Before we start let’s get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I’d be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don’t sue me. I’m only doing this to prove my genius to the world! Mwahahahaha! ^_^ *** Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup - A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide – Chapter 6: Broken Monday morning saw Ryoko fuming on her beam, systematically going through each of the curses in every language she knew. In her eyes it was Ayeka who had managed to get Tenchi to yell at her and she could barely look him in the eyes any more, let alone give him the huge glomp that she so desperately wanted to. It came down to the fact that she was now terrified of herself. She knew she couldn’t do anything to Ayeka. Giving the prissy princess what she deserved meant risking killing her, just like she almost had. Ryoko had never really been one to plan for the long term, and now that was coming back to haunt her. If she went with what she wanted to do now she would lose it all. All she wanted now was for Tenchi to hold her and tell her it was all right, and she would cry out all the fear and doubt that was slowly eating away at her. But if she touched him now he would hate her for it, and if she tried to talk to him she would just make it worse, like she always did. She had also quickly re- discovered that crying alone wasn’t like crying with someone else. It just made her more miserable. Right now she would have liked nothing better than to take a long hot bath in the onsen as it floated lazily over the grounds, but the princess had beaten her to it, and the last person she wanted to see right now was her. *** Ayeka on the other hand had more on her mind than just her rival. Tenchi’s outburst the previous day had shaken her badly and she had once again withdrawn from the family to preserve what personal integrity she had left. She took another sip of her sake. That fact was burned into her mind. She had known for some time that it was a distinct possibility that she would lose out to one of the other girls when it came to Tenchi. Ryoko was wild and passionate about life. She was unhindered by the need to keep a good image, and could pursue her desires as she pleased. Mihoshi had her bright cheerful outlook on life. Kiyone had drive, ambition and talent. It was becoming painfully obvious that Sasami was discovering the opposite sex and that Tenchi seemed to be the outlet for her first crush. Washu, despite all her oddities, was perhaps the most intelligent person in known space. Even Ryo-ohki had had an infatuation with him, and she could show him the galaxy on his terms. She was Ayeka Jurai of the house of Jurai, first princess of the Juraian empire, the largest coalition of systems in known space. She had nothing. She would lead a life of heavy workloads and obligations. The only thing she could bring to her partner was the title of king. She knew now, in her heart of hearts, that Tenchi would not want to rule. He was a simple farmer now, content with his life. Why would he give that up for a job as hideous as king? He would have unequalled power, but Tenchi never desired power. And even if he did take it, perhaps out of care for the people, in all likelihood the population would be against him. For many of the citizenry it would not matter that he was only one eighth Juraian, but for those that counted it would. More than fifty percent of the noble houses would be ready to tear him to shreds the minute he took office. She could bear him children, but they would be raised as much by hired nannies as by Tenchi and herself. And, as she now knew, he would not live to see them through their adolescence without the help of the Juraian trees’ ‘water of life’, and even then not live to see them to their third awakening as she would. She was pulled from her thoughts by the pain in her hand and she looked down to see the blood trickling from her fingers as she grasped the sake dish. She stood up in the water and let out an angry cry as she threw the dish with all her might, smashing it on the dome that protected the onsen from the murky weather outside. She stood there panting, tears trickling down her face thanks to her desolate thoughts. She looked down at herself as she stood there. She very rarely bathed nude thanks to everyone else in the house often sharing in baths, but had known she would be alone this morning, so had allowed her self to forgo her modesty and feel the water on her bare skin without the towel. But for as much time as she spent on her appearance she hated her body. Whenever she looked in the mirror she saw a face that could not compete with those around her. Not one of her suitors in all her years had ever wanted her for anything but the title she offered. Now unhindered by the ornate clothing she had worn all her life she could once again confirm that the rest of her was no better off. Her bust was small by comparison to those she knew, her hips were less developed, her figure was little more than average. Her skin was the one thing she prided herself on, flawless and clear. At least that’s what she used to tell herself. Now all she saw were the two small scars, the now unnoticeable line across her throat and the small faded shrapnel marking along her left ankle. She would conceal that easily enough with makeup when not in the water as part of her routine, but she had not bothered for days. She just didn’t see the point any more. She folded her arms across her chest, cupping her breasts and pulling them to her as she slowly sank back into the soothing warm water. Ever since her first awakening she had become acutely aware of her lack of physical development. Now, every time she saw Tsunami it was confirmed for her. Sasami would one day grow to be the beautiful woman Tsunami now was. That meant Ayeka was the smallest. Every member of her family was taller than she was and every woman had a generous breast. Her mother was well known for her stunning figure under the formal kimonos she wore thanks to her years of participation in Mori Tatakai, and it looked like Sasami would be no less well off. Ayeka had participated in the sport since she was old enough to do so in the professional tournaments, and managed gain the title of champion no less than three times, but other than develop her muscle tone it did her no good. She could not emulate her mother’s body like that. She pulled her legs up, pressing her hands closer to her chest, and curled up in the water, uncertain of where her life was now leading her. *** The harsh ring of the phone broke though Ryoko’s little ream of obscenities, and she was sorely tempted to blast it with an energy bolt just for the release it would bring. “Ryoko, could you get that? I’m a bit busy right now!” Sasami on the other hand was a different matter. It was impossible to deny the young princess anything. “*Uugh*, alright, I’ll get it.” She flew down from her beam and answered it. “Yeah, this is the Masaki’s. What do you want?” “I’m looking for Shoji Mugai, is he there?” The voice on the other end sounded rather tired and fed up. “Who wants to know?” “The guy who pays him, that’s who. I’ve been trying to get him for the last three days! One of the guys down at his local bar said he might be there.” “No,” Ryoko said, “he’s not here. He came by over the weekend though.” “Shit! You don’t know where he is now do you?” “No, I guess he’s at home.” The man sighed. “Tried there already this morning. If you do see him tell him to get his ass in gear and pick up his damn paycheque already. It’s been sitting here for days, and if he wants the next job he called about he’d better be in tomorrow or he needn’t bother at all. Anyway, thanks for your time Miss.” He hung up and Ryoko did the same. “Huh, maybe he’s at the Miho-Kiyo place.” She dialled the number for the detectives’ apartment before remembering that they would be at work by now. To her surprise Kiyone actually answered. “This is Kiyone Makibi.” She sounded tired and fed up too. “Ummm... Kiyone? Aren’t you supposed to be at work now? I only just remembered it’s Monday.” “So we got fired. Again. So what Ryoko? Are you actually going to tell me something or did you just call to piss me off?” “Well screw you too Kiyone-*san*!” Ryoko replied indignantly, the prosthetic tail on her clothing thrashing about. “Just thought you’d want to know that that asshole you went out with has gone missing. Looks like he got himself another holiday.” On the other end of the line Kiyone frowned. “What? Shoji? What do you mean missing on holiday?” Ryoko growled slightly into the phone, fed up at having to repeat herself. “Shoji’s boss can’t find him and he hasn’t got his pay yet. The guy said if he doesn’t show up tomorrow he gets another holiday.” Kiyone’s eyes widened causing Mihoshi to start listening in from across the kitchen. “He said he was going to get his money last night when he went home. He’s nearly broke! If he gets fired he’ll be in real trouble!” “What?” Mihoshi asked from the kitchen doorway, starting to worry. “Did Shoji get fired too?” “Shut up a sec Mihoshi... What was that Ryoko?” Ryoko growled again. “I *said* ‘Who said anything about him being fired’!” “Ryoko,” Kiyone sighed, “they told him not to come in to work right?” “Right.” “There are no holidays right now. That means he’s lost the job he was going for.” “Oh.” Ryoko deflated a bit, suddenly feeling a little sorry for the jerk. “Well, if he goes in tomorrow he’s okay. You guys have got his number right?” “If his boss can’t reach him we won’t be able to either. Mihoshi and I will head over to his place and check on him.” Ryoko paused. As much as she disliked the man she really needed something to do rather than wallowing in self-pity. “Uhhhh, you mind if I tag along? I gotta get out of the house for a bit. It’s kind of... well... you know.” Kiyone thought for a moment before shrugging. “Sure, come on over.” “Thanks Kiyone.” Ryoko hung up the phone, phased into some more Earth style clothes and teleported out. At the apartment Mihoshi looked up again as her partner hung up. “So, what’s going on?” “We’re going to look for Shoji.” Mihoshi smiled. “Great! Maybe we can all go job hunting together!” *** “Ayeka, stop it, it’s nearly lunch time.” Ayeka said nothing as she sat on the sofa, slowly nibbling at her third bag of crisps that hour. she thought to herself. Sasami put her hands on her hips and pouted mightily. “You’ll make yourself tubby you know!” Ayeka sighed. “Leave me be Imouto-chan.” Sasami deepened her pout. “What will Tenchi think if you blow up like a balloon, huh? You won’t be a princess, you’ll be a potato in a kimono!” “I said *leave* *me* *be* Sasami. Please.” Sasami dropped all pretence of humour now. “Onee-sama, please, it’s not healthy to eat like this,” she said, gesturing at the discarded food packets. “And you’re drinking to much too. I can smell it! It’s really, really bad for you and you’re going to make yourself really sick if you don’t stop it. What would Mummy say if she saw you doing this?” Ayeka bowed her head, the crisp packet held lightly in her lap. “She’s not here Imouto-chan.” “What about Tenchi? What will he think?” “It doesn’t matter.” “TENCHI *ALWAYS* MATTERS!” Sasami screamed at her sister, “WE’D ALL BE DEAD ALREADY IF HE DIDN’T SAVE US!” Ayeka barely even flinched. “Tenchi-sama is only one man Sasami. He has saved us and we have saved him. We only survived because we are together, just as none of us would have been imperilled in the fist place if we had never met.” Sasami’s looked at her sister through the tears forming in her pink eyes. “I don’t understand,” she said, sounding almost hopeless in her confusion. Ayeka looked back at her sister warmly. “You are very lucky my dear Imouto-chan. You have a long time to learn.” “Why can’t I learn now?” Sasami asked quietly. “You don’t need to. I think you had better get back to the lunch now, before you manage to make a meal that isn’t divine.” “It’s just salad and cold meat. That doesn’t burn.” Ayeka smiled. “I’m sure your presence will help none the less.” She rose carefully from the sofa and gently wrapped Sasami’s hands around the half-eaten snack. “Here, I don’t want them any more.” Sasami sniffled slightly as she smiled. “Th-thank you Onee-sama.” It wasn’t the food she was thanking her for though. Ayeka watched as her sister headed back in to the kitchen, then slowly set about clearing up the waste wrappers she had managed to accumulate. “Oh Tsunami, why do I keep doing this to her?” she whispered to herself. “The level of alcohol in your blood may have had something to do with it this time.” Ayeka whipped round, nearly losing her balance, to see Tsunami standing quietly behind her. “Oh my. You... really do answer prayers then.” Tsunami laid a guiding hand on Ayeka’s shoulder and helped her back to the sofa. “Not in the sense you mean, but yes, I try to answer what prayers I can.” Ayeka looked up to her religion’s patron deity with pleading eyes. “What’s wrong with me?” Tsunami didn’t answer for a while. “... There is more that one question there Ayeka-sama, and very few of them I can help with. In answer to what you want to know now I can say this, you hurt Sasami because you hurt yourself. The two of you are closer than many and she is very worried for you right now. That means, by association, I am too. Just as she sees more of the intricacies of the multiverse with each passing day, so too I gain more feeling for everything here, my family especially. She sees what I see, I feel what she feels.” Ayeka’s eyes widened. “You... You mean you are assimilating now?” Tsunami shook her head. “No, but the process began the moment we shared our essences in the nursery. From now on I can only guess as to what will happen to the two of us.” “Are... are you afraid?” “Yes,” Tsunami said quietly, “I am. Sasami is too. She can hide it very well, but she is scared of becoming me. Or perhaps I should say becoming someone other than herself.” “She never said anything like that to me,” Ayeka said sadly. “Will there be anything left of her once you take control? “I fear the same as she does. I will not take possession of her, and she will not take possession of me. At least that is not my belief. Neither of us wants to die to become someone new though, if that is what will happen.” The two sat in silence for a while. “I must say Ayeka that you do make a very contemplative drunk.” Ayeka leaned over and buried her face in Tsunami’s side. “No. I’m a cruel drunkard.” Tsunami leaned down and kissed Ayeka’s forehead lightly. “There is a big difference between enjoying alcohol as you do and dipsomania. You would not be the first to try and drink away her problems, and you will certainly not be the last. I merely meant that you spoke very reflectively with Sasami for the amount you have had.” “Oooh, I think Sasami was right though, I do not feel at all well. Thank you for speaking with me Tsunami-sama, but I had better go.” Ayeka got unsteadily to her feet and made her way upstairs as fast as she could before her stomach decided to rebel against the rather large quantity of sake she had given it that morning. Tsunami rose and headed into the kitchen, knowing that both Sasami and herself would like the company, and that Ayeka would prefer to evacuate her stomach in private. *** Ryoko gave a mental sigh as she followed Mihoshi and Kiyone up the half dozen or so long flights of stairs that apparently led to Shoji’s apartment room. Being in public meant trudging up each individual step just like everyone else, and she resented it. Over the second and third staircases she had tried to vary her pace, speed and bounce to keep from passing out in boredom, but after getting a very odd look from Mohishi she decided boredom was better than (apparently) looking like an idiot. When they finally got to Shoji’s door she flopped down on the floor leaning against the guard-rail while Kiyone knocked. After a while she yawned and closed her eyes. Kiyone knocked again, wondering if he really wasn’t in. “Shoji-san, it’s Kiyone. If you’re in we really need to talk to you.” Nothing. “Do you think maybe something happened to him?” Mihoshi asked, looking worried. She had been greatly looking forward to seeing him to take their minds of the fact that they were currently jobless. And just to see him again. Kiyone knocked again, again with no answer. The next door along however did open, and a young woman stepped out. “Ummm... Excuse me,” said Kiyone, “do you know where Mugai-san might be? We really need to talk to him.” The woman looked over at them. “No, I don’t. I think he left for a while, or at least that’s what Kiyamori-san said yesterday evening. Perhaps he’s with that new girlfriend he is supposed to have been seeing.” Both Kiyone and Mihoshi blushed a little at that. “No,” said Kiyone, “I don’t think that’s it, but thanks anyway.” “My pleasure,” the woman said before making her way past them, casting a cautious glance at Ryoko as she went by. Mihoshi’s face fell slowly as they stood there wondering what to do. “Why would Shoji leave without saying goodbye?” “I don’t know,” replied Kiyone, “I was going to suggest we check that bar he goes to, but if he’s already gone there isn’t much point.” Ryoko cracked her eyes open. “His boss said he checked there already too. No show. That’s how he knew he’d been up with us at the house.” Kiyone sighed. “Okay... So, what do we do now? We don’t have his mobile number. He said he only used that for work.” “Well,” Ryoko said, getting to her feet, “lets take a look inside.” Mihoshi’s eyebrows rose. “It’s locked Ryoko. Why do you think Kiyone did all that banging?” Ryoko gave her a deadpan stare in return before grabbing both her and Kiyone. “Come on, maybe we can find a clue or something.” She cast a furtive look around before phasing through the door, taking Mihoshi and Kiyone with her. On the other side of the door she let them go, Mihoshi looking quite startled and Kiyone a little ruffled around the edges. “Oh yeah, I forgot you could do that Ryoko,” Mihoshi said as she shook her hair back. “That’s really useful you know.” “Gee, I guess you’re right,” Ryoko said sarcastically as she strolled into the main room and started to rummage around. “Let’s see if we can hunt up anything.” The other two took the kitchen and work-room while Ryoko looked through the desk, cupboards and wardrobe. Mihoshi, while finding a great deal of cutlery, instant ramen and some assorted snack food, found nothing of any telling value other than a great deal of reminder notes stuck to the fridge. “Hmmm, let’s see now; ‘Pick up pay’, well we know he didn’t do that. ‘Post manga’. I wonder what that means. Maybe he bought some for a friend or something. Or maybe he draws as well as writes. ‘Visit Shinyoko’. I wonder what Shinyoko is.” She headed back out to the main room. “Hey, Kiyone! It says he may have gone to visit Shinyoko. Do you know what that is?” “It sounds more like a who than a what to me Mihoshi. I don’t know anywhere called Shinyoko.” She walked out of the study looking through a large collection of papers. “I don’t think I’m going to have much luck here unless I start going though his computer, and I don’t really think we need to do that. What we’re doing is illegal enough as it is. I sure hope no-one ever find out about this.” “Guys, I think we struck pay dirt.” Ryoko’s quiet voice didn’t sound too enthusiastic though. Surprisingly she handed the note to Mihoshi first. “It was on the shoe cabinet by the door.” Mihoshi took the note. “ ‘The shrine gang; I had a great time with all of you, but I’m evidently making a bad situation worse. I know this is the coward’s way of saying goodbye but you don’t need any more trouble right now. You’ll get this if you want to, since after seeing some of the things Ryoko-san can do I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting in. I hope I see you around when everything gets back to normal, or as normal as it ever is. Your secret is safe with me, I swear. Shoji.’” Mihoshi lowered the note and it fell from her fingers as she began to cry in earnest, just like she had the day before. Kiyone took her partner’s shoulders and sat her down as Mihoshi sobbed emotionally into her shirt. Ryoko felt uncomfortably helpless as she watched them, seeing something that she would give anything to have. A friend’s shoulder to cry on. After a while the tears slowed and Kiyone eased her partner away. “I thought he liked me,” Mihoshi said plaintively. “I really thought he might be the one, you know?” She let out another sob and Ryoko leaned down to pat her gently on the back. “You want me to make a drink?” Kiyone asked. Mihoshi nodded. Kiyone got up and headed for the kitchen, motioning for Ryoko to follow. “He ran, didn’t he?” Kiyone said as she found a tin of chocolate powder and spooned some into a spare mug. Ryoko nodded, “Yeah.” Kiyone shut her eyes as she put the lid back on the tin, twisting far harder than she needed to. “If I ever see that bastard again I’ll make him wish he’d never been born!” Ryoko looked up startled. “Huh?” Kiyone filled the kettle. “You saw what happened. He built her hopes up and then just runs away because it gets a little tense. Mihoshi’s been through this over and over again, she doesn’t need any more of this crap, and she gets her hopes up every single time because she’s too damn trusting. At least Shoji had the decency to go before anything actually happened between them. Asshole.” She filled up the mug and took it out to Mihoshi, who was sitting quietly at the table. “Thanks Kiyone.” After a short silence Ryoko looked over at the clock. “Damn, we already missed lunch. You guys want to get something to eat? I saw a decent noodle cart on the way over.” Mihoshi and Kiyone both nodded. “Sure.” *** Tenchi sat back heavily on the sofa, completely and utterly exhausted. His grandfather had driven him hard at sword practice that afternoon. In fact between finishing with the fields, cleaning the shrine and sword practice he had only had time to stop for lunch since nine that morning. He should really have been in the onsen, soaking his sore muscles, but he just couldn’t find the energy to get to the door that led there. He let out a pitiful groan as his head flopped back and he closed his eyes. As if on cue he found himself being shifted forward and a pair of small hands began to work on his shoulders. He sighed as he felt his muscles relax under the surprisingly firm ministrations. “Thanks Sasami. That really feels great!” “Miya!” Tenchi jerked up a bit and turned around. “Ryo- ohki?!?” From behind him Sasami grinned cutely with Ryo-ohki perched on top of her head in animal form. “Nope, but she’s here too. Now turn around or I can’t do this properly.” Tenchi would have argued the point or tried to chat but he was too tired right now to do anything other than obey as Sasami went back to working on his shoulders. After a while his conscience got the better of him. “Hey Sasami-chan, you don’t have to do this you know.” Sasami pouted comically from behind him. “What, you don’t want me to? Maybe I should let you rub your own shoulders.” Tenchi chuckled. “No, it’s really great, but don’t you have something else to play with other than my back?” “No,” Sasami said, moving her hands a bit lower, “I got bored. Everyone’s gone and I can’t read any more of your Dad’s manga collection or my eyes will go funny.” “In that case I won’t complain.” Tenchi closed his eyes again and just enjoyed the luxury. After a couple of minutes Sasami’s hand began to tire. “Okay Tenchi nii-chan, could you lie on your front please.” “Huh?” Tenchi was clueless but still too tired to argue, so he ended up on his front with legs hanging off the end. The next thing he knew his shirt was gone and two small padded feet were kneading his back while a second pair supported them. “Now *that* is Ryo-ohki, right?” “Yep,” Sasami said as she came round into his field of vision. “My hands got tired. I’m going to try some more emotion painting. Maybe that will help everyone feel better.” Emotion painting meant finding Tsunami, and finding Tsunami meant being able to try and find out what was wrong with everyone. “Sure,” Tenchi replied, as he lay there. “Thank you very much Sasami-chan.” “You’re welcome,” she said as she headed off upstairs. “And you’re doing really well too Ryo-ohki,” he said to the cabbit on his back. “Miya!” she replied, glad she had found something she could do to help him. He hadn’t wanted her help at the carrot fields since before she had become able to change into humanoid form, but this was a nice alternative, even if it meant more work and less free food! Tenchi lay there with his face resting on his hands for a good ten minutes while Ryo-ohki worked on his back. While very unusual he also found it very pleasant. From the doorway Ayeka watched the scene with a sense of sad contentment. She quietly walked into the room to see that he could well have been asleep he looked so peaceful. “Well isn’t this a sight of true self-indulgence,” she said with amusement in her voice. Tenchi’s eyes opened to see her and he gave a sheepish grin. “Ah, hello Ayeka-san, how are you?” Ayeka smiled at his awkwardness, but there was more than a little sadness there. “I’m fine Tenchi-sama, but... I would like to speak to you in private.” “Sure.” Tenchi shifted himself. “Sorry Ryo-ohki-chan, I guess that’s it for now. Thanks.” Ryo-ohki looked at them both and gave a ‘miya’ before scampering off to find Sasami, or perhaps a stray carrot. Tenchi sat up on the sofa and Ayeka sat gently beside him. “Tenchi-sama, there is no easy way for me to say this, but I will be leaving shortly.” Tenchi wasn’t in the least prepared for such a ground breaking statement. To him it was akin to someone saying that the Earth wasn’t round or that gravity falls upwards. In the two and a half years since the girls had entered his life he had become accustomed to them and the strangeness they brought as just a part of his life. In the end he only had one question. “W-Why? Is something wrong.” Ayeka sighed. “I believe there is Tenchi-sama, but that is not the reason. I am not needed here. I never have been, and I have only just realised that fact.” A solitary tear fell down her cheek. “I stayed because of you, and my sister. My sister is old enough to start living her own life now. And you have certainly never needed me.” Tenchi moved to say something but Ayeka cut him off with a finger to his lips. “Please Tenchi-sama, let me finish.” Another tear joined the first, and before long she felt them flowing freely across her face. “I know you don’t want to choose which one of us will be your partner Tenchi-sama, and that that is what we have been wanting of you. When... when you reprimanded Ryoko and myself for our terrible behaviour I could see there was no favouritism there, something I am now grateful for.” She let out a small sob and Tenchi moved to comfort her, only to be blocked by her arms. He was at a loss as to what to say or do as she continued. “I want you to know that I love you Tenchi,” she sobbed. “I love you with all my heart, and I believe that you love me, as family if not as a wife. But I cannot give you a life the way the others can, and I am only in the way of you finding what you want. I don’t think I could watch you grow close to one of the others without jealousy tearing me apart. You have seen how Ryoko-san and myself behave and we are just vying for your affections.” She paused to wipe her eyes, only to have fresh tears take their place. She had never felt like she had lost so much in her life. Not even when Yosho had left. Tenchi finally found his voice. “You really want to go back home?” Ayeka gave a harsh laugh through her sobs. “I have even less for me there than I do here. I hate it all.” She looked desperately into his eyes. “You aren’t going to make me stay are you Tench-sama? I... I don’t think I could bear it.” Tenchi shook his head slowly. “No. I... I want you to stay. But if you want to leave then I won’t get in the way. I think I understand what you’re saying. I really sorry, but... I can’t...” Ayeka smiled and placed her finger to his lips again, resting her other hand on his bare chest. “Please Tenchi. I’m not doing this to make you choose me. But please, let me have this one thing before I go.” She leaned in and kissed him, her lips brushing gently against his, but filled with all the passion she had felt since the day she knew she had fallen for him. Tenchi felt more emotion in that kiss than he ever could have imagined. Ayeka pulled back and gave him a radiantly sad smile. “Thank you, my Tenchi-sama.” She rose and headed for the glass doors, turning back one before heading out onto the grass. “Please, take care of Sasami for me.” Tenchi watched as she left, and felt a part of himself leave with her. She would be back to collect her ship and her belongings, and then she would be gone from his life. “Ayeka.” *** Several hours later Ryoko was back at the Masaki’s house. Her search with Mihoshi and Kiyone had been abandoned after they had found the note, and she had spent the following hours wandering the streets aimlessly, leaving the other two to make their way home. Mihoshi’s depression had only grown over the meal they had had, the tears giving way to an uncharacteristically quiet young woman. Ryoko had only just been aware that anything had grown between Mihoshi and the Earthling, but evidently she had missed quite a bit, or else Mihoshi had pinned a great deal of hope on the man. Her wanderings had led to one very unpleasant thought, was she doing the same with Tenchi? She knew that she would be the one to end up with him, or at least one of them. As long as she could be with him she didn’t care who else was there with her. Her mood wasn’t helped by the headache she now had though. It had been there for hours, and was getting more and more unpleasant as time wore on. She figured it was the crappy sake she had had with her lunch. Then, as she walked along the quiet wooded path to the shrine, she saw *her* up ahead, heading the same way. Ryoko began to seethe. Seeing Ayeka was the last thing she wanted right now, but she was damned if she was going to be the one to give way this time. “Well, well, Princess. Decided to stop hiding under that futon, eh?” Ayeka turned slowly to meet her. “Hello Ryoko-san.” Ryoko’s eyebrows raised a little. “Oh, it’s the polite one. Could you tell me where you left the bitchy you, because a stick in the mud’s no fun at all.” Ayeka’s eyes dropped and she turned to leave. “Go away Ryoko.” “Oooooh, can you do other ones too?” Ryoko sighed theatrically. “Juraian education really needs improving when the princess can’t give a decent comeback.” “I SAID GO AWAY YOU MONSTER!” Ayeka screamed. Ryoko smirked and put on a viciously fake adoring voice. “If only your Daddy could see you now, such a wonderful picture of royalty! You’ll make a *fine* ruler Ayeka-sama.” Ryoko felt quite pleased with herself for that one. If all else fails, change the angle of attack. The satisfaction lasted all of two seconds, until she saw Ayeka fall to her knees, sobbing incoherently. “That’s right Ryoko, gloat,” Ayeka said through her tears, almost too quietly to be heard. “You’ve already won.” Ryoko stared down, incredulous. “Wha..?” Ayeka looked back up with fire in her teary eyes. “You win already! DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU WIN! JUST LIKE YOU *ALWAYS* DO!” Her anger spent, she folded back upon herself, crying more heavily than Ryoko had ever seen. “Why can’t you leave me alone?” “What do you mean? I... won?” The scene was so strange Ryoko couldn’t fathom what Ayeka had said. She wasn’t playing for anything, was she? Not unless... Ayeka slowly rose to her feet, still crying, and looked Ryoko in the eyes. “You win Ryoko. I’m leaving. I can’t compete like this any more.” She gave a small delicate sniffle. “I won’t be in the way. If you can get Tenchi-sama, he is yours. Please be good to him, and be gentle with Sasami, *sniff* she doesn’t deserve to be hurt. Goodbye Ryoko-san, I doubt you will see me again.” And with that Ayeka turned and walked slowly off into the woods, leaving Ryoko standing blankly on the pathway. Ryoko was ready to take flight and proclaim her victory to the world. Then she remembered what that meant. Her smile faded and she looked out into the trees where the princess had disappeared. Her best rival was leaving. Her best friend was leaving. Permanently. Ryoko felt the unpleasant nagging in the back of her skull again. She mentally pressed it down, quietening it a little, and gazed off into the woods. She now had what she most wanted, and she would never see Ayeka again. “It’s not fair.” *** The clang of metal against metal rang out as the former Lord Taishi observed the person he had created. The situation down on the planet below had become tedious, a constant flow of high emotion he would rather not sit through, as much through boredom as pity. He knew exactly how it would end now that they had had to alter their plans, and whatever he had told Syren about necessity he was not intending to watch the inevitably unpleasant outcome. His mind was now consumed with the spectacle in front of him. Syren had taken it upon herself to start a gruelling regime of combat training that would have left any normal soldier dead within minutes. She leaped across the arena, back-flipping like a world class acrobat and neatly beheading the latest in the long series of training droids that she had taken for the task. Its metal carcass fell heavily to the floor and she moved straight on into a flawless textbook kata as the next automaton moved out. She never even glanced at the remains of her opponent as they were carted off by yet more insectoid machines. He stared in fascination. She was finally complete, the last set of behavioural code now in place. A true synthetic mechanical human, easily equal both mentally and physically to any other human or humanoid in the galaxy. The culmination of his life’s work. She had her own place in the universe and she was unsurpassed in it, while still being a fully functional and fully sentient being. That was the test. Many others had created servants or labourers or gimmick ‘humans’, but none had come close to the true goal before resorting to ‘organic technology’. Computerised intelligence was one thing, and any fool could grow a person if they could get around the legal limitations, but Syren was truly the first of her kind. He stepped forward as the last of the droids was destroyed, the hydraulic fluids igniting and spraying the arena floor in liquid flame. “Syren, that is enough. You have more than earned your rest.” Syren looked up and over to him as the flames were put out by the automated safety system. She raised her arm to clean the fiery residue from it, then walked slowly and carefully over to him, emerging from the steam like a deathly shadow. “I wish to continue.” “Why? You have already surpassed the specified level of expertise in this style, and every other you have chosen to study.” “I am still not assured success.” His eyebrows raised. “Success in you mission or success in combat?” Syren seemed to take longer in answering than usual. In fact she thought very hard about it. The mission was simple enough, but now that the question had been brought up she was unsure. “Success in combat. I have covered every aspect of the mission and there is no complication. I am incompetent to serve in an offensive position. If I were to engage a Kutsurui unit I would stand only a 14% chance of incapacitating it before being rendered incapable of combat.” Her creator laughed. “Syren, why do you want to take out a front line weapons platform? I certainly wouldn’t want you to, and no one else in their right minds would either!” Syren bowed her head in shame, the amusement he showed at her apparent stupidity as harsh as any reprimand to her. “I was merely speaking hypothetically Taishi-sama, were the situation to arise. I am sorry. I will cease my exercises immediately.” Taishi softened a little at her display of self- admonishment. He always thought her elegant beauty became very cute when she did that, and it was always slightly reluctantly that he would set her right. “Syren, I am very proud of your commitment, but there will always be someone or something that you cannot overcome. Train as you wish, but don’t let it consume you. You have free run of the ship, and plenty of time for other things. Make use of it.” He gave her a reassuring smile and headed out to check on the progress of his project. He turned back briefly to her. “After the operation we will have 28 hours before we will be able to leave. I would like you to be combat ready during that time, just in case.” He didn’t really believe that that would be necessary, but it would help reassure her. His latest ace in the hole would be more than enough for that situation, and the chances of needing it to begin with were practically zero. He smiled as he left. Syren watched him go. <‘Make use of it’. What does he suggest I do?> She turned to see the maintenance robots as they finished cleaning the room. She walked over to one and helped load some of the ‘dead’ machine parts onto the scavenger frame. When the room was clear she looked around slowly, then headed to leave. There was nothing more for her to do there. *** Several hours later Syren lay on the heavy polymer sheet that made up her bed. Her downtime requirement was low, but she found that lying there eased the unpleasant feelings of pain that she had, the malleable material cushioning her body gently. She registered the pain just like anyone else would, but was many times more durable. The scratches, dents and burns that she had suffered would heal themselves in time. The molecular memory of the metals that made up her body would restore all but the most serious of damage. Until then however she would have to suffer the pain of broken skin and burned flesh. If there was no pain there was no incentive to avoid taking hits, a devastating problem when damage quickly adds up. After a while she sat up and looked around the room. Her room. It looked just like any other room on the ship, a typical Juraian cruiser, festooned with upgrades and devices the owner had created to enhance it. Now she had the facility to understand it she realised that it wasn’t like her master’s room. There was nothing that set it apart as hers besides the bed and the large upload unit that hung from one wall. There was also nothing she had that could alter that fact. Over her years of life, and various stages of sentience, she had never before felt the need to collect anything. This was the one space that was hers, and hers alone, and she wanted to feel comfortable there, the way her master did in his quarters. She accessed the ship’s task allocation systems and sent for one of the droids to fetch a sheet of cold forged ioton that she knew was lying spare in the main workshop. Once the automaton had delivered the metal she stood looking at it, then activated her energy blade and began to work, cutting away minute layers of the sheet’s surface with expert precision. When she was done she stepped back and looked at it. She conceded that it was not an accurate rendering thanks to the high level of artistic interpretation she had set herself, but accurate is a *very* specific word for a machine. Her creator stood there in his full academic robes, among the machinery that he had spent his whole life with, now engraved into the metal. She took the sheet and placed it against the wall, the metal adhering thanks to its own bizarre structure. She felt the effect almost instantly, the greater sense of peace and calmness that she felt around him, alongside the pleasing satisfaction of creation. She wondered if this was the feeling that her subject felt when he completed one of his own mechanical works of art. She stood standing there for a while, then sent for another sheet, wondering what the next of her decorations should be. *** Inside the subspace laboratory that masqueraded as the Masaki’s storage closet Washu sat huddled in her chair by one of the largest tanks the aquarium held. She had always found this place relaxing to work in. She wasn’t working now though. For the first time in her life she understood why she was the only one who was ever comfortable in her lab. Outside the fantastic landscapes it held it felt so cold. A never-ending ocean of blue and black. A place of wonder, invention and scientific exploration, now rendered empty and menacing to its owner in the light of what had occurred there. Washu curled her arms tighter around her knees, dried tears staining her cheeks, her eyes still red from the crying that had caused them. “I don’t want to be alone.” But she didn’t want to be with anyone else either. She couldn’t face them. Not yet. Somewhere else in the lab, among all the computers, monitoring devices and experimentation equipment, a little light flashed. Nobody was there to see it though. *** The living room clock struck 10pm as Nobuyuki arrived back home from work. His latest project was massive and was taking up far, far too much of his time. He shucked off his shoes by the door and exhaustedly hung up his coat. As he headed for the stairs he glanced into the living room to see his son and granddaughter still up, sitting in a room that could have been called romantically lit if the mood had not been so sombre. He quietly headed upstairs to dump his briefcase and jacket in his study, then came back down and watched the two. He perked up a little at the sound of Mayuka’s giggle. Tenchi did too. He was physically and emotionally drained, but there was no way in hell he could go to bed. Over the last few days he had been sleeping to recuperate from his peacekeeping efforts, but that meant he couldn’t sleep a wink now. He quietly thanked whatever god it was that seemed to be looking down on them that Ryoko had been so subdued today. True, it could be as much a cause for worry as thanks, but it left him time with Mayuka that he really needed right now, and Mayuka seemed all too happy to oblige. It seemed she wasn’t nearly ready for bed either. He idly wondered as he played with her when Ryoko would be down off the roof, the place she always went for some time alone to think, and be back on her beam for the night. He was thinking it might be nice to bring her down to sit with them a while when he heard someone come to join him and his father took a seat on the sofa. “Hello son, how are things?” Tenchi looked over to him and Mayuka followed his glance. “Quiet. Did work go okay? Nobuyuki chuckled a little, “Not too bad, but they wanted a redesign of the roof, so it’s taking longer than we thought. I’m sorry I haven’t been around to help out, but at least things are going well here for you.” Tenchi sighed. “That’s not exactly right dad.” “Huh?” “Shoji decided he wasn’t helping whatever situation we had, so he’s gone. Ryoko said Mihoshi’s really upset about that. Ryoko’s been up on the roof since dinner, and we haven’t seen anything of Washu yet either. She’s sealed herself in her lab. And Ayeka’s leaving.” Nobuyuki’s eyebrows shot up in shock. It looked like he’d missed some really important things here. “Ayeka-san is leaving? Why? When will she be back?” Tenchi looked down at his lap, and at Mayuka, who looked curiously back at him before crawling backwards off his lap, sensing that the fun was over for now. She curled up on her front by one of the cushions and started playing with the corner of it. Tenchi smiled a little before turning back. “I don’t know when she’ll be back. Come to think of it I don’t know *if* she’ll be back. As to why... well, I guess that’s my fault.” He sighed and continued as his father’s look turned curious. “She decided that she wasn’t going to be the one who ‘gets’ me, something to do with being royalty and not having a life to give me or something, and she said she doesn’t want to be here to see me fall for someone else. She told me she loves me.” Nobuyuki smiled. “I was wondering when one of them would admit to it, although I thought it’d be Ryoko first. I can understand what she means though, about not wanting to stay. You know how you can change her mind, don’t you?” Tenchi looked sharply at his father. “No!” His head dropped back to his lap. “No. She told me that wasn’t why she’s doing it. I... I don’t want her to go, but I can’t choose her, and I don’t want to stop her either. I don’t want to hurt her like that.” Nobuyuki smiled and shook his head. “This is where your good intentions fall down Tenchi. You can’t stop from hurting her now, whatever you do. You’ve backed yourself into a corner. The longer you wait to choose one of them, the worse it will get when you finally do.” Tenchi looked back up to his father. The young man looked very lost. “Dad... I can’t. It’s not just that I don’t want to hurt any of them. Well, I don’t, so that is true, but it’s more than that.” He sighed again. “I’m not ready to get into stuff like that dad. I... I don’t have much experience with girls besides this lot, I mean you know that. You were always going on about how I should have a girlfriend by now, and I know plenty of the guys back at school do, but I... I don’t know, I’m not ready for that. I always kind of assumed I’d fall in love like you and Mum did, you know, because you’re doing the same sort of thing in school or work and had the same interests and stuff, not just because they were cute.” Nobuyuki looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know Tenchi, that’s not a bad idea. Very mature too. The trouble is life isn’t always that simple, particularly not in your case. I wasn’t the only suitor your mother had either. She was very pretty and quite playful in school, despite her serious outlook on life. I was very lucky I was the one that she wanted, because I honestly thought I had no chance.” He took on a more serious note. “I know I am not the kind of person you want to be hearing this from Tenchi, but you need to choose now or set them straight. While I would be very happy to see you marry any one of them it’s not right to string them along, particularly if you don’t know if you’ll marry any of them.” Tenchi was about to reply to that when he stopped. “That’s what I’ve been doing, isn’t it? God, I’m such a jerk. I’ll tell them tomorrow. I don’t think anything’s going to get better ‘round here ‘till I do something about it. I just hope they don’t ignore me if I say I don’t know.” Nobuyuki got up. “Just remember that they won’t wait forever Tenchi. I’m going to get something to eat before I head for bed. Would you like to join me?” “No,” Tenchi replied, “but Sasami left something in the fridge for you. I’m going to wait up ‘till Ayeka gets back.” “Okay, sleep well when you get there,” Nobuyuki said, heading for the kitchen. “You too Dad.” Tenchi looked over to see Mayuka sleeping against the sofa cushion. “And you too Mayuka-chan.” He picked her up and lay her in her cot before sitting back down to wait for the princess. From the rafters above him Ryoko looked down. “I’ll wait Tenchi,” she said quietly to herself. “I’ll wait forever.” *** To Be Continued... --------------- *************** --------------- Please send any comments and criticisms to: nutzoide@hotmail.com Or leave them on the archive where you found this story. If it will help me improve, I want to hear it. Also, feel free to visit my website at: www.geocities.com/nutzoides Author’s Notes: It’s amazing how long I spend thinking about these big scenes beforehand in front of the keyboard, but in the end they practically write themselves. I find I can’t really plan the emotional or romantic ones, but they (usually) flow out when I get there. Ayeka’s goodbye to Tenchi was one of the most enjoyable scenes to write so far. Also, Washu’s short scene was originally intended as the closing one, leaving the chapter on a slightly darker and more questioning note, but in the end I couldn’t get it to feel the way I had wanted. This way round felt lighter and more hopeful, and I think it actually works better. *** Translation Notes: -chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is ‘little’ or ‘li’l’. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth. -dono: Translated as ‘Lord/Lady’ or as ‘Sir’ in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige. -ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the ‘Sword Tenchi’. (It can also mean ‘technique’ or ‘fist’ when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won’t be using it that way in this fanfic though.) -sama: Formal honorific. Translated as ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’. Very respectful. -san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names. -sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own. Bokken: A wooden training sword. Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I’m using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect. Glomp: A very enthusiastic hug, almost physically throwing yourself at the target to be glomped. Imouto: Meaning ‘younger sister’ and often used with the ‘–chan’ suffix although other can be used. Kanji: The Japanese naming characters. Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself. Kata: A set of martial arts moves linked together into a sequence for training purposes. Practised solo. Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an ‘Obi’. Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors. Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties. Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as ‘Forest Battle’. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related. Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning ‘elder sister’. The ‘-sama’ variation is respected and the ‘-chan’ one is more affectionate. Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the ‘-chan’ variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends. (They can also be used without the ‘O’ at the beginning when placed after someone’s name, signifying that that person is their ‘brother’ or ‘sister’. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.) Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring. Ramen: A noodle broth. Sake: Japanese rice wine. Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish. Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet. Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck. Tempura: A form of deep fried food. Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades. Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi. *** Completed: April 22nd – 2003 Posted: May 17th - 2003