Tenchi Muyo: Ryoko's Love...Alpha!
Chapter 2A: Naroda Beach Pt. 1
By Long T. Tran
Disclaimer:
I don't own these characters, AIC/Pioneer owns them. I don't intend
to make money off this because I don't want to get a lawsuit. I'm
too poor for that. But this is my original story concept, so don't
plagiarize!
Author's notes:
Naroda beach is a fictitious place, just wanted to let ya know before you start
reading. As you read, you may notice that I've added a new literary feature to
my FF, subchapter titles.
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Washu's Wonderful Toys
After having caught up with the bus in time, both Tenchi and Ryoko were nearly out of breath. They walked down the middle aisle of the bus and Ryoko took her seat right next to a window, Tenchi sitting down next to her. Tenchi looked around the bus through his shades and only saw two other people inside the bus; the driver and an old gray bearded man. Tenchi was no longer out of breath and decided to break the silence.
"So, you volunteered to lose your powers?" Tenchi questioned.
"Yes. For only a day." Ryoko confirmed.
"How does it feel right now? You know, to not be able to use your powers."
"It's kinda hard to describe. Actually, it feels weird. In a way, I feel
small."
"Hmm. I think I understand what you're getting at. Maybe because you're not used to not having your powers."
"Maybe."
"Which brings another question to mind."
"What's up? Ask away."
"Why did you decide to turn off your powers for just today?"
"You know that's a funny question."
"Oh? Why?"
"I don't know..."
"You don't?" Tenchi said, perplexed. "You're very weird, Ryoko."
"I know." She sighed happily. "I'll tell you later on, ok?"
"Uh, sure. Okay."
"What time do you think we'll arrive at Naroda Beach?" Ryoko asked.
Tenchi looked at his watch and estimated the time. "Hmm, right now my watch reads 7:50... I think we'll arrive at around 9:30 or 10. It's going to be a long ride."
Tenchi sighed unhappily and sank in his seat.
"I think I can fix that by cutting this trip by ninety-nine percent."
"Oh really, Ryoko. And how are you going to do that?" Tenchi asked
skeptically.
Ryoko reached over her shoulder and dug into her black backpack. Tenchi looked
at Ryoko curiously as she pulled out a palm-sized, rectangular-shaped, silver
box. She handed the device to Tenchi.
"Uh, what is this Ryoko?" he asked apprehensively.
"Something that'll help speed our trip a little. Why don't you put that nice
little toy right there next to your left foot."
Tenchi did as Ryoko directed without giving it much thought.
"Ok, now what?"
"All we have to do now is wait 5 seconds." Ryoko replied.
"Sounds simple enough." Tenchi said. Then a horrifying thought finally dawned
on him. "Wait a minute! You didn't get this from Washu, did you?"
"Yes, I did as a matter of fact. And that means you should hold on tight!"
Tenchi did not hesitate to follow Ryoko's advice. He quickly grabbed and
tightly held onto a seat that was in front of him. Instead of a seat, Ryoko
clutched onto Tenchi's waist. Suddenly, Tenchi heard a low whistling sound
coming from Washu's device.
"Uh oh. I don't like the sound of that."
"Oh don't worry about it, Tenchi! Here comes the really fun part!" Ryoko
exclaimed.
The fat bus driver was happily minding his own business when suddenly he heard a
low pitch whistling that sounded like it was coming from behind. Then the
steering wheel started to go crazy in his hands, as if the wheel was driving the
bus for him.
"What's going on here!? I can't control the bus! " the driver screamed.
"OH MY GOD! WE'RE DEAD AND WE'RE ON THE EXPRESS BUS THAT'S HEADED STRAIGHT
TO HELL!" ranted the old man, sitting two seats behind Tenchi and Ryoko.
The surroundings of the bus were suddenly immersed in a blanket of brilliant color and light. The bus's rumbling quickly subsided into a floating ride.
"What's going on, Ryoko?!?" Tenchi asked fearfully.
"We're just travelling at the speed of light. Well, the same concept at the
least."
At that very instant, the bus dropped out of warp and Ryoko untangled herself
from Tenchi's waist, looking out the bus's glass window. This was the first time she ever saw the crystal blue waters of Naroda beach. Tenchi was tense, quickly looked up and grabbed Washu's warp device from the floor, wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Ok, we're here! Let's go before the driver decides to ask any questions."
Tenchi said, shooting up from his seat. He grabbed Ryoko's arm and rushed towards the bus's exit/entranceway.
As they stepped down from the bus, Ryoko looked at the bewildered bus driver
and smiled.
"Thank you for the ride, kind sir!" Ryoko said sweetly, waving at the driver.
The driver didn't exactly respond to Ryoko's gratitude; he simply closed the
exit door and sped off down the road at an incredible speed. Tenchi couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. Tenchi and Ryoko were both on the sidewalk pavement that bordered the highway and Naroda beach.
"Well, at least we're here. Although, a bit earlier than expected..." Tenchi
said and smiled as he viewed the beautiful sandy white beach that lay before
him. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his father's photo camera.
Tenchi turned to Ryoko and aimed his camera at her, stepping in front of her
to make sure that she was in the foreground while the resort beach was in
the background.
"Taking the first photograph of the day, Tenchi?"
"Yes I am, Ryoko. Smile."
Ryoko smiled brightly showing her perfect row of teeth and held up her right
hand to show a peace sign. The camera gave out two snapping sounds, indicating that two pictures were taken.
"I didn't know you liked to take pictures, Tenchi."
"I've always wanted to, but never came around to actually trying it. Besides, I
figure today would be a good day to start. It's not everyday I get to go to a
nice resort beach. I just know those pictures are going to turn out perfect."
Tenchi said and placed the camera back into his backpack. He looked at his
watch. "Hmm. Eight o'clock. Not even the shops are open."
Ryoko didn't hear a word of what Tenchi had just said. She looked around and
saw that the beach was surrounded by little shops and stands. There was an
elevated pier, one hundred fifty to three hundred yards away from the beach's
waterline that supported the seaside hotel. The water was clear and crystal blue and Ryoko could actually see the fish swimming beneath the water's surface. The eight o' clock sun shone brightly in her golden-yellow eyes. Ryoko closed her eye-lids and welcomed the gusts of the ocean's cool winds blown against her face. She inhaled the aroma of the ocean breeze and relaxed.
<I'm know I'm going to love this place.> she thought contentedly.
She opened her eyes and found that the beach was deserted.
"Uh, Tenchi?"
"Yes, Ryoko?"
"Where's everybody? Isn't there supposed to be a lot of people at this beach?"
"Well, that's the thing, Ryoko. They haven't started their arrival yet. Not
even the shops are open. What do you suggest we do now?"
"Not to worry, we can start looking for a spot to set up our little base camp."
Ryoko assured him.
"Base camp? But we didn't even bring any tents or camping utilities..."
"Not to worry. I have it all covered," Ryoko assured as she scanned the beach
for an ideal spot to set up camp. Tenchi stood there next to her and waited
patiently. After a few moments of surveying, Ryoko spotted the perfect
area.
"Eureka! I've found it!" Ryoko exclaimed. She grabbed Tenchi's arm and
stepped off from the sidewalk and onto the beach's white sands. They walked
along near the waterline for about three minutes, turned right and arrived
in front of a bare concrete foundation that once supported an elevated beach
house. Ryoko examined the barren concrete slab and estimated it's length and
width.
"What are we doing here, Ryoko?" Tenchi inquired curiously.
"I'm just setting up our little camp" Ryoko replied, as she reached into her
travel bag.
"But don't we need tents?"
"I said don't worry, Tenchi" Ryoko pointed out as she revealed to Tenchi
another silver box. This time the box looked more square than rectangular and it had a red button.
"Oh I get it! That little box is containing our tents, right?"
"Well, not exactly our tents..."
Tenchi tensed at the remark. Ryoko simply placed the silver box onto the
concrete foundation and pressed the red button. The box suddenly opened up,
rapidly unfolded, and quickly transformed into a beach house. The structure was
elevated by wooden supports and resembled the Masaki residence, except it was a
smaller version, just large enough to fit the concrete foundation. It was only a single story house, the front end faced the mainland while the back faced the
ocean. The back had a nice balcony patio that overlooked the sea.
"It's more like a temporary residence, courtesy of Washu." Ryoko finished off.
"Wow! Thank you, Washu!" Tenchi exclaimed in awe. <At least I found one
experiment of yours that I can actually start to appreciate>
Tenchi and Ryoko walked up the stairway and opened the front door. Both stepped
through the door and were amazed to find that the furniture had been provided as well. Not only that, the interior was identical to the home back in Okayama.
"I'm going into the kitchen to put up all of Sasami's food away," Ryoko announced. She opened the door to the kitchen and walked through. "Go ahead and
take a look around."
As Ryoko walked into the kitchen, Tenchi looked around the living room, clearly happy about the beach house. He placed his backpack onto the sofa and, noticing the television set, stepped over to the living room and turned it on. The TV flickered on and although there were less channels than in Okayama, they were working nominally. He decided to turn off the TV set and headed out towards the patio. Tenchi found that the patio had two body length patio chairs to lay on and an outdoor umbrella dining set for four. Tenchi laid down on one of the patio chairs, inclining the chair upright to view the morning beach. The beach waves rhythmically beat against the water's edge, the sun was warm, the clouds balanced out the heat and the wind was soothingly cool. He looked at his watch again; it read 8:10 am.
<Good. There's plenty of time left to enjoy this outing.> he thought.
"Ah, paradise!" Tenchi said happily.
"You can say that again, Tenchi" Ryoko agreed as she walked out and sat
down onto the patio chair next to Tenchi's. She laid down but didn't incline
her chair to sit up. "How do you like our date so far?"
"I'm really enjoying this trip, Ryoko. This is a great place to relax and have fun!"
"I knew you'd like it, Tenchi." Ryoko said, her voice soft and quiet.
"Tell me about it! I'm going to love this day to the very end. You have to be
crazy not to! I mean, this day has been so full of surprises. Like that quick
bus ride, your backpack full of gadgets, not to mention your..." Tenchi cut
himself off, noticing that Ryoko was unusually quiet. He looked down beside him
at her and discovered that she had quietly fallen asleep.
"Uh, Ryoko? Hello?"
Ryoko didn't respond; she was already deep in her slumber.
<I guess she stayed up all last night trying to prepare for today. Poor thing.
You really have lost your superpowers haven't you?> he thought with a smile, while admiring Ryoko's peaceful features. <Now that's a sight I don't see everyday. Hmm.>
An idea popped into Tenchi's mind and he quickly walked back into the house. He
dug into his backpack and grabbed the camera. He then silently stepped back out to the patio and carefully took Ryoko's pictures. After taking three snapshots, Tenchi paced back into the house, placing the camera back into his backpack, and walked back out again. He found himself staring at Ryoko's face as she slept quietly and noticed that she had started to sweat due to the sun's rays. He carefully grabbed the dining table's umbrella and placed it silently over Ryoko, giving her plenty of shade. Tenchi smiled at the sleeping girl again and sat back down in his chair, peacefully watching Naroda beach's ever changing waterline.
***
Mihoshi!
Meanwhile, halfway across the known universe at the Galaxy Police Headquarters,
Mihoshi's shuttle prepared to depart for it's next assignment. The GP officer pulled off her formal gloves and jacket while making her way towards the cockpit.
<Thank goodness, that meeting was really long!> Mihoshi thought. She arrived at the cockpit and sat down in front of the shuttle control module.
"Oh, Yukinojo!" Mihoshi cheerfully called out.
"Yes? Miss Mihoshi?" the robot said, as it appeared from the cockpit ceiling.
"Set a course for the Orion system."
"Yes ma'am!" the robot complied.
The shuttle activated the maneuvering thrusters and started to slowly back away
from its assigned port.
"What's our next mission, detective Mihoshi?"
"It's a really simple assignment. All we have to do is rendezvous with the
Fourth Patrol Fleet and set course for a planet called Orion"
"Why are we heading out to such a remote planet?"
"To investigate why we've suddenly lost communication traffic from our outpost
on Orion. We're ordered to find the problem and fix it. It's probably some
glitch in their computer systems or something."
"Pardon me for asking, but..."
"Yes? What is it Yukinojo?"
"Don't you find it peculiar that HQ is sending out an ENTIRE patrol fleet, just
to investigate a minor case?"
Mihoshi's jovial face suddenly turned serious and thought about the robot's
point.
"It is kind of odd, isn't it?"
"Do you think its more than just a glitch?"
"Hmm. You might be onto something, Yukinojo. Oh well! Can't start worrying
about it now!" Mihoshi said, reverting back to her cheerful carefree self. "I guess we're just going to have to go with the flow! Oh, Yukinojo!"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Set a course for the Orion System! And when that mission's done and out
of the way... Home!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The shuttle pulled clear from its dock and sped off into the vast voidness of
space.
***
Aeka's Request
A few hours had passed since Tenchi and Ryoko's departure to Naroda
beach. Trying to distract herself from thinking about Tenchi and Ryoko's
'incidental' date, Aeka kept herself busy. The garden, which was placed inside the Masaki greenhouse, was elegantly decorated with a wide assortmment of soft and bold colored flowers, collected from planets Earth and Jurai. Aeka was wearing her gardener apron and gloves. She planted the latest flower in her botanical collection, a red rose. With precise and gentle care, Aeka nourished the blossoming earth flower with water. After watering the floral plant, Aeka sniffed its fragrance and smiled softly.
<At least you don't have any worries> she thought, gazing at the rose. <I
wonder why earth flora don't communicate? This planet possesses some of
the most beautiful flowers in universal botany. It's a pity that they don't
communicate like the space trees.>
Aeka untied her apron and pulled her gloves off of her hands. She turned away
from her garden and headed back to the house. Walking out of the greenhouse,
she looked up and found Sasami happily riding on top of Kamadake, flying around in the open skies above. Aeka smiled as Sasami laughed out with all her energy and basically having the time of her life.
<Well, at least Sasami's having fun without any worries. I wonder what Tenchi
and Ryoko are doing right now? I've got to find a way get to Naroda! I can't
stand the thought of Tenchi being around that woman!> Aeka thought angrily. <I've got to find someway to look in on her!>
Aeka looked up at Sasami, who was still flying around and an idea came to her
mind.
"Oh, Sasami!" Aeka called out.
"Hello Aeka!" Sasami greeted cheerfully. She ordered Kamadake to land right next to Aeka.
"I see that you are having fun with your new guardians."
"I sure am! Why did you call for me?"
"Well, I was wondering...could you do me a small favor?"
"Sure, Aeka! What is it?"
"Could you by chance, come with me on a little outing?"
"Outing?" Sasami said, puzzled. She paused for a moment, then frowned at Aeka.
"Aeka, are you asking me to go with you to crash in on Tenchi and Ryoko?"
"Well, to be straightforward with you, yes I am."
"Forget it, Aeka! I'm not going!"
"Please, Sasami! It means a lot to me!" Aeka begged.
"It's not right! Let Tenchi and Ryoko enjoy their first date..."
"I won't allow that, Sasami! I just won't!" Aeka interrupted.
"I can't believe you just said that, Aeka! You were taught better than that! Of all the people to break promises! Didn't you expect this to happen when you first shook hands with Ryoko?" Sasami frowned. "Ryoko would never do a thing like that to you! Never!"
Aeka stood in stunned silence, shocked by Sasami's sudden outburst.
"Well? What do you have to say? Your newly assigned bodyguard is already on
his way, he should arrive any minute now. You can either stay here and welcome him or go to Naroda and start up another fight with Ryoko and hurt Tenchi's feelings at the same time."
"You are right." Aeka said reluctantly. "How foolish of me to even think about
breaking my word of honor. I am the crown princess of Jurai and I must keep my
promises, no matter how hard it may be."
Sasami sighed in relief.
"I guess we should start preparations for a welcoming party in honor of my new guardian. By the way Sasami, would you happen to have any clue as to who my new bodyguard will be?"
"Not really, Aeka, but brother Yosho might know. Why don't you go ask
him?"
"I just might do that, Sasami. Thank you for the suggestion. And thank you for
setting me straight."
"Don't mention it, sis."
***
The Sunblock
At around one o'clock, Ryoko finally came around. She opened her eyes, looked
over to Tenchi and smiled. Tenchi, who was reading a book from grandfather's office, looked up from the book and smirked at her.
"So, you're finally awake."
"Whoops! How long was I asleep?"
"Not very long. Only about three to four hours."
"I'm sorry to have made you wait on me like that, Tenchi..."
"Oh, it's ok. I'm not mad. I actually spent the whole time sitting here
enjoying the view, reading this book and watching the arrival of all those people." he said, pointing out towards the sands.
Ryoko raised her patio chair and found the beach alive and full of
activity. Her face lit up with excitement.
"Oh wow! Will you look at the beach! It's so full of life!" Ryoko exclaimed.
There were two separate volleyball courts being played at the same time
people playing and swimming in the crystal waters, a few sunbathers laying on the sand and other people sitting beneath huge umbrellas. There were people at small picnics were being held, lovers cuddling and walking along the shore, sand castles were being built, kids were flying kites, and three individuals were fishing.
"Come on, Tenchi! Let's go!"
"Wait. Not yet, Ryoko."
"What? Why not?"
"Since we're going to be out in the sun all day, we should wear some
skin protection."
"Skin protection?" said Ryoko, perplexed.
"Yep. These days, it's not safe to be out in the sun without wearing any sun
block. Long exposures to the sun's rays can cause skin cancer."
"Oh, I see. Okay then, you wait here while I go get the sunblock."
With enthusiasm, Ryoko jumped up from her chair and ran back into the house.
She found her back pack, grabbed the bottle of sunblock, and made way her back
towards the balcony.
"Do you have it Ryoko?"
"Yup! Sure do." Ryoko confirmed, as she handed the bottle to Tenchi. She sat
down on her chair. "You first."
"Um, alright."
Ryoko watched as Tenchi pulled off his white tank top and opened the sunblock
bottle. He applied the solution on to his chest, arms, stomach and lower back,
not realizing that the sunblock made his slim-but-built-body look even more
sweaty and muscular.
<Oh my! I didn't realize he was THAT built!> Ryoko thought to herself, pleasantly surprised.
As Tenchi applied the lotion, he looked up and noticed that Ryoko was staring at
him intensely. He started to become nervous.
"Uh, Ryoko, why are you staring at me like that?"
"I wasn't staring..." Ryoko denied, though her face was clearly red. She
paused for a moment and gathered her thoughts for a quick recovery.
"I was just enjoying the scenery." she muttered confidently.
"Can you do me a favor?"
"I know, I know. Turn around so I can stop staring at you" Ryoko sighed.
"No, no. Can you help me rub this sun block on my back? I'm having a hard
time applying this."
"Sure!" Ryoko exclaimed, standing up. She walked over to Tenchi and placed
herself next to him.
Tenchi handed the container over to Ryoko and turned his back towards her.
Ryoko smiled and opened the bottle. She poured a small amount into her hands
and applied the solution onto Tenchi's back. Ryoko frowned a little and cleared
her throat. Tenchi's back felt unusually stiff.
"Tenchi, why are you so tense?" Ryoko inquired.
"What do you mean? I'm not nervous."
"I know that. What I meant was, why are your muscles so stiff?"
"I guess it's because I've been working out in the fields a lot for the past
few days."
"Oh, I see."
Ryoko finally finished applying the sun block onto Tenchi's back but instead of pulling her hands away, she decided to give him a massage. She rubbed her fingers down his back in a circular motion, allowing more blood to flow into his back muscles. Then she moved her hands to his shoulders and pressed rhythmically.
"That feels very nice, Ryoko. Where did you learn how to do this?"
"I picked it up a few day ago, while watching a TV show. Do you really like the
way I'm massaging you?"
"Yes! Of course, I like it!"
Ryoko beamed happily at Tenchi's compliment and as a result, unwillingly
massaged his shoulders even harder. Her rough massaging caused a sharp
sensation and Tenchi hissed out in pain.
"Whoops! I'm sorry about that Tenchi!"
"It's alright, Ryoko. I really needed that massage. Thanks." he assured her,
gratefully. "Please don't stop."
"My pleasure!" Ryoko said, smiling widely. Ryoko massaged Tenchi for another five minutes before stopping. After she was through, Tenchi turned around and faced her.
"I guess it's your turn to put on the sun block."
"I guess it is!" Ryoko agreed, as she pulled off her red tank top to reveal
her blue bikini top. Ryoko poured the lotion onto her palms and Tenchi watched as she applied the sun block to her skin, struggling to put the solution
onto her back.
"You need help with that Ryoko?"
Ryoko was momentarily tempted by Tenchi but thought back to her agreement with
Aeka.
"No, that's alright. I can handle it" she replied.
"Are you sure? Looks like you're having trouble putting that on."
"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for the offer."
"Uhh. Okay."
<That was pretty strange for her to refuse.> Tenchi thought. <Oh well.>
Tenchi watched as Ryoko laid the rest of the sunblock and couldn't help but
notice how her blue bikini enhanced her beauty.
<Man! She looks great in that swimsuit! Ryoko has a good looking figure!>
Tenchi thought.
Her skin was covered in perspiration, making her curves stand out even more. Before Ryoko noticed him staring at her, Tenchi quickly looked away and buried his thoughts.
Ryoko wiped some sweat from her forehead and looked up at the sky. The sun was
burning hot and the humid wind wasn't helping at all.
"Phew! Is it getting hot or what?" she commented.
Her cyan hair was matted to her head, damp from perspiration. She grabbed a
nearby towel and dried her face off.
"So what's the first thing you want to do today, Ryoko?"
"Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is to go shopping for a good shady
hat."
"Alright, sounds good to me. Then what?"
"Then we'll decide and just go with the flow for a while."
"Ok. Let's go, shall we?"
Ryoko grabbed her red tank top and pulled it over her bikini, following Tenchi
into the house. Tenchi had his shades on and was already waiting at the front
door, the camera slung over his shoulder. Watching Ryoko approach, he decided to be a gentleman and opened the door for her. Ryoko walked through the doorway and smiled at Tenchi gratefully. Together, they walked down the steps of the beach house and headed straight for the Naroda Beach Market Strip.
The Fortune Teller and The Sun Hat
Tenchi and Ryoko reached the beach accessories shop in the middle of the
Marketplace. The strip was located along side the beach resort's beach walk and
had ten separate stores in all. As they walked towards the accessories shop, Tenchi noticed an Arcade next to the shop. Ryoko walked into the shop first. Tenchi was about to follow her when something caught his attention. Passing by the arcade, he noticed a curious looking machine that stood next to the arcade's entranceway. The heart-shaped machine was completely crimson and stood on a black pedestal. A sign attached to the top of the machine read: "The Fortune Teller of Potential Love: For one yen piece, see if the one you have your sights on is your true love!".
"Oh yeah, right!! That has got to be the hokiest claim I've ever read!" Tenchi
said skeptically.
"Why are you putting down my machine like that!!" a craggy old voice yelled out
from behind Tenchi. "You kids these days have no faith in anything!"
"Oh! Sorry about that rude comment, sir." Tenchi said apologetically. He turned around and looked down to see an old bald man looking up at him with angry eyes.
The old dwarf's anger quickly faded and he ruffled his bushy white moustache with his finger.
"That's alright kid, you're not the first person to be skeptical of my
machine."
"Really? You mean others have actually said the same thing?"
"Of course!! They would voice their disbelief and then, just out curiosity,
try it."
"And what would happen?"
"One of two things..." said the old man, holding up his two fingers. "One, they
would remain as lovers. Or two, they would discontinue their relationship."
"Oh come on! Couples wouldn't break off their relationships because of a
machine's opinion!"
"Yes, they would. You'd be surprised."
"Why?"
"Call it a twist of fate. One minute, a potential couple are looking at each
other for possibilities of love and the next, they turn their backs and march on home, never setting sights on each other again. I've seen this happen thousands of times before. But on the good side, I've also seen relationships grow even stronger."
"Now, that's really pushing it. I find that even harder to believe. People
just don't make decisions solely based on a gimmick's answer."
"Oh they don't, eh? Then why don't you try it out for yourself?" the old man
smirked. "What do you have to lose besides one yen piece?"
<Maybe this could be a way to finally find some clarity.> Tenchi thought.
"Well, kid? You think you're up to it?" The old man asked.
"Okay, then. I'll try it."
Tenchi reached into the pocket of his shorts and took out five separate yen
pieces. Each for Sasami, Aeka, Mihoshi, Washu, and Ryoko.
"Five yen pieces, eh? Very interesting! Planning to find out whether you can nab five girls, eh? I didn't know there was a sexual revolution going on right now. You kids are too much."
"Hey now! It's not what it looks like!" Tenchi said defensively. "I'm not
like that at all!"
"Yeah, right." the old man doubted bluntly. "All I can say about you kids is
that you're all pumped full of hormones."
<Dirty old hentai.> Tenchi thought.
"Well, anyways" Tenchi grumbled, changing the subject. "How do I work your
little gimmick here?"
"It's quite simple, really. All you have to do is pop a coin into the slot and
type in the name of the girl. After that, the fortune teller will print out
your answer."
"Ok, sounds simple enough."
"Well kid, I would like to see what answer's in stored for you but I have to
go run my arcade. See you around."
"Uh, yeah. Thanks."
Tenchi watched as the old man hobbled away and disappeared into the arcade. He
then cautiously looked around to see if Ryoko was anywhere nearby. Having made sure, he focused his attention onto the machine. He popped in all five of his yen pieces into the machine's coin slot and awaited instructions. A short and simple command appeared on the machine's screen. The fonts were colored red and the background black.
PLEASE TYPE IN YOUR NAME.
Tenchi did as directed.
PLEASE ENTER THE NAME/NAMES OF YOUR HEART'S POTENTIAL OWNER.
Tenchi typed in the five names and then checked to see if his spelling was correct.
Washu Hakubi
Sasami Jurai
Aeka Jurai
Mihoshi Kuramitsu
Ryoko Hakubi
PLEASE WAIT WHILE THE FORTUNE TELLER OF POTENTIAL LOVE PROCESSES YOUR ANSWER.
Tenchi waited a few moments for the machine's response. He nervously glanced at
his watch and discovered that five minutes had already passed by since he had left Ryoko
alone.
<Hurry up! You silly machine! I would hate for Ryoko to see
me doing this. Getting advice from a machine. This is a new low for me!>
The heart shaped Love tester started to print out its results onto a long receipt paper for Tenchi. The printing was taking a long time to complete and trying his patience. Finally, the machine stopped printing and Tenchi pulled out the sheet from the love tester.
<Jeez! No wonder it took so long! Look at all this advertising!>
He finally found the familiar names and noticed that next to each of the
girls' names, there was a line or two of notes. He looked at the first name on the list:
Washu Hakubi: Such intelligence and wisdom are too difficult for you to handle..
"Wow! The old man wasn't kidding! This thing actually works!" Tenchi said,
excitedly. "Though I think the answers are kind of on the blunt side."
Tenchi read the next name on the list.
Sasami Jurai: A sweet and mature child, but a child nevertheless.
He moved down to the third name on the list.
Mihoshi Kuramitsu: A darling woman who requires more patience than you could
ever hope to possess..
Meanwhile, Ryoko had been browsing the beach accessories shop for about
five or ten minutes, looking for the perfect hat to wear out in the hot sun.
A round sun hat with a blue bow-tie ribbon sitting on top of a rack caught her eye and she decided to try it on. Ryoko looked at herself in the mirror and
was happy to discover that the hat looked perfect on her.
"I think this hat looks pretty cute on me. What do you think, Tenchi?" Ryoko
turned around and realized that Tenchi was nowhere to be seen.
<He's gone. Where can he be?> she thought and looked around the shop but
couldn't find Tenchi. She looked through the shop windows and was relieved to
spot him there. She placed the hat back onto the hat rack and headed outside.
Outside, Tenchi was nearly done reading the list. Now it was coming down to the two main contenders; Aeka and Ryoko. He took a look at Aeka's results first.
Aeka Jurai: Friendship is the best relationship to share with this elegant lady..
<Well, that was kinda short and straight forward> Tenchi thought, frowning. He turned his attention to the final name on the list, Ryoko.
Ryoko Hakubi: Cherish every precious moment you have with her...
<Strange.> It was the only word that came to Tenchi's mind.
"Tenchiii! So this is where you've been all this time!" Ryoko said as she walked towards him. "What are you doing out here?"
Tenchi was momentarily startled by Ryoko and quickly hid the paper in his
pocket.
"R-Ryoko! I was just, uh, enjoying the weather!"
"Come with me, Tenchi! Tell me what you think of this hat I found." Ryoko
said as she went over and took hold of Tenchi's hand, gently pulling him
towards the shop. Tenchi noticed her warm expression and smiled.
"Alright."
They both walked into the shop and Ryoko led Tenchi straight towards the hat
rack.
"I've found the perfect hat, Tenchi!" Ryoko said, happily.
"You have?"
"Yep it's over here on the hat rack..."
They reached the hat rack and to Ryoko's dismay, the hat was gone.
"Where's the hat, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked.
"I could've sworn it was here just a minute ago!! I put it here myself!
Help me look for it!" Ryoko said frantically.
"What does it look like?"
"It's a round sun hat with a blue bow-tie ribbon."
They split up and looked around the shop. Tenchi searched the front end of the store and to his surprise, saw the old man from the arcade at the register, in the process of buying Ryoko's hat. He ran over to the old man and the cashier just before the transaction was completed.
"Uh, hello, sir! Remember me!"
"Why hello there, young man! Did your fortune come out the way you wanted?"
"No, not exactly. But that's not why I'm here."
"Oh? Then why are you bugging me?"
"I wanted to ask you about that hat you're going to buy."
"Yeah? Well, forget it. I'm buying it for my granddaughter."
"Could you, by chance, hear me out first?"
"No! Absolutely not! I'm getting this for my granddaughter and that's final!"
"But..."
"No buts!" the old man shouted. "Mmm, this rice cracker is so good..."
"What? Rice cracker?" Tenchi said, confused. "What are you talking about? You
don't even have anything in your mouth!"
***
The Puppeteer
Meanwhile, back at the Masaki residence, Washu was munching on a rice cracker and interacting with Tenchi on her dimensional computer.
"Whoops! Kinda slipped there, Heh Heh. It looks like my new toy is working out
well...maybe too well. Ryoko and Tenchi don't suspect a thing" Washu said,
smiling. She typed in more commands to add different dialogue into the android's conversation with Tenchi.
Aeka's Drenched
Somewhere out in the nearby woods, Shoji Takasawa was looking for the Masaki residence. He had been wandering around the forest for about thirty minutes and he was about to lose patience.
"Oh man!" Shoji fumed. "Now, where am I? This is so embarrassing! I can't
believe I'm lost on my first day of guard duty! Those directions Yosho gave me
were really bad!"
Suddenly, he tripped over a stray branch and fell flat on his face.
"OOOUUCH! That smarts!" he complained out loud. He stood up clumsily and
kicked the fallen branch off to the side.
Nearby at Funaho's tree, Aeka was alone, contemplating about Tenchi and Ryoko's
date.
<If something were to happen between those two, I would lose all hope of ever
being able to express my heart to Tenchi.> Aeka thought sadly.
Aeka's personal introspection was coldly interrupted by a pillar of
water.
"Aaah! I am all wet!" Aeka screamed out. "Who is responsible for this!?"
A human male in Jurian clothing, who was presently knee deep in the water of
the moat surrounding the Holy Tree, answered the her question.
"I'm so sorry about that my lady! I slipped on a branch and fell into this
blasted moat and..." Shoji froze in mid-sentence and gasped out in shock. "Please forgive me, Princess Aeka!"
Shoji humbly bowed to Aeka in the most earnest manner he could muster up. Aeka
wrung her kimono sleeves, quickly regaining her composure.
"It is alright, it happens. I assume that you are the new bodyguard that sent here by my father."
"Yes, your highness. My name is Shoji Takazawa and I am a Knight of the Royal
Guard."
"I am pleased to meet you but before we can continue with the introductions, I
would like to go back to the house and change into drier and more suitable
garments."
"Yes, indeed. I'm sorry."
Aeka and Shoji slowly headed back to the Masaki home, not saying a word to each other. Shoji couldn't help but notice the sad expression on the princess's face.
<Hmm. I wonder why the princess looks so depressed?> Shoji thought.
***
The Crazy Old Man
Back at Naroda beach, Tenchi was still struggling to persuade the old man
before Ryoko found out.
"Come on!" Tenchi Begged.
"No."
"There's gotta be a way to cut a deal!"
"Absolutely no deal! By the way, who's it for?"
"It's for her." Tenchi said, pointing at Ryoko, who's still searching for
the hat.
"Hmm. She's beautiful. Not bad. You have taste, kid." the old man
observed.
"Then maybe there's still a chance?" Tenchi said, hopefully.
"No!"
"What!? Oh come on! Why not?"
"Because I'm having fun!"
"What?! You can't be that cruel!"
"Oh yes I can."
"You're sick, you know that."
"Of course, I know that! That's why I'm having fun."
***
Ryo-ohki to the Rescue!
Back in the lab, Washu was typing up a storm, laughing out loud throughout the whole conversation.
"Oh man! I'm having too much fun!" Washu cackled.
Unbeknownst to Washu, toddler Ryo-ohki happened to be standing behind her. The
little toddler watched curiously as Washu typed enthusiastically onto the dimensional keyboard.
"Meow?" Ryo-ohki said inquisitively. She frowned at Washu's meddling in
Ryoko's date, and an idea popped into the little cabbit-humanoid's head.
***
Back at Naroda Beach, Tenchi was still persisting with the old man.
"Listen kid, I like you. I really like you but this is for my granddaughter."
"I know but Ryoko is just as important."
"Oh? How's she more important than my granddaughter?"
"I didn't say that! I said 'Ryoko is just AS important'." Tenchi retorted.
"Oh I see now! You're trying to be smart with me, eh? Well let me tell you
something, mister. MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!"
"Meow?!!" Tenchi said, confused.
***
Back to the Lab.
"Ryo-Ohki!!! Get away from here! Can't you see I'm busy!?!"
Washu yelled to the cabbit.
But the toddler intentionally ignores Washu and keeps on typing onto the
keyboard. Ryo-ohki loves to help Tenchi in anyway possible.
"Oh great! Now look what you've done! The android won't stop acting like a
cat! The commands are locked!! AARRGH!" Washu screamed.
***
Back to Naroda Beach. The longer Tenchi stood there and watched the old man
babble, the stranger things kept getting. The old man was on
the floor licking his hand and scratching the back of his head with his leg.
"What are you doing?" Tenchi asked.
"Can't you see that-MEOW, I'm uhh-MEOW, Cleaning myself?"
"But you're acting like a cat!"
"Of course, I'm acting like a cat! Meow! Meow! It's much more efficient this
way! Don't you think?"
"Uhh. Right."
Ryoko finally noticed the commotion. She looked to the front of the store and
found Tenchi staring down at an old man.
"Where's all that cat noise coming from?" Ryoko inquired.
***
Back at the lab, Washu and Ryo-ohki were pushing and shoving each other,
fighting over the keyboard and trying to regain control of the android.
"Ryo-ohki! Stop it! You're going to make Tenchi suspicious!"
"Meow! Meow!" The toddler-cabbit said angrily.
"Alright fine! Sheesh! You win! I'll stop toying with him!"
"MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!" the cabbit cheered victoriously.
Washu grumbled as she typed in her last commands for the android.
***
Back at Naroda, Ryoko walked to where Tenchi was standing and looked down at the old man, who was now crawling around the floor on all fours.
"What's wrong with him?" Ryoko asked.
"I don't know, this guy is really crazy. One minute he's acting normal, the
next he's acting like a cat."
The old man suddenly jumped up and handed the sun hat to Tenchi.
"Uhh. You win! MEOW! Here you go! Here's the Hat! MEOW!"
"Thank you!" Tenchi gratefully.
"Well gotta go! MEOW! Bye-bye!" the old man said, as he quickly went out the
door on his hands and knees.
"Uhh. Bye." Tenchi said wearily. He turned his attention towards the
bewildered store clerk and bought the hat, then faced Ryoko and handed it to her. "Here you go, Ryoko. I think this is the hat you mentioned."
Ryoko let out a small gasp of surprise as she received the hat from Tenchi.
"Thank you, Tenchi! Here let me try it on. Tell me what you think."
Ryoko placed the sun hat on her head and turned towards him. Tenchi gazed at her and smiled, noticing how the hat brought out her golden eyes.
"That hat fits you perfectly, Ryoko. It makes you look even prettier."
<Whoa, wait a minute. Did I just say that?!> Tenchi thought.
"Really? You mean it?" Ryoko asked, her eyes wide.
Tenchi nodded.
"Thank you, Tenchi!" Ryoko cried out happily, giving him a friendly hug.
"Don't mention it, Ryoko. Come on, let's go outside so I can take a picture of
you in your new hat."
"Alright!" Ryoko complied cheerfully.
They both exited the store and searched for a place to take Ryoko's picture.
As they looked for spot, Tenchi could not help thinking about the results the fortune teller had given him.
<I wonder what that machine meant? I wanted clarity. The answer it gave me
for Ryoko seemed so cryptic and vague> Tenchi thought.
[Cherish every precious moment you have with her...] The words seemed to call out to
Tenchi every time he thought about them.
You're Going to hate me for this, To Be Continued...
The Lonely Moon
(tragedy)
I am lonely like the moon
You are faraway as the earth
Now you say I light your thoughts
Night After night
Soon you forget
We are drifting in this dance
I can feel you circle my thoughts
Keeping such a graceful distance
So close but somehow apart
Sometimes I cry for you
Knowing you don't want me to
Sometimes I whisper to the stars up in the sky
That I want to find the way to your soul
Kiss in the sun when morning comes you don't seem to count the hours
When we are not together
I've seen a tender fire in your eyes
Yet when I'm gone you carry on
I float in this emptiness
Till at last love returns
With the night and the lonely moon
Author's Notes 2nd:
I know I know, this is a somewhat abrupt and cheesy way to get more readers.
I'm doing this to keep my mind on track, so that way I won't screw up on the
next chapter. Besides, the public demands more, so I gave them more. But not
to worry, Naroda Beach Pt.2 is nearly halfway through. It'll focus even more on
the date, Pt.1 was just to serve as a good set up. And I won't end my Fanfics
like this ever again...
I hope.
I would like to give very special thanks to Ryoko MR and Random for there help in my editing and proofreading. Without you two, the universe would be in total chaos.
