Ryoko was bored.  For the last week, there had been nothing to do.
Tenchi was on a training trip with Yosho, and they had failed to inform
her of where they were going before they left.  Mihoshi and Kyone were on
patrol and Washu had sealed herself in her lab.  Normally when things were
this boring, Ryoko would go play with Ayeka for a little while.  *She's so
EASY to tick off!* Ryoko thought.  *I just wish she wasn't visiting she
wasn't visiting her mom...*
   The only people arround were Sasami, Ryo-oki and Nobiyuki.  No matter
how bored she was, she just didn't like hanging arround Nobiyuki.  He
wasn't fun, except when she caught him peaking.  She smiled, picturing all
the times he'd hurt himself when she suprised him.
   She thought about playing with Ryo-oki, so she wandered arround the
house, looking for the cabbit.  Finally, she found her in her cabbit form
in an empty basket.  Apparently, Ryo-oki had fallen asleap after gorging
herself on carrots.
   *That leaves Sasami...and she's probably in the kitchen, making dinner
for us.  Oh well...I have nothing else to do.*
   Normally, Ryoko avoided the kitchen with a passion.  She did not like
manual work, and generally despised doing her daily chores.  The only
exception was the time she decided that the way to Tenchi's heart was
through his stomache.  Fortunatly for everyone, she abandoned the project
when she knocked out her taste tester.
   However, her sheer boredom overcame her dislike of the kitchen.  Ryoko
was quite fond of Sasami, though she would seldom admit to it.  She was
also a bit jealous of the little girl who would grow up to be Tsunami.
The beautiful woman Sasami seemed destend to become was much closer
personally to Tenchi than the rest of the girls.  If it wasn't for the age
barrior, Ryoko would consider the little girl her true rival for Tenchi's
affection.
   Ryoko walked to the kitchen, and looked in through the door.  Sasami
stood on her stool, cutting vegetables and dumping them into a huge soup
pot.  She was humming a quietly, a soft slow tune that Ryoko failed to
recognize.  Ryoko was about to announce herself when she heard Sasami
sigh.
   "I wish Tenchi-niichan would get back soon.  Don't you Ryoko-neechan?"
the little girl asked, as she turned arround.
   Ryoko stepped back, shocked.  "H..How did you know I was here?  I
thought I was masking my preasence perfectly!"
   Sasami smiled.  "I AM a part of Tsunami, you know.  You don't get to be
that way without SOME benifits.  But still, I bet you wish Tenchi was
back."
   Ryoko looked up.  "Yeah.  I do miss him.  He means so much to me...and
the longer he's away--"  Ryoko shut herself up.  *I...I don't want to talk
about that...but...I...* 
   "What's wrong, Ryoko-neechan?  You can tell me!"  Sasami gaized at
Ryoko, woried about how she was doing.  "I promise I won't tell anyone, if
you don't want me to."  Sasami go off her stool and walked over to Ryoko,
taking her hand.
   Ryoko looked down at the little girl, and made her decission.  "Okay,
I'll tell you.  As I was about to say, whenever Tenchi's away for a long
time it always reminds me of when I was trapped in that cave.  For
hundreds of years...I was alone, cold, hungry and wet.  I spent the first
ten years in that prisson proving to myself that I couldn't move
an inch and I couldn't use my powers to try and free myself.  The only
thing I could do was let my mind wander."
   "I couldn't wander far from the cave...and saw preasous few people.
The few people I did see were mostly Tenchi's ansestors.  Only a few of
them felt my presence and none of them ever returned.  I...my
preasence...scared them away.  I used to think that I needed no one...but
the long years alone showed me otherwise."
   "Then, about twenty-five years ago, someone showed up.  I don't know if
she knew what she was fealing, but she did sense me.  And she wasn't
affraid.  Over the next few years, I came to crave those brief momments
when she came by the cave.  Then, a day came that I will never forget.
She brought her newborn child to the cave.  He was cute, even when he was
a baby.  But more importantly, he SAW me!  He saw me and smiled.  That
day, feelings started stiring within me, feelings like I never had before.
The time between when young Tenchi came turned into absolute torture to
me.  I craved for those feelings he flooded me.  Then, the day his mother
died, he came again, crying his heart out.  I knew at that momment that I
would die, just to make him happy again, if it would have done any good."
   "But on that day, Tenchi left, and didn't come back for a long time.  I
began to wonder if I would ever see this wonderful young man again.
That time alone in the cave was more painful than the centuries I had
spent before that.  I wanted--no--NEEDED Tenchi to be with me soo much."
    Ryoko sighed.  "As you know, soon after, he freed me from that
prisson.  I've tried to spend as much time as possible with him.  But
every time he has to go away...I...I am SO scared that he'll not come back
again, like his mother.  And I just don't know what I'd do if that
happened..."
    Sasami looked at Ryoko, tears running down her cheaks, and stroked her
hands.  "I...I always knew you loved Tenchi, but I had no idea as to
why..."  She smiled, then hugged Ryoko.  "Since you told me your secret,
it's only fair that I tell you one of mine.  Just promise me that you
won't get mad."  Sasami sniffled, then wiped away her tears.
   "I promise, I won't get mad at you."  Ryoko replied.  *I don't think
there's anything that she would say that would make me mad at her.  She's
too cute!*
   Sasami nodded her head, facing down.  "Well, you see, it's like
this...*  She started blushing.  "You see, I'm in love with Tenchi, too."
Sasami's face glowed red.
				*****
   It is nice and quiet for hundreds of miles arround the Masaki
resedence.  More peaceful then it's been ever since Tenchi's guest came.
It's way too quiet.
   "NANI?!?!?!"
   Then again, maybe it's not.
                                *****

That's it for my hour.  Please tell me what you think!
--
 Magic Knight Kyone
--
"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and
 quick to anger." --J.R.R. Tolkien
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and
 good with ketchup." --Anonymous