchi gulped again, and wiped his hand across his brow to keep the sweat
from running into his eyes.

"Am I making your cock nice and hard, Tenchi? Hmm?"

Tenchi shifted his legs slightly. "A... a little."

"Just a little?" asked Ryoko, sounding disappointed.

"OK, a lot," Tenchi admitted, "but I don't want that to happen at
school!"

"Aww, did I make it get all excited?" cooed Ryoko.

Tenchi's eyes darted around nervously as he moved his legs again. "Yes.
Very."

"Oooh! Yes yes yes!" said Ryoko proudly, before resuming her seductive
tone. "Now, Tenchi, tell me what you'd do with it, if you were here."

"I *can't*!" he hissed. "Everyone would hear me!"

"Come on, Tenchiiiiii," begged Ryoko, the lust leaving her voice,
replaced by frustration. "It was your idea."

"No, it *wasn't* my idea."

"But it *was*. You said you were thinking about talking dirty, and I
hadn't said anything about that at all."

Tenchi sighed. "You misunderstood me, Ryoko."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did."

"I'm sorry, Tenchi. I was just so excited that you started things, this
time."

"But I *told* you, I wasn't *trying* to start things. I'm at *school*."

"Oh," sighed Ryoko dejectedly.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Ryoko. It's just that I can't talk
freely here. There are all sorts of people listening."

"Would you have liked it, if you were alone?" she asked hopefully.

"I think so," said Tenchi, smiling again. "Now, I'm sorry, but I have to
go now. Otherwise I'm going to get in big trouble."

"But Tenchiiiiii...!"

"*Now*, Ryoko. Be reasonable, OK? It's only going to be a little while
until I'm home anyway."

"Yeah, I know," said Ryoko.

"I'll see you then. I love you."

"I love you, too, Tenchi," she replied, kissing the mouthpiece. "One more
thing, though."

"What?"

"You've still got classes to go to, right?"

"Yeah. My last one's going to start in a few minutes."

Once more, Ryoko's voice became sensuous and seductive. "While you're
sitting at your desk, I want you to think about what I'm going to be
doing in your bed," she whispered. "'Bye."

Tenchi's eyes widened and he swallowed. "Uh, 'bye," he said hoarsely. He
hung up the phone, then started back to class, hoping no one noticed what
felt like a third leg sprouting in his pants.

Downstairs at the Masaki home, Aeka sat on the couch, wondering if it was
better just to do the dusting herself, so that it *would* be done, or
remind Ryoko about it again. Eventually, she decided on the latter.
Standing up, she started trying to formulate a way to say what she needed
to say without it turning into a fight. She glanced at the support beam
and didn't see Ryoko there, so that meant the most likely place was
Tenchi's room.

She walked up the stairs and through the hall, getting more annoyed with
each step. Lost in thought and paying little heed to her surroundings,
she didn't acknowledge Azaka or Kamidake's greeting, nor hear the sounds
coming from behind the door as she slid it open.

Ryoko lay on the bed, one hand stroking between her legs and the other
squeezing one of her breasts. Her eyes were closed, and soft cooing
sounds accompanied the darting of her fingers. "Tenchiiii... Tenchiiii...
Tenchiiii..."

Aeka put her face in her hands and groaned disgustedly.

Ryoko opened her eyes for a moment, then closed them again, grinned, and
continued masturbating.

Aeka cleared her throat.

"Hold your horses, Aeka, I'm... unhh!!!... I'm almost there," said Ryoko,
not missing a beat.

"Surely you don't intend to keep on..." began Aeka.

Throwing back her head, Ryoko started moaning loudly. Aeka looked back at
the open door and realized that everyone in the house would be able to
hear, including her sister. Frantically she shut the door, just as Ryoko
let out a series of exaggerated pleasurable gasps, then slowly wound
down. Giving a very gratified sigh, Ryoko opened her eyes and looked up.
Seeing the expression on Aeka's face, she began to laugh. "Like the show,
princess?" she asked, looking very amused.

"Really, I find it hard to believe even *you* would do this!" Aeka said
through clenched teeth.

Ryoko smiled. "I'm a big girl. I can play with myself if I want."

"That's not the point! Shirking your chores and foisting them off on the
rest of us so that you can go off and pleasure yourself! The very idea!"

"I was going to do the dusting when I was done," said Ryoko, starting to
get annoyed.

"I see. After *how* many orgasms, pray tell?" asked Aeka testily.

Ryoko thought for a moment. "I dunno. Five or six, I guess."

Aeka shook her head. "Will you at *least* put some clothes on?"

"Sure. In fact, I'll put on something appropriate," said Ryoko. She
phased into a mid-air standing position, no longer nude. Instead, she was
dressed in a rather provocative French maid outfit. Floating down in
front of Aeka, she bowed with exaggerated humility for a moment, then
straightened up and smiled. "Bring back any happy vacation memories, your
highness?"

"Yes. At least *that* time when I found you on the bed, you were merely
drunk and unconscious," replied Aeka. "And isn't that a bit more risque
than what you were wearing then?"

"I was too young and innocent for something like this, back then. And I
had to wear what the hotel gave me, anyway," answered Ryoko.

"What you wear while you do the housework is your business, so long as
you do it," said Aeka, opening the door.

Ryoko floated out into the hall. "I'm going, I'm going, already. So stop
bitching at me," she grumbled.

Aeka clenched her fists, counted to ten, then followed after her. "I am
*not* 'bitching,' Ryoko. I am simply insisting you do your fair share.
Otherwise the rest of us must make up the difference."

"Maybe I'd do more if you didn't act like you were at the royal palace,
bossing the servants around," said Ryoko.

"Excuse me? If that were true, I wouldn't be *doing* any work," replied
Aeka indignantly. "If you're going to malign me, at least make it
believable."

Ryoko retrieved the feather duster from the broom closet and started
dusting, unable to come up with a suitable retort.

Seeing that she'd apparently won a round, Aeka decided to back off a
little. "I'm sorry if I've seemed harsh. I don't expect you to care
whether *I* have to do more work or not, or if Washuu does, but I would
hope at least that you're above passing your chores on to Sasami."

"OK, OK, you've made your point," sighed Ryoko.

Aeka paused and thought for a moment. "Thank you," she said finally,
walking off.

Muttering to herself, Ryoko went about her work.

Meanwhile, Tenchi sat on the schoolbus as it drove over the bumpy roads
towards home. As he had done all through class, he was trying his best
not to do as Ryoko had asked and think of her lying naked in his bed, her
hands between her legs as she writhed sinuously on the mattress and
uttered rapid cries of pleasure, lovingly purring his name again and
again and again...

It wasn't working at all. Luckily, he had his briefcase placed
strategically on his lap, hiding the result of Ryoko's soft, seductive
words echoing in his head.

But there were other words she'd said. Sad, disappointed words, and they
rang in his mind as well.

"I'm sorry, Tenchi. I was just so excited that you started things, this
time."

*Of course she was excited. She's right -- I never DO start things. With
either of them. Most of the guys at school would be hard-pressed to
control themselves just sitting next to them, but even after I've been
sleeping with them for a week now, they still have to practically drag me
into bed.*

Tenchi sank down in his seat a little, thinking about what had happened
with Aeka that morning, and with Ryoko the previous day.

*Why did I have to be so damn stubborn about it? Why? It was great, both
times, except for us getting interrupted today, and that wasn't Ae-chan's
fault. Once they convinced me, I enjoyed it. A lot. But before that, I
argued with them, hurt their feelings, and almost spoiled everything.*

The bus lurched to a stop and let someone else off, then started up
again.

*Then there was Ryoko, today. Sure, she picked the worst possible place
and time to do that, but I didn't have to act so scared. No one could
hear her. I could have been a lot calmer about it. I could have made sure
she knew it wasn't what she was doing, but where, and when. I could have
even promised that we could continue later. But I didn't. I acted like
her talking that way to me was something horrible.*

Tenchi hung his head shamefully as the bus continued to roll.

*And she sounded so happy when she thought it was all my idea. She must
have been hoping for me to do something like that all along. Ae-chan was.
She said so. And Ryoko probably was, too. She's just not shy like Ae-chan
is, so she wasn't going to wait for me to do something. She did it
herself.*

He thought back again to that morning, and Aeka's uncharacteristic
boldness and seductiveness.

*She's always so shy. She cares so much about being proper. But she was
acting almost as aggressive as Ryoko, grabbing me out in the open like
that, wanting to go into the bushes and have sex. She NEVER acts that
way, unless we're alone. But I forced her to, because I was being such a
chicken.*

The bus stopped again. Another student got off, and it pulled back onto
the road.

*I can't keep doing that. It's not right. I practically made Ae-chan
crawl on her hands and knees and BEG this morning. She's going to be a
queen someday, and THAT'S how I treat her? And this afternoon, even
before the phone sex thing started, all Ryoko wanted to do was talk to
me, and I made HER beg, too! She's got her pride, just like Ae-chan does.
Even Nagi showed more respect for her than I do.*

Noticing that the bus had almost reached the spot to drop him off, Tenchi
put aside his thoughts and waited.

Back at the house, Ryoko glanced at the clock, then dropped the feather
duster, flew over to Aeka, and landed clad in her blue and green striped
dress. "Come on, let's go wait for Tenchi," she said cheerfully.

"You finished *that* quickly?" asked Aeka very skeptically.

"I'll finish it later," answered Ryoko. "Hurry up, he'll be here any
minute."

"I see. I must say I'm impressed at the effort you put into doing what he
asked of you," said Aeka.

Ryoko glared at her. "I *knew* I should have never told you that. And if
you think I'm going to stay here and clean while you walk back to the
house with him, you're crazy."

Aeka frowned. "And why not? Perhaps tomorrow you'll be more diligent
about it, if you see that there are consequences for your sloth."

"Ha! What are you going to do, princess, not leave a tip? Like last
time?"

"This isn't about then! It's about *now*!"

"You're just using this as an excuse so I can't walk with him, too! And I
was nice enough to remind you, remember?!"

"I've been reminding *you* all day! If you'd finished earlier, this
wouldn't be an issue!!"

"You've been *nagging* me all day, you mean!!!"

"I haven't been nagging, I've been quite polite about it!!!!"

The girls clenched their fists and faced off. A spark of energy arced
between them as their anger banked higher and higher...

The sound of Sasami clearing her throat interrupted the buildup to the
impending clash. Aeka and Ryoko glanced down and saw the young princess
looking up at them.

"You two promised Tenchi you weren't going to fight anymore," said
Sasami. "Remember?"

Ryoko and Aeka backed off and looked away from each other, guilt
spreading across their faces.

Sasami nodded, satisfied for the moment. "That's better. Now, can one of
you help me in the kitchen?"

Aeka thought for a second before replying. "I'll be there in just a
moment, Sasami. I need to talk to Ryoko a little more."

"Alright," said Sasami, folding her arms across her chest and frowning.
"But if you start fighting again, I'll tell Tenchi, and he'll be really
mad at *both* of you." With that, she walked back into the kitchen, Aeka
and Ryoko staring nervously at her.

"I hadn't considered how Sasami would figure into this new situation,"
said Aeka contemplatively. "We'll have to treat her as if she were Ten-
chan, so far as what we can do and say in front of her."

"If this happens again, it might be good to go off into the woods and
beating the crap out of each other, to let off steam," said Ryoko. "Now,
about what we were talking about..."

Aeka sighed. "I suppose that was a rather trivial thing to argue over,
wasn't it?"

"Probably."

"It's not the thing itself. It's the principle."

Ryoko put a hand on her forehead and groaned. "Please, don't start *that*
again, OK?"

"In any case, if you'll finish the dusting, I'll go help Sasami. That way
neither of us goes to meet him, and you'll see that you were wrong about
my motives being malicious. Fair enough?"

"I guess so. We should probably cool off a little before he sees us,
anyway."

"Very well," said Aeka, turning to leave.

A thought suddenly occurred to Ryoko. "Hold on a sec'," she said.

Aeka looked back at her. "Yes?"

Ryoko spent a few seconds searching for the right words and filtering out
the sarcasm and insults that kept trying to sneak in. "Don't take this
the wrong way, but next time, have Sasami tell me. I won't get pissed off
at her like I do at you."

"No offense taken," replied Aeka. "I think I understand your reasons."

As the princess left the living room, Ryoko flew over to the feather
duster. She picked it up and, dressed in her maid outfit again, resumed
dusting the furniture, fighting the urge that came every few seconds to
fly off and go to meet Tenchi.

At the same time, Tenchi stepped off the bus and started walking up the
path towards his house. Reaching the spot where the girls usually waited
for him, he found it deserted. At first he was disappointed. Then the
thoughts he'd had on the bus flooded back into his mind, and he was
angry. At himself.

*It's the same as everything else. I'm expecting them to come to me,
instead of me going to them.*

Silently promising the girls that he'd stop being so passive and start
learning to truly appreciate them, Tenchi headed up the hill at a brisk
pace. The very first thing, he decided, he was going to go straight up to
each of them and give them a hug and a kiss, without waiting for them to
do so for him first.

He reached the front door, opened it, and went inside.

Then he blinked, his eyes widening as they traversed the sleek curves of
Ryoko's legs from her ankle up to where her thighs disappeared into a
short black skirt trimmed with white lace. She was hovering next to the
staircase, her feet just at the level of his head. As she leaned forward
to brush the feather duster she was holding against the railing of the
stairs, Tenchi's mind finally processed the image and recognized what
Ryoko was wearing: some kind of maid's uniform. Her breasts threatened to
spill out of a top cut as low as the skirt was cut high. He stared as she
floated lower, finishing the rail, and turned towards him as her toes
almost touched the floor.

Surprised and startled for just a moment, Ryoko recovered and smiled,
hoping that some praise might be in the offing. Tenchi hadn't paid much
notice to her helping wash the dishes the two previous nights, but this
was something he'd asked her to do specifically, so maybe, just maybe,
he'd compliment her about it.

Tenchi continued to stare, speechless. While his eyes drank in the sight
of her, the memories of their conversation on the phone came back to him
in a hot rush, her teasing voice whispering erotically in his mind again.

Ryoko raised her eyebrows a little. She looked at the duster in her hand,
then at Tenchi, then back to the duster as she began playfully flicking
the feathered end against the stair rail.

Tenchi simply kept on staring, intensely aware of what seemed like every
last drop of blood in his body surging to fill a single piece of his
anatomy.

Ryoko's gaze alternated between Tenchi and the duster several times, an
unspoken "Hmmmm?" written on her face. She continued brushing it back and
forth on the rail, waiting patiently for him to notice the way she was
doing the housework, just like he'd asked her to.

Tenchi swallowed the saliva pooling rapidly in his mouth.

*What am I waiting for?! Am I just going to stand here and make her come
to me? Am I going to force her to crawl and beg AGAIN? Is she going to
have to drag me kicking and screaming into the bedroom, AGAIN?!?!*

Tenchi started to tremble as he looked deep into Ryoko's eyes.

*NO!!!*

Moving so fast that he caught her off guard, Tenchi strode towards Ryoko
and scooped her up, cradling her in his arms. She stared up at him, her
gold eyes wide in astonishment as he carried her up the stairs, while
behind them, unnoticed, Aeka walked out of the kitchen just in time to
see the last few steps Tenchi took before the ceiling blocked her view.

"Okaeri nasai, Ten-chan!" she called, as she started towards the stairs.

No answer came.

"Ten-chan?"

Picking up her pace, Aeka quickly reached the foot of the stairs as, at
the top, Tenchi turned to head down the hall. The princess' eyes widened
as she saw Tenchi gazing lovingly down at Ryoko lying in his arms just as
the wall obscured him again. Aeka shook her head as unease rose steadily
within her and she followed up the stairs. At the top of the stairs
looked down the hall.

Aeka's jaw dropped as she watched in utter disbelief, her face white as a
ghost's, as Tenchi walked past Azaka and Kamidake, ignoring their
greetings as if they didn't even exist, then opened his bedroom door with
his foot and carried Ryoko inside. The door closed, and it was all Aeka
could do to keep herself from either screaming or fainting dead away.

It was her day, and Tenchi had gone into his bedroom with Ryoko, instead.

No, he hadn't *gone* with Ryoko. He had *taken* her. Tenchi *never* acted
that boldly. Never. At least, not with Aeka. Every single time she'd had
to move him along in some way, however gently. Yet to all appearances,
he'd come home and taken Ryoko upstairs straightaway. What had happened
between them to cause him to do that?

Aeka's blood ran cold as a horrible thought occurred to her.

Had Tenchi chosen?

When the girls had come to their agreement about sharing him, they'd also
agreed that it wouldn't last forever, the unstated assumption being that
one day, he'd make up his mind about which of them he loved more.

Had Tenchi decided to give his heart solely to Ryoko?

The princess' chest constricted as she slowly walked down the stairs, all
of her thoughts of what Tenchi and Ryoko were doing in the bedroom
dwindling past triviality down to nothingness and vanishing, utterly
eclipsed by this new dire possibility. Feeling short of breath, she
leaned against the wall to steady herself, desperately trying to draw
some other conclusion from Tenchi's action. There had to be some other
reason for what he'd done. There simply *had* to be. There *HAD* to!

If Tenchi had made such a decision, he would have told her, Aeka
reassured herself. He wouldn't leave her dangling, not letting her know
how he felt.

Wouldn't he? He'd done just that, until only a week before. 

It felt as if Aeka's entire world was crumbling before her eyes and about
to come crashing down around her. She tried and failed to still the
violent trembling of her hands. The thoughts she had shoved aside before
reasserted themselves, thoughts of Tenchi seizing Ryoko and taking her
upstairs to make love to her on the day when he rightly belonged to Aeka.

This was twice now that Tenchi's apparent newfound boldness had sliced
into her heart like a knife. Aeka tried her best to believe that it
wasn't deliberate, that he simply didn't realize the awful pain he'd
caused her, but this was twice now. Twice in as many days.

Aeka closed her eyes and attempted to calm herself. She'd managed to
overcome the anguish of seeing them together in the bath. It had been
like crawling slowly out of a lightless abyss, but she'd been able to get
over it. She'd be able to recover from this as well. It was only sex. She
and Tenchi shared a deeper bond than that. Aeka kept on silently
repeating that to herself like a mantra. It was only sex. It was only
sex. It was only sex.

It was only... making love.

It was only the first time that Tenchi had decided on his own to make
love to one of the girls. Merely that. No, nothing special at all. She
didn't feel like storming up to the bedroom and tearing Ryoko apart in a
fit of jealous rage. She didn't feel like demanding that Tenchi explain
where he'd been keeping all this courage, during those long months when
she'd waited in desperate uncertainty for him to reveal his feelings. She
didn't feel like clinging to him and begging to know what she had done to
make him decide against her.

Aeka opened her eyes and shook her head. She didn't know that he *had*
decided against her. Perhaps it only seemed that way. She wouldn't permit
herself jump to conclusions. Moving over to the couch, Aeka sat down,
slowly gathering the will to confront Tenchi and ask him to tell her the
truth.

Upstairs, after shutting the door, Tenchi carried Ryoko to the bed and
set her down at its foot. She stared at him, still too stunned to say or
do anything, as he stood in front of her and began undressing.

Looking down, Tenchi briefly frowned, puzzled. He hadn't changed into his
slippers. He was still wearing his outdoor shoes, in the house. Somehow,
he'd forgotten to change them at the front door.

Now that he thought about it, the front door was probably still open. He
couldn't remember closing it.

Deciding to ignore those details, he pulled off his shoes and shed his
school uniform one piece at a time. Then he moved up to Ryoko and started
kissing her, caressing her, and removing her clothes. A pile of black
cloth and white lace quickly formed next to the bed. Feeling Tenchi's
hands all over her now-bare skin and his lips working their way up her
neck, Ryoko fought the urge to seize the initiative, to get on top of him
and let him feel her love expressed as pleasure. Instead she forced
herself to wait, to let every last thing be Tenchi's doing, and to
restrict her actions to responses to his.

Tenchi put his hands on Ryoko's shoulders and pushed her down onto the
bed, kissing her as he did. He spread her legs and got between them,
positioning himself to enter her, and continued kissing. With each touch
of Tenchi's lips Ryoko let out a soft, encouraging moan. She wanted this
to be something he did to her, but she also wanted him to know she
enjoyed it.

Ryoko gazed up at him, waiting breathlessly, as Tenchi placed his palms
against the mattress on either side of her head. Even now, she could
scarcely believe what was about to happen really *was* going to happen.
It was simply too good to be true. Her eyes never leaving his face for an
instant, she continued to wait as he remained poised above her.

Tenchi looked down at her, a thought occurring to him just as the tip of
his penis nudged against the entrance to Ryoko's sex. He hadn't actually
*asked* her. He was almost sure her answer would be "yes," but the very
thought of wronging her, however unlikely, stopped him.

"Uh, Ryoko, are you... sure you want to?" he asked hesitantly, a measure
of his usual timidity manifesting itself in his voice.

Ryoko smiled, trying not to laugh at such a ridiculous question. Slowly,
gently, she reached up and wrapped her arms around him, kissed him, then
put her lips next to his ear.

"Gimme your sword, Tenchi," she whispered.

And he did. Ryoko locked eyes with him and gasped as she felt Tenchi
thrust into her, then partly withdraw, then slide all the way in again,
the sensation repeating in a gentle, steady, rhythmic cycle.

As he slowly drove in and out of Ryoko, Tenchi decided that, since this
was the first time he had initiated sex, he would make sure Ryoko enjoyed
it. He also decided to try a few things on her that she usually did to
him. Briefly he wracked his brain for something lustful to whisper to
her. A few ideas surfaced. All of them were rather tame, really, but
they'd have to do.

Tenchi pressed his lips against the bottom of Ryoko's larynx, then
started licking. He slowly worked his up her neck, under her jaw, and
around her ear. For a few moments he listened to the cries of "Tenchi!"
or "Yes!" or "Oh!" that each of his thrusts induced. Then he smiled.

"Didn't you tell me you didn't *like* the missionary position?" he asked.

Ryoko's only answer was a throaty moan almost, but not quite, like a
kitten's purr.

Retracing his path, Tenchi ran his tongue back down Ryoko's neck and onto
her chest. She gave a giggle and pressed his face between her breasts.
Tenchi started licking her cleavage, and was rewarded with a series of
soft, delighted squeals. Putting one hand on the back of Tenchi's head
and cupping one of her breasts with the other, Ryoko guided his mouth
onto her nipple. He began gently sucking. Ryoko let go of her breast and
started brushing her hand against Tenchi's cheek, uttering wordless
murmurs of encouragement between gasps of pleasure as she squirmed
underneath him.

After a few minutes of attention to Ryoko's bosom, Tenchi moved his head
up and kissed her on the lips again. He began increasing the speed and
force of his thrusts, and in response her cries rose in pitch and volume.
Crossing her legs behind Tenchi like scissors, Ryoko held on to him and
waited for the climax she could feel getting closer and closer. Finally
the surge of pleasure crashed over her senses and she hugged him tight,
her voice dissolving into rapid whimpers of "Tenchiiii... Tenchiiii...
Tenchiiii...!"

The sensation of his penis being tightly and repeatedly squeezed set
Tenchi off as well. He slid his arms underneath Ryoko's back, hugging her
as he gave one final thrust, as deep and hard as he could manage, then
closed his eyes and groaned loudly. Ryoko showered kisses all over
Tenchi's face, cooing sweetly to him as he spilled himself into her. 

Once he was spent, Tenchi relaxed, lay his head on Ryoko's shoulder, and
sighed contentedly. She held him loosely but close, occasionally brushing
her hands along his back. Several minutes passed before either of them
spoke. Finally, Ryoko ran her fingers through Tenchi's hair and kissed
him on the forehead.

"If *that's* what I'm going to get for doing housework, I'll do it a lot
more often," she giggled, grinning.

Tenchi raised his head and gave her a confused look. "Housework?"

Ryoko pouted. "You mean you didn't notice?" she asked, her voice full of
feigned hurt.

Tenchi tried to think back to what he'd seen just as he'd come in the
door, but it all seemed to have happened so fast, and so much of his mind
had been occupied in overriding his inhibitions, that he couldn't recall
most of the details. "Well, thank you, then," he said. Then he smiled.
"So, was it good?"

"Mmmmmmmmmmm..." purred Ryoko, planting a kiss on his lips. "You were
*wonderful*, Tenchi."

"I was?" he asked, looking both proud and self-conscious.

Ryoko nodded and smiled. "Uh-huh."

Tenchi lay his head down on Ryoko's chest and closed his eyes. "Thanks.
Man, did *that* take a lot out of me," he sighed, and both of them knew
he wasn't talking about physical exertion.

Ryoko stroked his cheek with her fingertips. "I'd really like it if you
did that again," she said, gently but seriously. "It felt really good.
And I don't just mean the sex. I know I don't usually act like the 'come
sweep me off my feet' type, but when you picked me up and carried me
upstairs..." Ryoko closed her eyes and was silent for a moment before
continuing in a very quiet voice, "... that was the best part of all,
Tenchi."

Tenchi looked up at her, wondering if it would be easier for him now to
do something like that again.

Opening her eyes, Ryoko took his face in her hands, drawing him closer
and kissing him. "I'm not saying the stuff after that was bad, though,"
she whispered. "That would have been good even if *I* had to carry *you*
up here."

Tenchi laughed and shook his head, not liking the image at all but
managing to find it funny. "Does this mean you're not going to pounce on
me anymore?" he asked.

"No, it doesn't," said Ryoko, smiling slyly. "I'm still going to grab
you, anytime I feel like it." Then, as if to prove her point, she seized
his waist and lifted him up, then set him down with his knees on either
side of her head.

"Uh, Ryoko..." began Tenchi.

"Hi, Tenchi-ken!" giggled Ryoko, cradling Tenchi's "sword" in her hand.
"Did you have a good time, hmm?"

Tenchi put a hand over his face and groaned. "I *really* wish you
wouldn't call it that."

Ryoko ignored him. "Time to take a bath," she cooed, as she began licking
all over his penis. Tenchi groaned again, but for entirely different
reasons. He put his hands against the wall to steady himself as Ryoko
took his limp member into her mouth and started cleaning off their
mingled juices with her lips and tongue. Tenchi winced slightly. It was
still rather sensitive, after having been put to use so recently. Unsure
if Ryoko was just cleaning it off, or if she was trying to make it hard
again, he looked down to watch.

It was then that he noticed the chains attached to the walls above the
pillows.

"Uh, Ryo...? Unhhh! Ryoko?" he said.

"Mfffff?" she said, before sliding his penis out of her mouth and holding
it in her fingers. "Yes?"

"Do you know how these chains got here?" he asked.

Ryoko winced as she remember who the chains belonged to, and, much more
significantly, whose day it was, and what that person's reaction was
likely to be. Even if she hadn't noticed that Tenchi hadn't announced his
return home yet -- and that was *impossible* -- Azaka and Kamidake
definitely wouldn't lie to their mistress about who they'd seen carrying
whom into the bedroom.

*Uh-oh. Damn, but is her exalted and mighty royal highness ever going to
be PISSED.*

"Aeka put those there," Ryoko said, after a few seconds. She looked at
Tenchi's penis and quickly decided that continuing to try to get him
ready for a second go would be a *really* bad idea. She phased behind him
and put her chin on his shoulder, her body pressed against his back. "We
sort of decided to make some changes to your room. You don't mind, do
you?"

Tenchi smiled as he thought about it. Both of the girls seemed to regard
their presence on Earth as somehow transitory. He remembered the fears
Aeka had expressed, about how Jurai's royal family might decide at any
moment to come take her away, as he picked up the chains and ran them
through his hands. Somehow, it was almost as if by making a tangible
alteration to his room, Aeka was saying that she belonged there, and that
she intended to stay. "No, actually, I like it," he said. Growing
curious, he hefted the chains in his hands, feeling their weight. "Wow,
these are *heavy*. What do you think they're made of?"

Again, Ryoko winced.

*I'm pretty sure she wants to surprise him. This isn't going to be
pretty. Not one bit.*

Ryoko kissed Tenchi's neck. "Um, Tenchi?"

Tenchi set down the chains. "Yes?"

"I don't think you're supposed to know about those yet," she said.

"Oh," said Tenchi. He didn't need to know any of the specific details of
Juraian tradition to know who was going to wind up chained to the bed,
and the kinds of things that would happen after that. "OK, I won't let
on." He smiled. "So, what have *you* done to my room, huh?"

Ryoko smiled and flew into the closet like a shot, emerging with a large
picture that she held in front of Tenchi. "Like it?" she asked.

Tenchi's eyes widened as he slowly nodded. "Where'd you get that?"

"Washuu," answered Ryoko.

Tenchi continued to stare at the sight of himself holding hands with
Ryoko, and at the expression on their faces. "Why haven't you hung it up
yet?" he asked.

"I want you to decide where to put it."

"Over there," said Tenchi, standing up and nodding towards the wall
opposite the foot of the bed.

Ryoko quickly hung the picture, then floated back next to Tenchi look at
it. Glancing to his side, Tenchi reached over and grasped Ryoko's hand.
She squeezed his hand in return, then leaned over to put her head on his
shoulder. "We've come a long way, haven't we, Tenchi?" she sighed.

"Yeah," said Tenchi, nodding. He let go of her hand and put his arm
around her. "We sure have."

Silently, Ryoko relived the moment in the picture, the first affection
Tenchi had shown her after he'd come to know her. That, and the look on
his face as he'd walked up to her and tossed her an apple, as she'd lain
on top of the torii over the path leading to Katsuhito's shrine.

Ryoko's eyes went wide. Katsuhito. The shrine. She was supposed to spar
with him today. She'd completely forgotten about it. And if her
inattentiveness offended him and made him decide not to help her keep in
form...

Slowly, Ryoko pried herself away from Tenchi. "There's some stuff I've
got to go take care of," she said. "I'll be back in a little while."

Tenchi nodded, then smiled. "Oh. Uh, tadaima," he chuckled.

Ryoko kissed him. "Okaeri," she replied, before dematerializing.

A fraction of a second later, she appeared in the kitchen, no longer nude
but clad in her black-and-red fighting outfit instead. Reached from
behind Sasami, she snatched one of the rice balls the princess was
preparing.

"But those are for dinner!" protested Sasami, turning around with her
hands on her hips.

"Sorry, Sasami-chan, but I'm hungry now," answered Ryoko, starting to
wolf down the food. "Give me one less tonight." Still munching the rice
ball, she floated out of the kitchen and into the living room, where she
came face to face with Aeka.

Finally finding someone she could focus her anger on, and a way to forget
her fear and pain for a moment, Aeka glared furiously at Ryoko. Ryoko
quickly looked away, a guilty expression on her face.

*Well, here it comes...*

"This was *my* day!" growled Aeka in a low voice.

"I know," sighed Ryoko. "Sorry."

"Is *this* how you intend to keep our agreement?" demanded the princess.

"It was Tenchi's idea," said Ryoko defensively. "He just came in the door
and picked me up, OK?"

Aeka felt her heart lurch inside her chest as she remembered watching
Tenchi carry Ryoko into the bedroom. "Then you should have *stopped*
him!"

Ryoko snapped her gaze to Aeka as her eyes narrowed dangerously and her
lips pulled back to expose her teeth. "What was I supposed to *do*, kick
and scream and yell 'No!'? After all the times he ran away from me?" She
poked her finger at Aeka's chest. "After all the times *YOU* *STOPPED*
me?!" she snarled, before managing to calm down a little as she
remembered the need to be quiet around Sasami. "We agreed about what
*we'd* do. We never said anything about what Tenchi could do. And if you
think I'm *ever* going to say 'no' to him when he wants me, you can go to
hell!"

Leaving behind a shocked and infuriated Aeka, Ryoko whisked through the
wall and out towards the shrine. Once more guilt rose within her at
having failed Tenchi yet again. She put it down. Some things were too
much to ask. *Far* too much.

She quickly polished off the rice ball and touched down in front of
Katsuhito, who was sitting on the veranda watching the cherry blossoms
float by.

"Konichiwa, ojiisama," she said, kneeling and bowing.

Katsuhito stood up, and motioned for her to rise as well. "Here for
practice, I take it?"

Ryoko nodded. "Hai."

Producing two bokken seemingly from out of nowhere, Katsuhito tossed one
to Ryoko and walked towards her. Catching it, she tested the balance,
frowning just a little. "I've never fought with one of these before," she
said.

"Using a bokken allows one to concentrate on skill and technique, rather
than relying on the power of a live blade," said Katsuhito.

"Well, I'll try not to hurt you too much," said Ryoko, grinning. "I don't
think Tenchi would like it."

Katsuhito's eyebrows arched ever-so-slightly. "I'll warn you only once,
Ryoko-san. Don't underestimate me. I won't hold back as I do with
Tenchi."

Ryoko made a few casual strokes through the air, still getting used to
her new weapon. "Fine with me. That's the way I like it, anyway."

"I think it would be best if I saw the measure of your abilities, before
I begin training you," said Katsuhito, raising the bokken horizontally
above his head and planting his feet apart. "We'll have a few test
matches. First body strike wins each match."

"I suppose I'm not supposed to fly or anything like that, right?" asked
Ryoko, mimicking Katsuhito's posture for a moment to see if it suited
her.

"Do whatever you wish," replied the old man. "The only rule is that you
may not strike with anything but the bokken."

Ryoko leaned to one side and held the wooden sword near vertically, then
flexed her knees. "Ready when you are, ojiisama."

Katsuhito nodded silently and maintained his pose.

Ryoko waited. She'd seen enough of Tenchi's practice sessions to know
that this was the contest before the contest, to see who's will would
break, causing them to flinch or strike a hasty first blow. She kept her
eyes resolutely on Katsuhito, who stood about ten paces away.

Sweat started to bead on Ryoko's brow. She wasn't used to this. She
always preferred to strike first and knock her enemy out of the fight at
once. The tension grew as the seconds slowly crawled by and the two held
each other's unblinking stares.

Suddenly, Katsuhito's gaze shifted a little as he focused on something
behind Ryoko to her right. "So, you've decided to join us, eh, Tenchi?"
he said.

"Ten...?" began Ryoko, as she started to turn around and caught herself,
realizing the trick just in time. In her moment of inattentiveness,
Katsuhito closed the distance and attacked, directing his bokken at her
midsection in a mighty horizontal sweep.

Taken almost completely off-guard, Ryoko backed up and avoided the
strike, retreated some more before the subsequent vertical follow-
through, gave yet more ground to dodge another sideways slash, and
finally brought up her weapon to stop Katsuhito's second downward blow.
Their bokken locked for a moment, and Ryoko bared her fangs, irked by the
obvious mirth on the old man's face.

"That was fighting dirty!" she snarled, slipping out from under his
weapon and taking a swipe at his side.

Katsuhito spun sideways and blocked. "Fooled you, didn't it?" he said.
"You're as bad as Tenchi is."

Anger flared up inside Ryoko and she struck fiercely, almost leaving
herself defenseless for Katsuhito's counterattack. She struck, then
parried. "Don't make fun of Tenchi!"

"I'm merely pointing out that he's naive and foolish," said Katsuhito,
smiling as he took another swipe at her.

Ryoko extended her stance and made several rapid, anger-fueled attacks,
each one of which the old man parried deftly. "I... SAID... DON'T...
MAKE... FUN... OF.... TENCHI!!!"

Katsuhito's bokken streaked down at Ryoko's exposed back. She ducked down
through the ground as the weapon bit into the stone, then came back up at
a safer distance and launched herself at him again.

"You mean, you don't think it's foolish of him to expect you and Aeka-
hime to get along?" he asked, knocking aside her attack and missing with
his counterstrike as she danced out of range.

Ryoko's eyes burned as she remembered her confrontation with the
princess, minutes before. Her knuckles whitened and the wooden sword
cracked slightly in her grip before she charged, her expression furious,
and unleashed a frenzied series of blows. Katsuhito repeatedly blocked
and dodged, giving ground and no longer sparing any of his attention for
words. Frustrated, she growled and lunged, heedless of defense.

Somehow, Katsuhito leapt over her strike and landed balanced cat-like on
the edge of her blade. Quickly recovering, Ryoko yanked it out from under
him and stepped sideways, half-evading, half-parrying his attack. Her
counterstrike nearly hit home before Katsuhito jumped backwards and
landed toes first.

For a moment, Ryoko backed away and held her bokken in front of her,
eying Katsuhito warily. He was *good*, she decided. Very good. She never
would have expected to find such skill on an obscure, backward planet in
the middle of nowhere, but she was beginning to realize that the old man
just might be the best she'd ever fought. In fact, something about his
fighting style was vaguely... *familiar*.

What was more, he'd managed to make her mad. Against most opponents,
anger helped her, lending her that much more striking power. But now it
was hurting her, throwing off her timing and preventing her from landing
a blow in the first place.

"So, you're giving in, is that it?" asked Katsuhito.

Ryoko smiled. "Ha! I'm just warming up!"

Before even finishing her words, Ryoko charged again and loosed a storm
of blindingly-fast strikes, but despite the speed of her attacks
Katsuhito skillfully avoided or blocked each one. He wasn't toying with
her anymore, though, she noted with some satisfaction.

Not *yet*, anyway.

"I understand Tenchi's finally acting a *little* like a man," said
Katsuhito, sweeping his bokken in at Ryoko from her left.

Ryoko parried it rather easily, then lunged and missed. "You're *not*
going to distract me again."

Katsuhito struck several rapid blows in quick succession, and Ryoko
ducked and weaved, avoiding them. "I see. You're learning already."

Smiling, Ryoko slashed at him, forcing him to back up, then blocked his
counterattack.

Katsuhito smiled. "Where is Tenchi, though?" he asked, as he struck
again.

"Back at the house," replied Ryoko uneasily, parrying.

"I see. With Aeka-hime, I presume? They must be enjoying themselves," he
said.

Ryoko growled and took a rage-powered, fury-blinded swipe at Katsuhito,
barely recovering in time when he brought his bokken around under her
swing. Restraining her anger once more, she floated rapidly away,
shifting back and forth a meter off the ground as she searched for an
opening in the old man's guard.

Deciding that she'd found one, Ryoko hurled herself at him with a fangs-
bared snarl, the bokken whistling as it sliced through the air in front
of her.

Back at the house, Aeka sat in front of the living room window, looking
out forlornly over the lake. After Ryoko's departure, the princess had
cooled down as she considered the pirate's words. Much though Aeka wished
it otherwise, Tenchi's actions were his own doing, not Ryoko's. And she
knew that if he'd come to *her*, picked *her* up, and carried *her* to
his bed, there was no way she could possibly have made herself do what
she'd demanded of Ryoko. She had barely been able to slip out of his arms
the previous morning, herself, and that had been under the looming glare
of dawn to remind her of Ryoko's impending arrival. But if he had come to
Aeka, wanting her, and if no reminders of her oath were close at hand,
she would have broken that promise in a heartbeat. There was no denying
it. And it was unreasonable to expect Ryoko to keep her word when in her
place Aeka would have not done so, either.

The princess scowled and banged her fist down on the tatami. *Oblivion
take all reason!*

Try as she might, she couldn't escape the conclusion that the one to
blame for her current pain was Tenchi. And that thought hurt every bit as
much as watching him carry Ryoko into his bedroom. She wiped away a tear,
then straightened the already-straight folds of her kimono and lay her
hands in her lap. Once he came downstairs, Aeka decided again, she would
ask him why. But she wasn't going to sob and beg. Even if Tenchi no
longer loved her, she still wanted him to look on her with respect.

Doing her best to compose and prepare herself, Aeka watched the sunlight
glimmering on the rippled water of the lake.

Upstairs, Tenchi finished changing the sheets and remaking the bed after
getting dressed. He sat down and looked at the picture again for a few
moments, then at the chains. He smiled. From now on, his room would
always contain a reminder of Ryoko and Aeka, even when one or both was
absent. He got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Konichiwa, Tenchi-dono," chorused the guardians.

"Konichiwa, Azaka, Kamidake," replied Tenchi cheerfully.

"Did we offend you earlier?" asked Azaka.

Tenchi frowned. "Huh? Offend me?" He shook his head, looking rather
puzzled. "No, not at all. Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You didn't answer us when you came in with Ryoko," said Kamidake.

Tenchi thought about it and realized that he could barely remember *any*
of the details of his trip upstairs, other than Ryoko lying in his arms.
He didn't recall the guardians even *being* there, much less speaking to
him.

"Sorry, you two," he said, bowing slightly. "I didn't mean to be rude. I
guess I was sort of... preoccupied."

"No apologies are necessary," assured Kamidake.

Descending the stairs, Tenchi caught sight of Aeka sitting in front of
the window. He smiled.

*One down, one to go.*

He'd already given the planned hug and kiss -- and a whole lot more
besides -- to Ryoko. And the chains promised more of the same with Aeka,
later that night. But if she was going to be in her oujo-sama mood, that
meant that he would be in the passive role, as usual. And he'd promised
himself that he'd take the initiative a little more, with *both* girls.

Walking up to the princess, Tenchi knelt down behind her, wrapped his
arms around her, and spoke in a low voice next to her ear. "Tadaima," he
said.

Aeka nearly jumped out of her skin. Realizing that he must have startled
her, Tenchi cupped her chin in his hand and gently turned her head
towards him before kissing her on the cheek. "Tadaima," he repeated.

"O-okaeri nasai," stammered Aeka in reply. She'd thought she had prepared
herself, but now she realized that there was no way *to* prepare herself.

Tenchi kissed her cheek again. Then he glanced over her shoulder and saw
the view of the lake she'd been taking in before he'd arrived. "The water
sure looks pretty with the sunlight on it like that," he said.

Aeka nodded, slowly summoning up the will to pose the questions she knew
she had to ask him but wanting to put them off for as long as possible.
"Hai," she said quietly.

Tenchi eased Aeka back until she lay against him in his arms. He looked
down and smiled at her. "You know, it's funny. Sometimes we don't
appreciate beauty, even when it's right there in front of us," he said in
deliberate mimicry of his words to her that previous autumn, before he
lowered his lips to hers and kissed her.

For a brief instant Aeka tensed, taken off-guard by words and actions
that were the complete opposite of those she had been steeling herself to
endure. It hardly seemed possible that the wonderful feeling of Tenchi's
arms around her and the agonizing sight of him carrying Ryoko to his
bedroom were both the results of the same person's actions. Putting her
thoughts aside she surrendered herself to the moment, closing her eyes
and wishing that he'd hold her like that forever.

Finally Tenchi broke the kiss. Aeka opened her eyes and stared up at him,
wondering what to make of it all. Her thoughts were cut short as Tenchi
gave her something else to ponder by whispering in her ear.

"Want to go to bed a little early tonight?" he asked, before kissing her
again.

Aeka's eyes widened before she closed them again, her mind racing in a
vain attempt to reconcile Tenchi's contradictory words and deeds since
coming home.

Tenchi held the kiss as he slid one arm under her knees and another under
her back, remembering how much Ryoko had said she'd enjoyed being
carried. He knew he hadn't recovered enough to have sex quite so soon,
but they might at least be able to kiss in private, without worrying
about someone interrupting. He could hear the sounds of Sasami preparing
dinner in the kitchen, and his dad would be home soon. He stood up,
lifting Aeka as he did.

Feeling herself cradled in Tenchi's arms and his lips pressed against
hers, Aeka continued to try to make sense of things. It was enough to
make her head spin. For a moment she considered letting him carry her
upstairs, but decided against it. It was impossible for her to switch
from despair to passion in so short a span of time, and she didn't want
to make love with him while still doubting his heart. They would talk,
and if what Tenchi said reassured her, then they would go to his bed.

Aeka broke the kiss. "Later, Ten-chan. There is something I would speak
with you about."

For a moment, Tenchi was rather taken aback. This wasn't the response
he'd expected at all. Then something he'd heard recently popped into his
head. He smiled. "But your lips didn't say 'no,'" he said. "Which one
should I trust, your lips or your words?" As if to prove is point, he
kissed her again.

Now Aeka's heart was truly torn. For a moment she put her arms around
Tenchi's neck as he started to carry her towards the stairs. Then she
pulled back a little, and their lips parted. She had to be sure, she
decided. Though Tenchi's embrace had blunted much of the pain of what
he'd done earlier, Aeka could still feel the dull ache in her heart of
the wound that had only just closed. If, as it was starting to seem, he
hadn't inflicted that injury on her intentionally, she still wanted
certainty. Then their lovemaking would be untainted by any trace of
doubt.

"Ten-chan, please put me down," she said gently.

Tenchi looked at her quizzically. "You don't want to?"

Aeka gave him a brief kiss. "After we talk."

Nodding, Tenchi set Aeka on her feet. "I suppose that must have been kind
of shocking," he said sheepishly.

Aeka blinked. "Shocking?"

"Me being the one to try starting things, I mean," Tenchi explained.

"It *was* a little... unusual," admitted Aeka.

Tenchi rubbed the back of his neck for a moment, then hung his head a
little. "I'm just trying to make up for being so... so passive all the
time," he said. "I was thinking about it a lot this afternoon, how it
must seem like I don't appreciate you or anything, because things are
never my idea, always yours." He looked her in the eyes. "Like this
morning. Remember?"

Aeka nodded slowly, mulling this new piece of information and its
implications for earlier events. Was this why Tenchi had taken Ryoko to
his room? Could it have been that he'd just happened upon Ryoko first,
and that if he'd seen Aeka instead, *she'd* have been the one carried
upstairs and made love to? Was it just blind, random chance?

Or was she simply deluding herself?

"Anyway, I just figured that maybe you might like it if I was a little
more... forceful, I guess," continued Tenchi. "I'm sorry if I was too
pushy. I don't want to you to think I expect you to jump into bed with me
whenever I feel like it, either."

Managing a slight smile, Aeka kissed him. "You needn't worry. That's the
last thing in the world I would think of you."

Remembering their discussion in Washuu's lab the previous evening, Tenchi
offered her his arm. "If you don't want to go upstairs, how about we go
for that walk I promised you?" he suggested. "It's a really nice day
today, and you said you wanted to talk to me about something."

Aeka smiled much more warmly, and took Tenchi's arm. Things were looking
much less grim than they had been mere minutes before. Now she could ask
him calmly, without so much fear clouding her thoughts. In particular,
she decided that she would need to work up to the subject slowly. If, as
it now seemed, he hadn't meant to cause her pain, she didn't want to
sound as if she was accusing him of wronging her. Perhaps it would even
be possible to bring up the matter without him realizing why she was
asking, and he'd never know that she had doubted him.

As they headed towards the front door, Aeka caught sight of two objects
lying on the floor, side by side.

A briefcase, and a feather duster.

The princess' body stiffened and she closed her eyes as pain lanced into
her heart again for an instant.

Tenchi looked over at her. "Ae-chan... is something wrong?" he asked,
concerned.

Aeka opened her eyes again and shook her head. "It's... it's nothing
important, Ten-chan," she replied. "You needn't concern yourself. Let us
take our walk." She opened the front door, taking in the view of bright
late-spring greenery amidst the sunlight. "You're right. It's a very
beautiful day today."

Tenchi leaned over and kissed her. "Not half as beautiful as you."

His words giving her the strength to smile again, Aeka squeezed Tenchi's
hand. "Thank you, Ten-chan."

Wood clacked on wood as Tenchi closed the door. He shook his head. "Don't
thank me, Ae-chan. It's true." He twined his fingers with hers. "So, what
did you want to talk about?"

"Well, first, how was your day?" she asked. "Tell me everything."

Tenchi laughed. "Everything? Won't you get bored?"

Aeka shook her head and smiled. "No, certainly not. Please tell me, Ten-
chan. I'm interested."

As Tenchi started an overview of his day at school, the two of them set
off down the path away from the house.

Meanwhile, Ryoko and Katsuhito's match in front of the shrine went on,
still undecided. Though she hadn't yet managed to hit him, he hadn't been
able to hit her either, and she was beginning more and more to suspect
that she recognized his style.

Katsuhito yelled a battle cry and came at her in a rush, his bokken held
vertically in both hands. Ryoko darted out of the way just in time. In a
single fluid motion, the old man spread his arms out to his sides as if
parting the air, then came around facing her with his weapon raised over
his head.

Now Ryoko was sure. She'd fought a few Juraians in the course of her
infamous career, and their's was the only style that used the move
Katsuhito had just performed. Maintaining her guard, Ryoko pondered this
revelation. Tenchi's grandfather certainly didn't *act* Juraian, and for
that matter, what would someone from Jurai be doing living on Earth?

While it didn't make any sense, it *did* give her an idea. Besides her
skill, speed, and power, Ryoko prided herself on her chaotic nature in
combat. But a fighting style, even one as peerless as Jurai's, meant a
pattern of moves, a pattern that could be predicted -- thus a weakness to
exploit. And there was one weakness that she'd exploited successfully
before.

Eyes blazing, Ryoko charged directly at Katsuhito, bokken held low and
sideways in both hands. He waited, ready to parry or dodge. As she got
within reach, she shouted and began her swing.

A fraction of a second into her attack, Ryoko vanished and split herself.
Her two halves appeared on either side of Katsuhito, each bokken a
barely-visible blur as it sliced horizontally through the air faster than
human sight could follow, one Ryoko striking at knee level, the other at
chest height. It would be impossible to parry or dodge two such attacks
coming simultaneously from different directions.

Except that Katsuhito wasn't there. Acting on reflex the Ryokos
teleported back to her original position and into one body again. As she
did she saw him standing two paces back from where he'd been, his bokken
just leaving the space one of her selves had occupied an instant before.

Ryoko paused, breathing heavily for a moment and discarding her previous
assessment. Either the resemblance to the Juraian style was mere
coincidence, or a Juraian swordsman skilled enough to be written into
legend was living on a planet that was the galactic equivalent of a
desert island. And *that* was completely ridiculous.

Katsuhito held his weapon out in front of him again. "Interesting move,"
he said.

Ryoko nodded. "Thanks." She wiped her forehead, annoyed that Tenchi's
grandfather of all people had caused her to work up a sweat. Then she
noticed that Katsuhito's brow wasn't entirely free of perspiration
either. He just acted as if it was.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" she asked.

"I told you the other night, it's been the family style for many
generations," he replied. "So, had enough for today?"

Ryoko shook her head. She was running out of surprises to spring on him.
Time to try a strike from above. Maybe *that* would work.

Once again, she charged.

At the same time, Aeka and Tenchi climbed the steps to the shrine,
stopping once in a while to admire the view or the plants as he told her
about his day. At the moment he was relating the phone call from Ryoko --
carefully leaving out all of the sexual parts, as he knew how much it
hurt the girls when one of them was forced to think about him being with
the other in any way.

"I see. I was wondering who she was calling," said Aeka, hiding her
feelings for the moment.

Tenchi sighed and nodded. "Yeah, well, I'm *really* glad no one found out
that it wasn't an emergency call. I could have gotten in *big* trouble
for that."

"She won't do that tomorrow, will she?" the princess asked.

"I don't think so," said Tenchi, as he halted and bent down to pick a
purple flower from out of the grass. He smiled as he straightened up
reached to insert it into Aeka's headress. Her eyes widened when she
caught sight of it, and she grasped his wrist to stop him.

"May I see that, Ten-chan?" she asked.

"Sure," replied Tenchi, placing it in her palm.

"This is a Jurai Royal Teardrop," she said incredulously. "But how could
it possibly have gotten here?"

"It's from *Jurai*?"

Aeka nodded, then shuddered and put the blossom back down on the ground.

"Don't you want to wear it?" asked Tenchi, puzzled. "It's the same color
as your hair. I think it would look pretty on you."

"Thank you for the gift, Ten-chan, but it's not a flower we Juraians
associate with pleasant things. It's displayed during mourning after the
deaths of members of the royal family, and placed on their graves on the
anniversary of their passing."

"Oh," said Tenchi, looking nervously at her. "I guess I picked a really
bad flower, huh?"

"It's not that it lacks beauty, but as I said, it makes me think of
sorrowful things. I do appreciate the thought, however."

"I guess it's sort of like how we think about cherry blossoms," said
Tenchi, looking around on the ground again. He plucked a pink hydrangea
flower -- an ajisai that had bloomed a little early -- and offered it to
her. "Is this one happier?"

Aeka smiled and nodded. Tenchi slid the stem of the flower into her head
ornament, then kissed her. Holding hands again, they continued up the
stairs.

"No, where were we?" asked Aeka, just before they reached the top.

Tenchi thought for a moment. "Ummm... ah! Ryoko's phone call this
afternoon. Like I said, I don't think she'll do it again." He put his arm
around the princess and pulled her close. "And I'm really glad you're
taking it so much easier than she is."

Aeka hesitated for a moment, then lowered her gaze a little. "I miss you,
too, Ten-chan," she said quietly. "I hope... I hope my restraint doesn't
make it seem otherwise."

Tenchi stopped and stared at her for a few seconds, stunned. "Ae-chan, I
*know* that," he said, sounding hurt. "And I miss you, too. Do you really
think I run off each morning without caring how you feel?"

Aeka shook her head. "No, no. Of course not. I merely don't wish it to
appear as if I desire your absence."

Tenchi held Aeka's chin in his hand and looked into her eyes, utter
sincerity in his face. "I told you, Ae-chan, I know that. And if it's
something important, I *won't* leave you. I'll stay, as long as you
really need me to." He bent down to kiss her, and Aeka waited.

Then the loud "clack!" of two bokken impacting on one another resounded
in the air. Tenchi's head turned reflexively towards the noise. "What
the...?"

Katsuhito backed up from behind the shrine office, Ryoko whirling around
him just at the edge of his reach and dodging his strikes. Then she shot
up a meter or so and sliced down with her bokken. Katsuhito blocked it
and Ryoko danced away from his counterblow, still floating. Gathering
herself up for a moment, she launched another series of attacks. The
sounds of the weapons connecting started coming so fast that they seemed
to merge into one another. Katsuhito kept retreating as Ryoko drove him
further and further towards the crest of the hill, his face serene
despite his concentration and her expression a fierce, determined grin.

Suddenly, Ryoko vanished from in front of Katsuhito and appeared behind
him, bringing her bokken down towards his back.

Katsuhito whirled around -- it almost seemed as if he'd started the move
*before* Ryoko had teleported -- and as her weapon missed his side by a
distance narrower than its own width, his struck her just under the ribs
and knocked her to her knees.

Tenchi frantically ripped himself from Aeka's grasp and ran as the pirate
clutched her stomach, wincing. "RYOKO!!!" he shouted, his voice full of
distress.

Both girls stared at him, their eyes wide in shock. Covering the distance
as fast as he could, Tenchi got to Ryoko and knelt down in front of her.
"Are you alright?"

Ryoko sighed. *So much for keeping this a secret from him.* Deciding that
the best way to handle the situation was to make light of it, she quickly
got up, dusted herself off, and smirked. "Of *course* I'm alright,
Tenchi."

Tenchi rose as well, turning to glare at Katsuhito as he deliberately
stood between his grandfather and Ryoko. "You *HIT* her, jiichan!" he
said accusingly.

"It's *nothing*, Tenchi. You've gotten whacked worse than this, during
practice," said Ryoko.

Katsuhito looked at Ryoko and bowed his head very slightly. "I warned you
not to underestimate me, Ryoko-san. I would have checked my strike more
completely, but you were pressing me rather hard. That's the longest
fight I've had in some time."

Ryoko bowed back. "No problem." She smiled. "Two out of three?"

"No," said Tenchi.

"I was talking to your ojiisama," said Ryoko.

Tenchi shook his head. "No. I don't want you to."

"Tenchi, I need to do this. Please don't make a fuss about it. OK?"

"I'm not going to let you," Tenchi said firmly. "Sorry."

Ryoko gaped at him for a moment. "I'm not asking your *permission*," she
said finally. She picked up the bokken from the ground and faced
Katsuhito. "Let's go."

"Jiichan...!" growled Tenchi in warning.

"We'll discuss the matter later," said Katsuhito, deliberately not
stating whom he would be discussing it with. He turned and started to
walk off.

"Hey, wait a minute!" protested Ryoko. "Ojiisama, tell Tenchi he's being
silly."

Katsuhito shook his head, not stopping. "You don't get to be my age by
being foolish enough to get in the middle of lovers' quarrels."

Ryoko started floating after him, but Tenchi grabbed her elbow and
stopped her. "I said, I'm not letting you." 

"Nobody orders me around, Tenchi. *Nobody*. Not even you," warned Ryoko,
pulling her arm free.

Tenchi clenched his fists for a moment. "I just don't want you getting
hurt!"

"And what about when *you* get hurt, huh?" she snapped. "He knocked you
out cold the other day. Do you think I liked seeing *that*?!"

"That's different! I've been practicing with jiichan since I was little."

"*I've* been fighting *real* battles with *real* weapons with people
trying to *kill* me for years!" She held up the bokken. "And you think
I'm going to get upset over being hit with a *stick*?!"

"What about what jiichan did to Mihoshi's armor with that 'stick'?! What
about *that*?!?!"

"That wasn't practice! This *is*!! I can't *believe* how stupid you're
being!!!" yelled Ryoko.

"'Stupid'?!" shouted Tenchi. "Can't you get it through your head that I
don't want you to get hurt, because I *care* about you?! Because I *LOVE*
you?!?! What am I going to do if something *happens* to you, Ryoko?!?!?!"

"TENCHIIIIIIII!!!"

"NO!!!"

Ryoko quickly turned her face away and vanished into thin air.

Aeka continued to look on, having observed the whole spectacle from the
head of the stairs. *Not again!* her thoughts echoed desperately in her
mind. *Not again! Not AGAIN!! NOT AGAIN!!!*

Many times before she'd taken delight in Tenchi becoming angry and
shouting at Ryoko over something or other that the pirate had done. But
this time was completely different. This time, he wasn't upset over
damage Ryoko had done to the house or its contents or surroundings. He
was furious with her about what she might do to *herself*. Despite the
harsh words and raised voices, it was a display of love.

Aeka trembled. How many times was this going to happen to her? How long
would this go on? When would it stop feeling like Tenchi was torturing
her whenever he expressed his love for Ryoko?

She tried her best to rationalize it, to tell herself that she couldn't
very well expect Tenchi to worry about her if she never placed herself in
any kind of danger. She summoned up what pride she could in the knowledge
that she wouldn't cause him such terrible distress, as Ryoko had. 

Her attempts didn't work very well at all. She couldn't blot out the pain
of Tenchi tearing himself away from her and running off to Ryoko. Yes, it
was the way he was; the sight of someone being harmed or threatened
always moved Tenchi to action. Yes, he wouldn't have given thought right
away to how silly it was to think of Ryoko being seriously hurt by a
wooden sword. Yes, there was no question of him having done it to hurt
Aeka. And yes, he would have done exactly the same thing if it were Aeka
who had been struck. Those were facts, beyond doubt or question.

None of them made it hurt her any less.

Aeka waited as Tenchi walked back to her, his face a mixture of anger and
worry. He put his arm around the princess and squeezed her for a moment.
"I guess this didn't turn out to be such a great walk."

Aeka nodded weakly.

The two of them started slowly back down the steps. "I'm sorry, Ae-chan.
Really. I just can't help it."

"T-that's alright," replied Aeka quietly.

"What were we talking about before?" asked Tenchi, trying his best to
keep his mind off Ryoko and give his full attention to Aeka.

Aeka lowered her eyes to the stone steps as they continued their descent.
"It wasn't a matter of speech, if I recall."

Tenchi thought back, and remembered what he had been in the process of
doing when he'd first heard the sounds of the duel. He stopped. Putting
his arms around Aeka, he kissed her. "There. Better?"

Aeka nodded again.

"Ae-chan, do you think we could just sit down for a while?" asked Tenchi.
"I know I shouldn't get distracted because of Ryoko when I'm with you,
but I *am* right now. I don't really feel like talking. Do you mind?"

"No, it's alright, Ten-chan," she said. "I can understand that you're
troubled."

Sitting down on the steps, Tenchi put an arm around Aeka and pulled her
over to rest her head on his shoulder. "Thanks. We can talk about
whatever it is, once we go to bed tonight. Can't we?"

Aeka considered this. On the one hand, she still hadn't discussed what
she'd wanted to with Tenchi. And he had caused her pain again, though
inadvertently.

Tenchi looked over at Aeka and kissed her. "If it's *really* important, I
guess we can still talk about it," he said, holding her close.

On the other hand, perhaps he deserved the benefit of the doubt.

"Pay it no mind, Ten-chan," she said. "It's not an urgent matter. We'll
speak of it another time."

Tenchi closed his eyes. "Thanks again."

After fifteen minutes of sitting quietly, enjoying each other's company
and the occasional kiss, the two of them walked back to the house and
went inside.

When dinner came, Tenchi sat flanked by Ryoko and Aeka, as had become
usual since Monday. Ryoko ate in deliberate silence, glancing to her side
at Tenchi every so often, her dark mood hanging over the gathering like a
storm cloud. Soon it infected Tenchi, and, after her overtures at
conversation failed to elicit much response from him, Aeka fell silent as
well. Eventually Nobuyuki, Washuu, and even Sasami stopped saying
anything, and each tiny sound of chopstick striking bowl or noodles being
slurped grated on everyone's nerves amidst the tense silence.

Once the meal was over, Sasami began removing the dishes. She looked at
Ryoko. "Are you going to help me clear the table again?" she asked.

Ryoko turned and looked at Tenchi.

Tenchi sighed, then frowned and stared down at his tea.

Ryoko dematerialized without a word.

"What's wrong with her, Tenchi?" asked Nobuyuki. "You two have a fight or
something?"

Tenchi nodded.

Nobuyuki smiled. "Don't worry about it. Your mom and I had our little
disagreements, too." He picked up some of the bowls, then stood up and
patted Tenchi on the back. "It's all worth it when you make up
afterwards. Just go tell her that you were wrong, and everything will be
fine."

"Tell her I'm *wrong*? You don't even know what it's about!" replied
Tenchi angrily.

"Son, the man's *always* wrong. Even when he's right," said Nobuyuki.
"You *really* don't understand women."

"But I'm *not* wrong, dad!"

Shaking his head, Nobuyuki headed towards the kitchen with an armful of
dirty dishes. "I guess you'll have to learn the hard way. I don't think I
*ever* won an argument with your mother."

A very annoyed expression on his face, Tenchi sipped his tea while Aeka
sat next to him in silence. After a few minutes, once everyone else had
left, he set down his cup. "Ae-chan?"

"Yes?"

Tenchi sighed. "Do you think I'm wrong about it?"

"I'm not sure I'm the one you should ask," replied Aeka quietly.

"You don't have to tell me," he said. "But you probably know better than
me if I'm being reasonable."

Aeka closed her eyes for a moment. Besides the hurt of him being
distracted once more by thoughts of Ryoko, the princess was not feeling
at all comfortable with the pressure Tenchi was putting on her. It was
either lie to him, or encourage them to make up, for his worries *were*
foolish. And she didn't need Nobuyuki to tell her the way Ryoko was most
likely to express her happiness when Tenchi ceased being angry with her.

"Do you really think that I'm capable of giving a truthful answer about
that?" asked Aeka.

Tenchi looked over at her. "Of *course* you are. You're not that petty,
Ae-chan." He kissed her on the cheek. "I trust you. And what you think's
important to me."

Hearing it put that way, Aeka smiled very slightly. "Very well. Since you
value my opinion, I shall give it." She paused briefly, finding the right
words. "You *were* being rather misguided, even though I know you had the
best of intentions. One doesn't achieve most-wanted status without
becoming accustomed to danger. And your methods weren't the most well-
considered, either."

"Oh?"

"She doesn't react well to being given commands. One of the things I
think she dislikes about me is that she believes I'm 'bossing her
around,' even if that's not my intent."

"Thanks for telling me that." Tenchi shifted his legs, and for a moment
Aeka feared he was going to get up and go look for Ryoko in order to
apologize. Instead he scooted a little closer to Aeka and put his arm
around her. Kissing her on the cheek again, he smiled. "I guess I'd
better not try that on any princesses I know, either."

Aeka smiled for a moment as well. "A very wise observation." Then she
forced herself to ask the question that nagged at her. "Are you... going
to go apologize to her, Ten-chan?" she asked, looking down at the table.

Briefly, Tenchi considered it, but hearing Aeka's tone he shook his head.
"No. I can talk to her about it tomorrow."

"Thank you, Ten-chan," said Aeka, kissing him. "It means very much to me
to have you all to myself, if just for a while."

Tenchi returned her kiss. "I'm all yours right now, Ae-chan."

"Oujo-sama to oyobi," she chided, kissing him again.

"Hai, oujo-sama."

"I believe you were saying something earlier, about retiring to bed
early?"

Tenchi nodded.

"Would you care to have some sake with me, before we make love?" the
princess asked, looking him in the eyes. "I know you usually don't, but
it would please me if you made an exception. I have something rather
special planned for us tonight."

Tenchi barely caught himself before he blurted out that he'd already
shared sake with Ryoko. He knew Aeka definitely wouldn't want to hear
about that. "Hai. I'll heat it up for us."

Aeka smiled. "An interesting choice of words."

Tenchi chuckled, then rose and helped Aeka up. "It'll take me a few
minutes."

"I'll be upstairs. Don't hurry. There are some preparations I need to
make," Aeka said. Then she drew close to Tenchi and whispered in his ear.
"I will await you in your bed, Ten-chan. Come prepared to show me your
utmost obedience."

Tenchi nodded again and kissed her before heading off to the kitchen.
Ascending the stairs, Aeka went to her room and retrieved the shopping
bag she'd brought back from her trip the previous day, then proceeded to
Tenchi's bedroom.

"Konbawa, Aeka-hime," said the guardians, once they saw her.

Aeka smiled at them. "Konbawa, Azaka, Kamidake," she replied cheerfully,
as she opened the door and shut herself inside.

First, Aeka pulled incense and a holder out of the bag, placed them on
the nightstand, and lit the stick. Soon the scent of jasmine wafted
through the air. Then she retrieved a disc of samisen music which she put
on the stereo, turning down the volume until it could barely be heard.
Finally, she pulled out a white satin nightgown that shimmered slightly
in the faint light. Taking off her clothes, she put the nightgown on,
then smiled and sat down on the bed to await Tenchi's arrival.

>From the wall opposite the bed, Ryoko stared at her.

Aeka blinked, startled. There was a picture of Ryoko hanging on the wall.
But not just a picture of Ryoko. A picture of Tenchi and Ryoko. Holding
hands. Looking at one another. Looking at each other with unmistakable
love in their eyes.

Aeka stared at it. From the strange clothes, she knew that it must have
been taken during their adventure in Ryoko's fantasy world. It must be
the item Ryoko had decided to add to the room. For just an instant Aeka
managed to replace her unease at the picture's content with anger at
Ryoko for having placed it in a position where Tenchi could not help but
see it from the bed, even when he was with Aeka.

Then she remembered that Tenchi had been in the room earlier, when he'd
come home, when he'd demonstrated some new-found streak of boldness and
carried Ryoko up to this very bed, where he'd...

Aeka shivered.

Ryoko had said that she was going to ask Tenchi where he wanted the
picture to go, and that must have been when she'd asked him. He'd chosen
to place it where he'd always be able to see her. When Tenchi and Aeka
were together in the bed, Ryoko's eyes would be there, looking down on
them, watching. And when he lay beneath the princess as they made love,
his own eyes would be looking back, over Aeka's shoulder, to meet those
of the pirate who held his heart in her unyielding grasp.

Aeka looked at the picture, trying not to consider the meaning of what it
depicted, but doing so anyway. There was no way to mistake the love in
both Ryoko and Tenchi's eyes, the hopeful look in Ryoko's expression, the
kindness in Tenchi's face, his hand squeezed around hers in reassurance.
He had loved Ryoko, even then. It wasn't something that had flared last
week, kindled by sex. He'd loved her, without even knowing it, for a long
time, and in consummating that love his eyes had been opened to what was
already in his heart.

All of the terrible events of the last week came crashing down on Aeka
like an avalanche of despair.

Tenchi, lying in his bed as Ryoko pleasured him, not uttering a word of
protest.

Tenchi, making love to Aeka -- but only because Ryoko had decided that it
must happen, not because he had chosen to court Aeka himself.

Tenchi, his voice gasping in ecstasy after she had allowed Ryoko to tempt
him, trusting in vain that he would resist.

Tenchi, choosing the pain of the whip rather than give Ryoko up.

Tenchi, demanding that Aeka bow in humiliation before Ryoko and beg her
forgiveness.

Tenchi, kissing Ryoko in front of Nobuyuki's camera without hesitation.

Tenchi, staying home with Ryoko to comfort her.

Tenchi, making love to Ryoko on the floor of the women's bath, when he
had never ventured do something so daring before.

Tenchi, protesting endlessly when Aeka asked that they go off to be alone
with each other.

Tenchi, deciding without prompting to take Ryoko to his bed and make love
to her on his own initiative, not even seeming to hear Aeka's voice as he
walked up the stairs with the pirate lying in his arms.

Tenchi, tearing himself away from Aeka and leaving her behind moments
after promising that he'd never do such a thing, then running to protect
Ryoko from the ridiculous threat of his grandfather's wooden sword.

Tenchi, arguing with Ryoko and screaming at her that he loved her.

Tenchi, unable to even speak with Aeka due to the distraction Ryoko had
caused him.

And now, this.

It wasn't as Aeka had feared. It was worse. Tenchi hadn't chosen during
the last few days. He'd chosen before. He'd chosen then. He'd chosen
Ryoko. And now he'd chosen again, to proudly display the moment Ryoko had
plundered his heart, to place the image of that instant where he could
look on it and be reassured whenever a brief moment of pleasure shared
with Aeka threatened to distract him from the demoness who held his soul
in thrall.

Ryoko's eyes stared down at Aeka from the picture, golden, feline,
unblinking. Aeka trembled, and tears began to flow as she stared back,
her own eyes wide.

"Why, Ryoko?" she asked in a quavering voice. "Why? Do you truly hate me
so much that you would do this to me? If you were here, could you
honestly say that you think I deserve this? You wouldn't have had to
share him with me forever. And though we've fought, and we've often
wished each other dead, you're not a heartless person. Why do you deny me
the one thing that gives me any joy at all, the only love I will ever
know, before my family comes and takes me away from him? Is it so much to
ask that we be equal in his heart, for a little while? Would it be so
terrible for you to let him love me until I must leave him, and then have
him to yourself when I am gone?"

The tears streamed faster down Aeka's cheeks. She didn't bother wiping
them away at all.

"Didn't I humiliate myself enough for you? Is it that I didn't bow low
enough, didn't speak humbly enough, didn't beg and plead and crawl in
front of you enough? You promised me afterwards that we would not take
him from one another. Did you make that promise because you knew he was
already yours? Is that why you agreed, because you knew it didn't matter?
Because you knew there was no way I could ever hope to take him from you?
Or do you even see it yourself?"

Still the tears flowed, blurring Aeka's vision as they welled in her
eyes.

"I don't know if I should blame you, or him, or myself, but I have done
everything that either of you has asked of me. You asked for your chance
at him. I gave it to you. He asked that I beg your forgiveness. I did.
You demanded that I never try to force him to decide against you. I
haven't. He asked that I try to become your friend. I'd rather walk on
broken glass, but I've tried, I've *tried*, I've tried so *hard*! For a
few moments yesterday, I thought it might even be possible. And when you
said you feared that I was going to end myself, I was touched. I couldn't
bring myself to say it, but I was. Don't you know that without him, my
heart is dead anyway?"

Aeka sniffled and continued crying.

"All he seems to care about or talk about or think about is you, even
when he's with me. You're a thief, but must you steal the one thing that
I value in all the universe, and leave me with nothing? He's all that I
have and care about, and he's so sweet and naive that he doesn't even
realize yet how completely yours he is. But he'll learn. Slowly. And each
day he'll love me less and less, until I'm merely a friend he hasn't the
courage to hurt by telling the truth to, until all my dignity is gone and
he takes me to his bed out of kindness and pity and pretends to make love
to me while he closes his eyes and thinks of you."

Aeka shook her head.

"Why?" she asked bleakly, staring at Ryoko in the picture.

No answer came. 

Aeka put her face in her hands. Presently, the door slid open and shut.
She felt an arm placed gently around her.

"Ae-chan, is something wrong?" asked Tenchi.

Aeka raised her head and looked at him, her whole body shaking.

Tenchi stared at her, he mouth hanging open in shock and bewilderment. He
set down the bottle of sake and the cups, and wiped tears away from her
face. "Please, tell me. What's wrong?" He kissed her. "Why are you
crying?"

Aeka grabbed him and held him tight, sobbing uncontrollably. Giving up
trying to figure out what on Earth was going on, Tenchi put his arms
around her and did his best to soothe her, speaking calm words and
stroking her hair with one of his hands. Finally her grief ebbed
somewhat. Tenchi brought his face in front of hers, his expression one of
compassion mixed with complete befuddlement. He tried wiping away her
tears again, but they were still flowing, small trickles of sorrow
instead of cascading rivers. "Ae-chan, *please*, what's the matter?"

Aeka choked back a sob and sniffled as she looked at him for a few
moments, quaking. Finally she spoke in a quiet, hopeless, fearful voice.

"Ten-chan, I'm leaving."