Be gentle with this, this is my first completed fanfic.  When I saw Emily
Siazon's challenge, inspiration struck. Send C&C (please, please, please)
to bunny@spectra.net and put C.J. as the subject.

 A STARTLING CONCLUSION
     By C.J.


     "Ryoko?"
     Ryoko looked up from where she was floating in the middle of her room
at the intrusion.  "What do you want, Miss High-and-Mighty?"
     Princess Aeka, Jewel of the Jurian Empire, and (self-proclaimed)
beloved of Masaki Tenchi, bristled at the insult.  "Not that I care, but
Tenchi-sama was worried about you.  We haven't seen you for three days."
     Ryoko's eyes narrowed as she glared at her opponent.  "So, in your
infinite generosity and compassion you deign to check up on little 'ol me?"
 She grinned.  "Tenchi asked you to, didn't he?"
     Aeka growled in the back of her throat.  "You should be on your knees,
thanking whatever you consider sacred that Tenchi-sama considers you worthy
of notice, pirate."
     Ryoko started to summon her energy blade, but stopped and looked
thoughtful for a moment.  "Did you throw around your word as a future
Empress of Jurai like usual, Aeka?"
     The princess, startled by the use of her name by Ryoko, answered
simply "Yes."
     "Good."  Ryoko flew over to the closet and started to rummage through
it.  "If you want to keep your word, then lets go somewhere and talk.  And
I mean talk, not destroy the landscape like usual"  With that she threw a
scrap of cloth at Aeka.  "Put that on, we gotta blend with the locals."
    Holding up the piece of clothing, Aeka looked almost... horrified.  "I
am not going to wear this."


     Ryoko grinned like a predator as she and the princess sat at the table
with their drinks, far enough from the dance floor that they could hear
each other.  "Gotta hand it to you, Aeka, you may have whined about that
dress, but once you were 'on stage' and saw how the men were looking at
you, you threw around enough of the Imperial attitude that we got in here
faster than I usually do."
     "Well, it was part of my educatio... one moment, you frequent this
establishment?"
     "Yeah, I like to get out every once in a while..."
     Aeka looked at her opponent, who was looking down at her drink,
fiddling with the cherry.  "Ryoko, why did we come here to talk?"
     "Aeka, please answer my questions honestly, okay?"
     "...Very well.  What do you want to ask?"
     Ryoko looked up from her drink to peer directly into Aeka's eyes.  "Do
you love Tenchi?"
     "WHAT!  How dare you impugn that a Princess of Jurai would toy with
another's feelings!"  Several blocks of wood began to appear around her.
     "You promised."  Was Ryoko's quiet reply, a reply that stopped Aeka
cold.  She dispelled the power blocks and sat back down.
     "I...admit that some of my feelings for Tenchi-sama are due to the
fact that he is the descendant of Yosho, but to the best of my knowledge,
I...love him for who he is and how he treats others.  Is that the answer
that you want?"  She glared at the pirate, who was balancing the cherry on
the end of her finger, stem down.
     Ryoko downed the rest of her drink and sighed.  "Are you sure?  I
mean, it could be a form of hero worship of the man that freed you from
imprisonment, one who fought off your personal nightmare and won.  Or it
could be because your rival wants him, so you want to keep him away from
her, a goal to be won."
     Aeka's eyes softened, and she reached out and put her hand on Ryoko's.
 "You are not talking about me, are you?"
     Downing her drink, Ryoko replied.  "I have come to the unpleasant
conclusion that Tenchi is too good for me.  While I am no longer Ryoko,
space pirate extrordinare,  I need a man who won't disapprove of everything
I do.  Tenchi is a friend to me, nothing more."  Ryoko snorts.  "Spaceways
knows, I have few enough of them."
     The princess could not believe her ears.  "You are giving up any
romantic claim on Tenchi-sama?"  At Ryoko's nod she relaxed.  "Very well,
if you wish to be Tenchi-sama's friend, then I would like to be your friend
as well.  I promise that you will have a place of honor at our wedding, and
that...why are you laughing?"
     Ryoko looked up at the confused princess, tears in her eyes.  "Are you
kidding?  You are still going to have to deal with Mihoshi, your sister
Sasami, Washu, and I think Ryo-oh-oyki.  You, princess, are in for the
fight of your life for Tenchi, and I'm going to hang around to make sure
that the decision is one that he chooses."  She grabbed the fuming Aeka's
hand and pulled her up and towards the dance floor.  "Come on, let's show
the men of this planet how to really dance!

     THE END