Tenchi watched as Ryoko walked off to the dance floor, he beamed at Ryoko's
generosity. "Have fun dancing!" Tenchi said to Ryoko. "I'll just sit here and
watch."
Ryoko turned around and gave Tenchi an evil grin. "You're not off the hook, that
easily. You're next right after this."
"Uhh, ok." Tenchi returned nervously.
Ryoko winked back in response. Then an easing song started up in the speakers.
She turned to Little Haruo and smiled softly.
"Okay kid, let's begin."
Haruo nodded and took Ryoko's right hand and placed his left hand on her lips.
The uneven-looking couple began to dance waltz around the dance floor with Ryoko
doing the lead.
Under soft roaming lights of the ballroom, Tenchi watched and admired Ryoko's
fluent yet gentle movements, as she graced the dance floor.
<I didn't know she learned how to dance.> He thought. Tenchi looked at Haruo's
face and noticed his innocent-boyish smile. <Well, he's definitely happy about
it.>
Ryoko danced along the floor with Haruo through out the song.
"I'm curious. How did you end up so faraway from shore?"
"I was on my inflatable row boat when I ventured out. I kinda got carried away
and ended up rowing out too far. So I decided to row back to shore but when I
did, the float was leaking air! As you can see, the rest is history." Haruo
beamed.
She gazed at the Haruo's young face and enjoyed the boy's warm handsome smile.
Ryoko smiled back at him, proud of the fact that she saved his life. Knowing
that she was the one that was responsible for giving him a chance at life, love,
and happiness.
The song finally ended, and the dancing lights stopped moving. The dancers
started to walk off the dance floor.
"Well, I have to go now. Thank you for dancing with me!" Haruo thanked as he
gave Ryoko a big hug.
"You're welcome, kiddo. Anytime." Ryoko hugged back and patted Haruo's head.
Haruo laughed happily and walked off the dance floor, waving back at Ryoko as he
left the Outdoor ballroom, she waved back. As soon as Haruo left, Ryoko looked
over to Tenchi's direction, she found him sitting at the table looking at her.
Ryoko held up her finger and pointed at him.
Tenchi saw that Ryoko was the only one left standing on the dance floor. He
noticed that Ryoko pointed her finger at him. He looked around and pointed at
himself and looked at her questioningly. "Me?" He asked silently.
Ryoko nodded affirmative.
Tenchi nervously stood up and walked over to Ryoko. As soon as he reached
Ryoko, the music immediately started and the lights begun to dance slowly across
the ballroom.
"Hello, Tenchi." Ryoko greeted.
"Hello, Ryoko."
"Ready to dance?"
"Uhh..., sure." Tenchi answered nervously.
Tenchi placed his right hand on Ryoko's hip and held Ryoko's right hand.
Ryoko noticed Tenchi's apprehensiveness. "What's wrong? Don't want to dance?"
"No, it's not that, it's just been awhile since I've danced."
"Oh. Well that's no problem just follow my lead and it'll all come back to
you."
"Um..., okay." Tenchi complied.
Ryoko began to move Tenchi along with the romantic rhythm of the song.
As the crowd gathered onto the dance floor, Tenchi quickly recognized the song
that was being played over the speakers. He knew the song was from an animated
movie called X:1999, Forever My Love. He never liked the voice of the lead
singer but he always loved the music went along with it. The elegant piano, the
rhythmic hypnotic sound of the guitars and his absolute favorite: the sweeping
violins. Overall, Tenchi adored the song. He gazed at Ryoko and did his best
to keep up with her natural rhythm.
Ryoko smiled, she freed her hand from Tenchi's right, placed her arms around
Tenchi's neck, and rested her head on his chest. Tenchi placed his right hand
on her hips, he felt Ryoko's body press up against him, Tenchi blushed a
little.
(Oh tell me why! Forever dream...} As part of the song sung out.
"Tenchi..." Ryoko whispered into his ear in dreamy way. "This is so romantic..."
"Mmmm..." Tenchi sounded contently. Tenchi found that his arms embraced Ryoko
from around her waist.
{Will you stay with me...}
Tenchi closed his eyes and found himself neck-to-neck with Ryoko. For once, he
wasn't nervous around Ryoko and he loved the feeling of the close and secret
intimacy being shared. This was a side of Ryoko he rarely ever saw, he had the
general thought of her having the care-free-bad-girl persona, except for the
time with the Zero incident. <Maybe it's because of Zero that Ryoko's acting
this way.> Tenchi thought curiously. <She has toned down a bit since then,
except for the time with the king of Jurai. Oh well, whatever, Tenchi. Just
enjoy the moment while it lasts.> He told himself.
Ryoko was already floating with joy as she danced with the man she loved. The
date had went by so well, with a few exceptions, overall, this is the best day
of her life. She basked in the warm soothing energies that was emitted by
Tenchi's soul. Letting every part of her being immerse itself into the
surrounding music and to the person she is dancing with. She didn't realize
until that very moment how good it felt to be assimilated with Zero. If it
weren't for zero's tapped insight into her true feelings for Tenchi. Ryoko
would've never been able to come up with the idea of taking Tenchi out to Naroda
Beach. Because of Zero, Ryoko finally learned how to stay focused whenever
she's around Tenchi.
As Tenchi and Ryoko danced on, they lost track of the dancers, the number of
songs they danced to, and the time. The last song of the dance, "Fly Me to the
Moon", finally ended.
"Tenchi?" Ryoko sounded.
"Yes, Ryoko?"
"What time is it?"
Tenchi held up his wrist behind Ryoko's back and looked at his watch. "It's
eleven o'clock."
"Really?" Ryoko said, facing Tenchi. "Already?"
"Yep."
"Hmm..., looks like the date's almost over. At midnight, my powers will
return."
"Oh Really?"
Ryoko nodded. "I have one last thing to show you, before we call it a night."
"What is it?" Tenchi asked.
"I'll tell you later, as soon as we get Washu's last invention."
"Uhh..., last invention?" Tenchi said nervously.
"You'll see. Trust me."
Ryoko took Tenchi's hand and led him out of the ballroom. They walked towards
the beach house to retrieve Washu's last invention.
***
Night Time in Okayama
Aeka and Sasami were in their room preparing their futons for the night's rest.
Sasami tucked herself into her futon, she peered over and watched as Aeka
prepared her futon.
As Aeka gracefully pulled the blanket aside, she looked through the window next
to her and noticed that the fireflies were abundant. The summer night sky was
filled with stars and full moon was out. Aeka observed the fireflies flying
around in the fields at night, they resembled little orbs of dancing light.
Then, Aeka spotted Shoji, he was walking along the shores of the lake,
as if searching for something.
"Aeka, what are you looking at?" Asked the little princess.
"Shoji is outdoors, wandering about. It appears like he is searching for
something."
"So Aeka, do you think he's cute?"
"Sasami!" Aeka snapped. "I told you not ask me that!"
"Come on, Aeka! He isn't exactly ugly."
"No, I have to admit. He is not publicly impaired."
Sasami gasped. "See! I knew you liked him in someway!" She exclaimed loudly,
as she jumped up and down on her futon.
"Now that is not true! I am only simply stating that he is attractive. Any
girl would say the same thing!" Aeka retorted.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. He's pretty handsome over all." Sasami looked
over to her older sister and noticed a frowned look on Aeka. "Sorry about that
Aeka, I guess I got carried away. I won't say another word about Shoji."
Sasami apologized while laying down in her futon.
"Thank you for understanding, Sasami. My heart is still devoted to Tenchi. No
one else." Aeka affirmed. She started to think about Tenchi and Ryoko all over
again. Trying to bury her worries, she peered over through the window and
stared at Shoji. After a moment of silent thinking, Aeka stood up and made her
way towards the door.
"Where are you going, Aeka?" Sasami asked while sitting up in her futon.
"I am stepping outside to see what Shoji is looking for. I will return
shortly."
Sasami giggled. "Oh really? I am so sure, Aeka." Sasami teased.
"Sasami..." Aeka said sternly.
"Okay, okay! I'll stop! Good night, Aeka!"
"Good night, Sasami. You little joker."
Sasami stuck her tongue out at Aeka. Aeka laughed softly and quietly stepped
out of the room. As soon as Aeka left, Sasami hid herself under her covers
continued on laughing.
Meanwhile, out at the lake, Shoji finally found the perfect spot to sit and
bask in the moonlight. Even though his surroundings were quite alien, most
planets he landed on had beautiful nights. He laid down on the ground and gazed
up at the constellations. Fireflies flew across Shoji's view, he smiled
serenely. <Little stars...> He thought.
"Good evening, Shoji." Greeted Aeka.
Shoji sat up to greet the Amethyst-haired princess. "Good evening, Princess
Aeka."
"Would you like to join me?" Shoji said, offering Aeka a spot next to him.
"Sure, why not." Aeka accepted and sat down next to Shoji.
"What brings you here under the stars?" Asked Shoji.
"Actually, I was wondering about the same thing."
"I just wanted to enjoy my first night on Earth by sleeping out here."
"I see. Well, the nights here are very tranquil. By the way, your fight
against Yosho was very impressive."
"Thank you for your kind words, Princess Aeka."
"My pleasure. If you had not slipped on that patch of mud..."
"On the contrary, I intentionally slipped."
"Oh?" Aeka asked with a startled look. "Why would you do a thing like that?"
"Because if I hadn't, the duel would've lasted longer. I figured that the mock
duel was just for his practice, so I forfeited. Yosho knew, at that moment,
that I slipped on purpose. We were both very tired and we needed an excuse to
stop. So I volunteered to take the plunge."
"Very interesting. You are just as devious as my brother." Aeka joked openly.
"Well, I wouldn't put it in such harsh words..." Shoji said embarrassingly,
rubbing the back of his head. "But yeah, I guess you can say that."
Aeka and Shoji both laughed quietly.
After a minute, the laughing gradually stopped and Shoji looked over to Aeka
with an inquisitive look. "Princess Aeka, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, go ahead. Speak your mind."
"Well, earlier today, as we walked towards the shrine. I've noticed that you
were in deep thought. What seems to be troubling you?"
Aeka was taken aback by Shoji's question. "Well..., it is somewhat of a personal
nature."
"I'm sorry to have asked. Please accept my deep apologies for nosing in on your
personal life."
"No! No! It is alright. You are not here as a mere bodyguard but as an equal
and a friend. Besides, I am rather glad that you asked."
"You are?"
Aeka nodded. "I needed to talk about this to someone, someway or another. Even
though both you and I have just met. I know it is strange but I feel rather
comfortable talking to you."
Shoji smiled. "I'm flattered. I have to admit. Even though you're the Crown
Princess of Jurai, I feel as though you're not. You make me feel like an equal
and I appreciate the welcoming feeling."
"You are very welcome, Shoji."
"So, now that we're friends. What has been troubling your thoughts, in the
recent hours?"
"Well it is more of a WHO than a WHAT."
"Oh, I see..." Shoji said, immediately figuring out Aeka's predicament.
"Well, I have been quite attached to a boy named Tenchi Masaki."
"You mean, the next Crown Prince of Jurai?"
"Yes."
"Where is he? I looked forward in meeting him but he wasn't around."
"That is because he is on a date with Ryoko."
"You mean the space pirate?"
"Yes, her." Aeka said grudgingly.
Shoji was silent and listened on as Aeka told him about the chess game, how she
lost, and Tenchi and Ryoko's date at Naroda Beach.
Aeka continued on, holding in her tears. "Ryoko and I have been competing for
Tenchi's love for the past few years and now..." Aeka paused. "Things seem to
be taking a turn."
"How would you know that?" Shoji inquired.
"I don't really know. I just have a feeling that things will be different after
they return tomorrow. I just know that Tenchi will finally choose between Ryoko
and myself within the next few days. And I am not sure if I am prepared to
see Ryoko walk out as the victor. What should I do?"
"To be honest, I have no real advise as to help guide you in your situation."
"I understand..." Aeka said disappointedly.
"But!" Shoji added. "All I can say is that, there's no way to predict the
oncoming events which are about to unfold for you. Especially, matters
involving love. Instead of focusing on Tenchi's choice between you and Ryoko,
try to focus on the possible outcomes."
"But why? What do you mean by that?"
"I mean. That way, if he chooses you, the joy will be much greater. If he
doesn't choose you, at
least the pain will be much less than unexpected."
"I understand. Thank you for the advice."
"I'm sorry if it's not what you're looking for but that's the best I can give
you."
"Don't say that. Your advice is quite helpful. I didn't think about my
situation on that angle. You sound like you have dealt with this matter
before."
Shoji made a bitter-sweet smile on his face. "Yes, I have. I had my fair
share of Love, just like anybody else."
"Really? How many times have you experienced this?" Aeka asked curiously.
"Very few and not often."
"When was the last time you ever fell in love?" Aeka asked. She looked over and
noticed that Shoji had a hilt of a Juraian Energy sword attached to his belt.
She peered in carefully and noticed that the hilt had a green jewel artificially
melded into its wooden body.
"Last year. It was pure magic." Shoji reminisced with a smile on his face.
Then his smile disappeared and was replaced by a slightly sad look. "but like
all good things, it ended."
"I am sorry to hear that."
"No reason to apologize. That's how life is sometimes, harsh and yet soothing."
"That is most often true." Aeka agreed.
Both silently listened as the sounds of the night came from the countryside and
watched as the yellow fireflies begun to gradually disappear.
After a while of listening, Aeka was finally getting tired, she stood up. "Well,
it is getting late. I better leave. It was nice having that conversation with
you."
"Same here, but before you leave..."
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you a small favor?"
"Sure. Ask away."
"I know this may sound strange, but since this is my first assignment being a
protective guardian for a crown princess, I'd prefer that you would think of me
as your Guardian Angel, instead of a typical bodyguard. If you have any
problems concerning personal matters, please don't hesitate to ask for my help."
Aeka smiled deeply at Shoji's warm sincerity.
"As you wish, Shoji. Even though you're going to be around for a very long
while, I truly appreciate your intentions. From this point on, I will think of
you as my very own guardian angel and nothing less."
"Thank you."
"You're very welcome. Goodnight, Shoji."
"Sleep well, princess Aeka."
Shoji watched as Aeka walked off towards the Masaki home. As soon as she
disappeared into the doorway, Shoji sat down and laid back onto the grass. He
looked up into the starry moon-filled night and started to hum out a small tune
from his past. He closed his eyes and drifted into a dream state.
***
Washu's Last Toy
After returning from the beach house, Tenchi and Ryoko stood at Naroda's
shoreline looking out to sea enjoying the cool nautical breeze. The full moon
was out and the night sky was filled with tiny glimmering beacons of light.
"What is it that you wanted to show me?" Tenchi asked.
"Tenchi, do you know why I chose Naroda Beach to be the place of our first
date?"
"I am curious as to why or how."
"Well, to answer your curiosity, I was watching a small travelling program that
showed on TV last weekend. I became so interested because of the beauty of this
beach."
"You definitely have good taste on your locations."
"Thanks, Tenchi. But besides the obvious, there is also another reason why I
decided on Naroda Beach."
"Oh? And what was that?" Tenchi inquired curiously.
"Well, the Travelers show mentioned that once every month or so, when the moon
is full and the tide is right. With the assistance of colliding underwater
currents, numerous glowing microscopic sea creatures would float up near the
surface."
"Is it close to shore? Where would we find this occurrence?"
"About a half mile out to sea. You don't mind do you?"
"Hmm..., sounds interesting. How do we get there?" Tenchi asked.
"Not to worry, I have it figured out." Ryoko assured. "I knew this would come
in handy some time." She reached into her pocket and pulled out another silver
box. She placed the box into the water and the box automatically unfolded into
a small boat. The boat was painted white and had thin red stripe that ran from
bow to stern. On the left side of the boat, Tenchi noticed a small red crab
icon that held up a small flag saying; "Little Washu's Yacht".
The boat was in the water. Tenchi and Ryoko stepped onto the deck of the boat
and sat down in their seats at the front. Tenchi noticed that the boat did not
have any type of steering mechanism or any other controls to help navigate the
boat.
"How does this thing work?" Tenchi asked looking around.
"You'll see." Ryoko replied.
"Please state your destination." Asked the boat's computer. It had Washu's
voice.
"Wow..." Tenchi said, dumbfounded.
Ryoko giggled at Tenchi's reaction and turned towards the integrated computer
system. "Ok, computer. Take us approximately half a mile out to sea."
"Gotcha." Replied the computer.
The Florescent Sea Creatures
The boat had arrived at the illuminated area of the ocean approximately half
a mile from the shore. The full moon was up and the stars twinkled brightly in
the azure sky. Tenchi and Ryoko were both fixated and amazed by the almost
mystic quality of the luminescent sea plankton.
"See what did I tell you! It's so nice to be out here..."
"It sure is, very peaceful." Tenchi, agreed.
Ryoko sat down next to Tenchi and looked into his eyes, trying to read his soul,
or perhaps even catch a glimpse of his heart. Feeling uncomfortable by her
gaze, Tenchi looked away.
Ryoko lowered her face dejectedly as he broke eye contact.
<I'm never going to get through to him,> Ryoko thought sadly, a little
discouraged.
Refusing to give up, Ryoko reached out and grasped Tenchi's hand. She used her
other hand to tilt his face towards her.
"Tenchi... There's something I want to tell you."
"W-what is it, Ryoko?" He stuttered nervously, his warm brown eyes meeting
Ryoko's gaze once more.
"I've really, really enjoyed being with you today."
"I-uh, have to admit, Ryoko..." Tenchi paused a bit. "Spending time with you
felt..., really good."
"Really!?" Ryoko asked, feeling her heart flutter with happiness.
Tenchi nodded slowly. Ryoko smiled, her gold eyes dancing.
"Would you like to swim with me, Tenchi? It's very nice out here, neh? You
don't mind if you took another dip into the water. Do you?"
"No, I don't mind. Let me get ready and I'll join you in a little bit..."
"Alright!"
Ryoko stood up Clad in her blue bikini, she jumped into the water while Tenchi
remained onboard. Tenchi kicked off his sandals and started to get ready as
well, when he remembered he still had his wallet and camera in his pants pocket.
Not wanting to risk losing them, he reached into his pocket and closed his hand
around it. As he pulled the wallet out, a piece of paper slipped out with it and
floated to the floor. Tenchi stared at it for a moment before realizing it was
from the fortune telling machine he had encountered back on the shopping strip.
As he bent down to pick up the paper, the words written on it flashed in his
mind before he even had a chance to read them.
*Cherish every precious moment you have with her...*
Tenchi glanced at the puzzling phrase one last time before tossing it aside and
moving to the edge of the boat.
"Tenchi, hurry up and jump in!! It's looks so cool out here!"
Tenchi looked over at Ryoko, who was waiting patiently in the green flourescant
water. She smiled at him, returning his gaze.
He smiled back at her and pulled off his shirt. Ryoko wolf whistled teasingly
as she viewed his bare chest, grinning widely.
"Woohoo! Look at that stud!"
Tenchi blushed and jumped into the water. He swam over to Ryoko, smiling as she
came into his view. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked under
the moonlight, her cyan locks damp around her face, her soft gold eyes smiling
at him. After a minute or so of staring in silence at her, Tenchi couldn't
control himself any longer. In a swift, surprising move, he swam up to Ryoko and
did his best to embrace her in the water.
"Tenchi...?? W-what are you...?" Ryoko gaped, feeling her cheeks grow warm.
"It's my way of thanking you for a great day. I had a wonderful time, Ryoko.
Most importantly, you saved Haruo's life."
"Don't mention it, Tenchi. I did what I had to do." Ryoko said softly, smiling
at him. Her heart felt ready to burst with sheer joy; she could scarcely believe
what had just happened.
"Sorry if I looked frightened up there on the boat." Tenchi added sheepishly.
Ryoko laughed quietly, returning the hug tenderly. "Hey, it's alright, Tenchi.
I'm used to it."
"Used to it?" Tenchi frowned at the last remark. "Well, that's going to surely
change."
"Oh? Change in what way?" Ryoko asked curiously with full intention of putting
Tenchi on the spot.
Tenchi flinched. "Uhh, well, funny you should ask that, Ryoko. Uhh..."
"Why am I not surprised?" Ryoko joked.
They suddenly realized they were sinking, due to the weight of their embrace. As
the water line reached their necks, they laughed and without further delay,
separated from each other. Ryoko and Tenchi turned and gazed at each other for a
moment. Ryoko blushed and bit her lip nervously, not wanting to tear her eyes
away from him. Tenchi swallowed hard, vaguely wondering why there seemed to be a
swarm of butterflies in his stomach as he stared into Ryoko's feline eyes.
About a half a mile away, a dog barked from somewhere down the shore. Upon
hearing the noise, both Tenchi and Ryoko abruptly looked away from each other.
Not wanting disappointment to stain the incredible moment she had just shared
with Tenchi, Ryoko decided to distract herself by exploring the lovely
surroundings. She drew in a deep breath and dove underwater.
Hearing the quiet splash, Tenchi timidly glanced to the spot where Ryoko was and
smiled. He sighed and told himself it was probably for the best, letting his
thoughts drift to the fortune teller's advice.
Ryoko dove deeper, trying to catch a glimpse of other sea creatures which may be
lurking in the blue ocean. Her thoughts drifted to her moments with Tenchi, she
thought about the way he held her during the dance, the way he approached her to
embrace in the water, she smiled. Ryoko closed her eyes and sighed blissfully.
Suddenly, the ocean seemed to lurch and she felt herself violently hit by surge
of water. Startled by the sudden disappearance of the sea creatures, Ryoko
realized that a strong current had swept her to a deeper and darker location.
<I'm gonna run out of air! I better get to the top before I'm in really
big trouble!> She, thought frantically as she tried to swim towards the
surface but the darkness of the water disoriented her and she lost all sense of
direction. Her eyes began to sting and her lungs began to burn from exhaustion.
Ryoko felt herself frightened as she desperately tried to figure out a way out
of the black, freezing water. The cold isolation started to resurface memories
she preferred to have kept buried in the far depths of her mind. Memories
of her long, torturous 700 year imprisonment in the Masaki cave. Unpleasant
thoughts started to ruthlessly flood her mind. And worse, she was far away from
Tenchi. The thought of not being able to be see Tenchi ever again filled her
with terror and caused Ryoko to panic in the water.
Meanwhile, Tenchi was still waiting for Ryoko to resurface. He looked at his
sports watch and realized that he had already been waiting for nearly three
minutes.
Tenchi frowned and decided to look for Ryoko. He dove underwater and swam
around the vicinity, searching the waters for a few minutes. She was nowhere to
be found. Tenchi resurfaced, hoping to find her on the surface. His throat
tightened in fear upon seeing she wasn't.
"Ryoko! Can you hear me?!" Tenchi called out frantically in every direction.
No response.
"Not again. Where are you, Ryoko!!"
Deep in the black ocean, Ryoko fought to keep the seawater from flooding
into her mouth.
After a few moments of desperate struggle, the remaining air finally escaped her
lungs and she took in a mouthful of liquid, she helplessly watched her
surroundings began to blur and fade. She felt her thoughts drift into
nothingness.
Feeling herself lose consciousness, Ryoko focused her last thought on Tenchi...
As Tenchi continued his search for Ryoko, underwater, he felt an alarm bell go
off in his mind. He had felt this sensation twice before, once in the Souja,
before his battle with Kagato, and once in Washu's lab, when the whole Zero
business had begun. He heard Ryoko's voice calling out his name.
Acting more on instinct and feeling than on rational thought, Tenchi dove even
deeper. As he reached a certain depth, he recognized the first signs of an
existing undercurrent. The temperature shifted from warm to cold when suddenly,
Tenchi felt a rush of water surround his body and rapidly carry him off into the
abyss. After a few seconds of fighting the pressure, the current finally slowed
down. Tenchi regained his composure, he continued his search, somehow feeling
Ryoko's presence somewhere nearby.
Off in the distance, Tenchi spotted a familiar light glowing dimly and
realized that it was emitted from Ryoko's gem.
Tenchi quickly swam towards the beacon and to his horror, found Ryoko suspended
in mid-water. She didn't appear to be conscious. Trying his best to keep panic
from overwhelming him, Tenchi got a hold on Ryoko and slowly ascended back to
the surface.
He finally broke the ocean surface and screamed for Washu's boat. The boat
immediately rushed towards them. Tenchi tiredly climbed onto the boat and pulled
Ryoko after him. Once inside the boat, Tenchi frantically checked Ryoko's vital
signs and felt a cold fear in his stomach when he didn't find any. Without
hesitating, he went to enact what he had learned in the health classes he had
thought to be so boring in school.
Tenchi turned Ryoko over, laying her flat on her back and placed a hand on her
forehead, tilting her head and clearing her airway. He leaned forward, closing
her nose with one hand and pressed his mouth against hers, breathing deeply into
her. He paused, watching her chest rise, then continued blowing in breath after
breath of air into her mouth.
"Come on! Breathe!" Tenchi yelled, his brown eyes filled with fear.
Tenchi put his hands together above Ryoko's mid-chest and started to
rhythmically press her heart, trying to start up blood flow.
"Don't you dare give up on me, Ryoko! I know you! Don't you dare leave me
like this!" Tenchi cried out as he pumped.
'Cherish every precious moment you have with her..." The haunting words
kept going through Tenchi's mind as he struggled to save Ryoko.
"You're stronger than this, Ryoko! Please, do something to let me know you're
still here!"
He blew in another deep breath into Ryoko's mouth. After each breath, Tenchi
pumped her chest, and vice versa, alternating the actions with each movement.
The ordeal seemed to last a lifetime, with no visible results. Tenchi bit his
lip hard to keep from screaming in fear and frustration, but he refused to give
up. As the minutes passed, he felt hope start to diminish. Pumping Ryoko's
chest, Tenchi shut his eyes tightly and silently prayed.
Suddenly, his prayer seemed to be answered as Ryoko convulsed and spat out the
seawater that had filled her lungs. She turned from side to side, coughing
violently then stopped and laid still, gulping in air. Tenchi watched her in
silence as his eyes welled up with tears of joy and relief. Ryoko lay quietly
on the deck, catching her breath and adjusting to the atmosphere.
After a moment of uneasy silence, Ryoko burst into tears. She tried to turn
away, wanting to avoid Tenchi's concerned gaze, but her body felt weak and
heavy, and she wouldn't respond. Tenchi bolted forward and pulled Ryoko into his
arms, hugging her as tightly as he could.
"Don't you ever swim away from me like that ever again! I thought I'd lost
you!" he whispered in her ear, his voice thick with tears. Ryoko barely managed
a dazed nod and closed her eyes, leaning exhaustedly against him.
"Computer! Take us back to shore!" Tenchi commanded loudly at the boat.
"Gotcha." Said the computer.
Tenchi grabbed a wool blanket that lay nearby and wrapped it around Ryoko, then
sat down and held her tightly against him, rubbing her arms occasionally. They
sat in this position for the remainder of the boat ride, neither of them
speaking. Ryoko was very still and quiet, tears slowly trickling down her
cheeks. Worried by her silence, Tenchi glanced at her and saw her tears. He
gently tried to wipe them away with the back of his hand.
"It's alright, it's okay. You're safe now." he whispered in a soft, reassuring
tone.
Ryoko remained silent, her mind still in shock from the experience she had
endured.
Safe Haven
Tenchi quickly opened the door to the beach house. He carried Ryoko through the
hallway into the replica of his room. As he walked, he looked down at her to
see how she was doing, he felt Ryoko shivering in his arms. He quickened the
pace and finally reached the door to the room. Tenchi walked in and carefully
placed Ryoko onto a nearby bed. Ryoko sat upright near the edge of the bed
staring blankly at the floor, looking very vulnerable. Tenchi stared at her
with great concern.
"Everything will be alright, Ryoko." Tenchi assured, putting a hand on her
shoulders. "I'll look for something for you to wear." He quickly stepped over
to a nearby closet, hoping to find any dry clothes. Tenchi opened the closet
door and browsed through the selection of shirts and pajamas.
Tenchi chose a set of pajamas that consisted of white pants and button up shirt
then walked over to Ryoko and noticed that she was too exhausted to change from
her wet swimsuit. But before he can actually change her, he had to wash away
all the salt water from her body. Tenchi noticed the faraway look on Ryoko's
expression, he became even more concerned. He guided her into the shower room,
Tenchi looked the other way as Ryoko took off her bikini. After Ryoko took her
bikini off, Tenchi walked out of the bathroom and headed back towards the
bedroom.
Throughout the four minute shower, the hot water cascaded her entire body, Ryoko
tried to wash away her frustration. Suddenly, due to her fatigue, Ryoko's leg
trembled, she slipped and fell onto the wet-tiled floor. She silently growled,
slowly, she stood up and leaned against the walls of the shower. Ryoko tilted
her head up, allowing her face to be bombarded by streaming warm water. With
all the strength she had that remained, Ryoko punched the shower wall. Ryoko
looked down and her body trembled. After a silent moment, tears of frustration
mix in with the hot shower water. Tenchi waited in the bedroom while Ryoko did
her final rinse off. Then she turned the faucet over. Ryoko stepped out from
the shower, grabbed a nearby towel and dried off. After she dried off, Ryoko
grabbed the pajamas Tenchi handed her and slipped into them. The white pajamas
fitted snuggly and comfortably. Ryoko walked about clumsily, suddenly, her
exhaustion overtook her and she collapsed onto the floor.
Hearing a loud thump emanating from the hallway, Tenchi walked out of the
bedroom and found Ryoko lying on the floor, unconscious.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi yelled, full of worry, as he ran to her. He picked up Ryoko in
his arms and carried her towards the bedroom.
He opened the door and placed Ryoko onto to a nearby bed. Tenchi pulled the
sheets over to one side and gently tucked Ryoko in. He pulled the sheets over
Ryoko to keep her warm. Tenchi stood up and stared at her with worried eyes.
Too consumed with anxiety to stay in Ryoko's presence, Tenchi walked out of the
room and headed off to the balcony. On his way to the balcony, Tenchi grabbed a
blanket and pillow from a closet to sleep with. Tenchi reached the balcony and
seated himself down on the largest pull-back patio chair, planning to sleep
silently under the stars. Tenchi sat down, positioned his pillow, he laid back
and looked up at the peaceful starry twilight. He let out a long sigh.
<What a day.> He thought exhaustedly. <Ryoko won't say a word to me. Can't
say that I blame her. She was nearly killed today.>
Meanwhile back in the bedroom, Ryoko opened her eyes and realized that she was
in bed. She knew right away Tenchi had placed her there. She angrily pushed
the blanket off and limped her way towards the patio.
Tenchi sighed and decided to go to sleep. He sat up and pulled off his watch
from his wrist. Tenchi checked the time and the watch read five minutes before
midnight. As Tenchi placed his wrist watch onto the patio table, he felt a
presence.
"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, leaning against the doorway.
"Ryoko?!" Tenchi said, surprised. "What are you doing here? You should be in
bed, getting some rest!"
"I know..." Ryoko said and looked away shamefully.
"Do you? Then why are you standing there? C'mon, let me help you get back to
your bed."
Tenchi stood up and walked over to Ryoko. He gently took her arm and was about
to guide Ryoko back to her but she forcefully pulled away.
"I don't want to go back to that room, Tenchi."
"Why not? You need your rest."
"No. I'm fine." Ryoko refused again. "I just don't want to be left alone.
Not after what happened."
With all her strength, Ryoko stepped away from the doorway, but her legs started
to falter. Tenchi immediately caught Ryoko between his arms. He guided her to
the patio chair that Tenchi had used. They both sat down. Tenchi gazed at
Ryoko with great concern but she looked away.
"Please Tenchi, don't look at me like that. Not while I'm looking like this."
Ryoko said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Tenchi was clearly startled by Ryoko's last statement.
"What do you mean by that, Ryoko?"
"Just take a look at me, Tenchi!" Ryoko yelled out. Tears going down her
cheeks. "I'm weak! I can't believe that for a few short hours I was the
Rescuer and now, I'm the Rescuee! I nearly drowned today!"
"But..."
Ryoko cuts Tenchi off. "Me! Drowning! I don't believe this! Nearly all my
life, I believed I was strong and almost nothing could take me down! Not even
fate! I chose today to go without my powers and in return, fate played games
with me!"
"That may be but..." Tenchi tried to jump in but failed.
"I was so foolish to go a day without my powers! I've never felt so weak and
pitiful in all my life!" Ryoko yelled angrily, held her arms up clenching her
fists.
"Ryoko..." Tenchi said but it was futile.
"I'll never play little miss weak again! Never! This is the last time I'm ever
going to go without my powers! The things I do to win your love!"
As Ryoko screamed and cursed herself, Tenchi was at a loss. He couldn't think
of a way to calm Ryoko's frustration. He stared at Ryoko's face and noticed the
cascade of tears flowing from her pained golden eyes.
"You just don't realize how much hurt it's caused me! I thought I was back in
the cave!" She said, her voice heavy and shaky. "I've never felt so alone, so
cold, so weak, so...stupid!!!"
Tenchi's brow raised at Ryoko's last remark. He became more engrossed into her
emotional babble.
<Cherish every precious moment you have with her...> Sparked through Tenchi's
mind for the very last time.
"I am such an idiot to come here without my powers! No! Not an idiot, more of
an imbecile!"
At the spur of the moment, Tenchi immediately embraced Ryoko and muffled her
babble with a carefully timed kiss. Shocked by Tenchi's unexpected move,
Ryoko's grasp of her tough-girl-persona slipped, her arms relaxed, she
unclenched her fists and relaxed in Tenchi's arms. She felt his caring energy
flow from her lips which brought peace to her frantic soul. Ryoko felt her mind
calm as she experienced Tenchi's lips kissing along her lips. This was her VERY
first kiss, it felt like an invisible blanket had wrapped around her, keeping
her warm and secure. A long, slow, warm tear rolled down her left cheek, she
knew at that moment, that she was inside...
As Tenchi kissed Ryoko, he opened his eyes and found himself lip-locking with
the cyan-haired beauty. His tact to calm Ryoko had worked. Slowly, Tenchi
pulled away from Ryoko's lips, he gazed into her tearful golden eyes and hugged
her tighter.
"Don't punish yourself like that! Going on without your powers is besides the
point! Don't you realize that I've nearly lost you today! I never realized IT
until to-!" He corrected himself. "Until now!"
"Tenchi...I..."
"Please..." Tenchi said softly. "Don't say another word, you've said enough as
of tonight. I know you don't want to be left alone, don't you worry, I'm here
right now. I won't leave you alone. I know what you're going through, so
please, just sleep it off. I'll be right here, right next to you, to keep your
troubles away. "
Ryoko's sad look disappeared from her face, she nodded slightly. Both quietly
laid back against the chair. Ryoko rested her head on Tenchi's chest and
gathered the warmth of his gentle soul. Tenchi carefully placed his arms around
her as if trying to wrap the night around her. Ryoko closed her eyes and
immediately succumbed to her exhaustion. Tenchi watched as Ryoko fell into
slumber, he felt her tense body finally relax. Then he pulled the blanket over
Ryoko to keep her warm from the cool sea breeze. He looked at the sleeping Oni
and felt the returning presence of Ryoko's powers. Tenchi looked under the
blanket and saw Ryoko's gem emitting a bright brilliant light, he smiled. He
looked up at the numerous constellations that decorated the night sky. The day
was one hell of a roller coaster ride, emotionally. Tenchi sighed and gazed
back at Ryoko. He held her tighter in his arms and felt the comforting warmth
emanating from her. Tenchi rested his head against Ryoko's and closed his
eyes.
As his mind drifted off, Tenchi knew that from that point on, he will do his
best to cherish every precious moment with Ryoko....
Ryoko?
No.
Not just Ryoko.
His Ryoko.
To Be Continued...
Alright folks, choose a new ending song...
Song #1
Fly Me to the Moon
By CLAIRE
Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words,
Hold my hand
In other words,
Darling kiss me.
Fill my heart with song
And let me sing forever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore!
In other words,
Please be true!
In other words,
I love you...
Only you...
Song #2
Nobody Does It Better
By
Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager
Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it, half as good as you
Baby, you're the best
I wasn't looking, but somehow you found me
I tried to hide from your love by...
Like heaven above me, The Oni who loved me
'Cause keeping all my secrets safe tonight!
And, Nobody does it better
Though sometimes I wish someone could...
Nobody does it...
Quite the way you do
Why'd you have to be so good!
The way that you hold me
Whenever you hold me
There's some kind of magic inside of you
That keeps me from running
But just keep it coming!
How'd you learn to do the things you do
And, Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it, half as good as you
Baby, baby!
Darling you're the best!
Baby, you're the best!
Or whatever song you choose.
Author's note:
Well folks, there you have it! You have just read the most important chapter of
the whole FF series! Tenchi had finally chosen! I have to admit, it was a
great challenge of writing this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me what
you think!
Special Thanks goes out to Ryoko MR (especially), Random, Lord Talon, Cman1701,
Laith and of course the Crazy Aussie man, Sir Bean.
