To reply, post publically or e-mail the author at dfroeder@flash.net
Enjoy!
The FFML Refugee List
The stone steps were eternal, in any practical sense of the word,
and for as long as he could remember, there was an almost
ritualistic quality to climbing the long stairwell to his house,
or the even longer trek to the shrine, suitably higher on the
hill. The ritual ascent carried additional solemnity today: Masaki
Tenchi had graduated from high school.
He'd grown in the last year or so, something typical for persons
of Juraian heritage, or so Aeka had told him; a late growth spurt
before maturity, giving him added height and lengthening his
features just enough to make him almost the spitting image of his
grandfather when he was young. He'd even taken to wearing his hair
longer, strengthening the resemblance to the Yousho of times
past... or to a young man artificially aged in a pocket dimension.
He shook his head, scattering that line of thought.
College, or the possibility of it, loomed large in the very near
future, but it did not weigh heavily on his mind. Rather, each
step higher brought increasing thoughts of other long but pleasant
burdens, of some matters avoided, of a few decisions deferred...
and of two secrets kept.
His six-month absence during the 'Incident', as everyone had come
to call it, had set him back a year in school, but he wasn't
particularly troubled by it. He still enjoyed his school friends,
but life was home, and the strange, exotic, or enigmatic but
always wonderful people who shared it. He had become addicted to
the carnival of his life, even when the ride became rough or
dangerous.
Mihoshi, bubbling and cheerful, was always trying her hardest to
do the right thing, only to end up getting in her own way. The
cool professionalism of Kiyone, someone Tenchi admired greatly
both for the aforementioned trait and her practiced but limited
patience with Mihoshi. He chuckled to himself.
Sasami's control of the household was a wonder to behold, and she
was perhaps the nicest person he'd ever known, if a bit
mischievous now and again. She bent over backwards to see that
everyone was fed and cared for. Aeka, sometimes cool and aloof,
other times warm and caring, charmed him with the combination.
Ryouko--
A flash of red caught his eye just before he reached the landing
for the house. Tenchi stopped and stared at the steps in front of
him, his vision narrowing to a red camellia blossom that had
drifted down from another part of the grounds, most likely from
the tree behind the shrine; a rooted transplant, not the original.
Its petals fluttered in the soft breeze, drawing the eye to its
raised, golden center.
"Haruna..." He sat down on the steps and picked up the blossom,
twirling the stem thoughtfully between thumb and forefinger, and
sighed. Two secrets kept. He'd lied... twice, although the
realization of it had crept up on him. One lie to everyone and one
lie to a single person over whom he'd slowly come to brood.
Still holding the flower, Tenchi rose and walked the remaining
distance to his home, built by his father out of love for his
mother. He paused at the gate where the Guardians were stationed,
hesitant to continue on, knowing his brooding would be
interrupted.
"Camellia," Azaka said.
"A fine specimen," Kamidake added.
"Its flowering season is about over, though," Azaka continued.
"Making way for others," Kamidake concluded. "Still, a fine
specimen."
Tenchi stood there, thinking, and then slowly and wistfully
smiled. "Yes, she was beautiful in her own way at that... Thanks,
guys." Taking a full draught of the bloom's fragrance, he swung
the gate open and sauntered in, his mood lighter. <Sweet dreams,
Haruna.>
After Tenchi entered the house, Azaka and Kamidake peered at each
other with their oculars. "What did he mean by that?" Kamidake
asked.
"Difficult to say, but it sounded complicated," Azaka said.
====================
In vino veritas
A Tenchi Muyou! in Love 2 (Tenchi Forever) FanFiction
By
D.F. Roeder
Disclaimers, Acknowledgments, Author's Notes, and Glossary at the
end.
This and other fanfiction of mine can be found at:
http://home.flash.net/~dfroeder/index.html
C&C very welcome, either publicly to the assorted mailing lists or
privately to mailto:dfroeder@flash.net.
====================
PART ONE
____________________
Sasami had outdone herself: Tenchi's first meal as a graduate was
an Earth-Juraian culinary tour-de-force. He leaned back into the
sofa, stuffed with delicious foods both well-known and alien,
feeling like nothing more than a space whale beached on a deserted
moon. The family, related and otherwise, gathered in the den, and
Washuu regaled them with the trials and tribulations of one of her
latest inventions. She was an intriguing image as she spoke, and
Tenchi reached for two items that had become his constant
companions since the 'Incident'.
He opened the sketchpad and pulled the pencil out of the tunnel of
spiral binding. Quickly penciling in the outlines of Washuu's face
and body, he chose an expression she often wore when telling a
story, with arms in motion and crab-locks of hair bouncing. Washuu
was a favorite subject of his; despite her age, there was a
certain free innocence in the diminutive woman, hiding underneath
her sometimes hard and seemingly insane exterior. It was
fascinating to try to capture it on paper. He paused. <Or
recapture?> He let that thought die without further examination.
Tenchi could feel Aeka's and Ryouko's eyes on him, and he smiled
to himself. Drawing had always been a talent of his -- his
father's legacy, he imagined -- but he'd never really done much of
it before the 'Incident'. Haruna had awakened some need in him to
create when she'd pulled him into the world she'd made; an
unforeseen byproduct of that experience. Now that he was drawing
often, however, it always seemed to unnerve a certain two of his
housemates. He frowned minutely -- that wasn't entirely fair. He'd
caught everyone scrutinizing him at least once, making sure that
all of him had returned, that nothing had been left behind... or
lost.
As Washuu wound up her tale, Tenchi hurried to complete his
sketch. Almost in unison, the two of them finished. Washuu's
audience laughed, and with a flourish, Tenchi tore the sheet off
and handed it to her as a spur-of-the-moment present.
She took the drawing, her eyes widening. "Wow! You're pretty good,
Tenchi-dono!" She looked up to see him smiling at her. She blushed
and lowered her head, looking back at the picture. "Arigatou...
Tenchi."
Aeka and Ryouko were burning holes in Washuu with their eyes, but
she and Tenchi ignored them. "No problem, Washuu-chan," Tenchi
said. "It was a good story."
"Arigatou, Tenchi-dono." Washuu was flustered, but her mercurial
personality soon washed it away as the gathered people continued
to have fun. It wasn't long before the sake was broken out, and
even Tenchi partook, much to everyone's surprise.
He caught Ryouko grinning at him as he sipped, and he returned the
gesture, further surprising her. Like Washuu, she blushed and
looked away, but would quickly glance at him from the corner of
her eye, a snapshot every few seconds. Tenchi chuckled, and then
coughed as the harsh liquor burned down his throat.
Tenchi made a profound discovery: he was a moody drunk. For the
first several rounds, he continued to get happier and happier,
temporarily forgetting any troubles, but he soon crossed some
unknown threshold and his mood started graying. It wasn't
depression, just a low-level brooding, similar to but stronger
than his state from earlier in the day. The group went on, getting
noisier and noisier, and he realized it was becoming irritating.
Grabbing an unopened bottle off the table, Tenchi stood and walked
in a reasonably straight line to the door.
"Oi, Tenchi! Where're you going?" his grandfather asked, a knowing
look still present on his pickled face.
"Some air. Need air." Tenchi opened the front door and quickly
closed it behind him. "Ah. Better... Maybe a walk..." He eyed the
stairs distrustfully, so he wandered down one of the forest trails
that disappeared into the darkness along the side of the hill.
"Lies, lies, lies..." he muttered, stumbling along and slowly
losing awareness of his surroundings as he dwelled on his
thoughts. "I'm so tired of it."
He came to himself after a long while and looked around. He
grimaced at the sight of an old and now-dead camellia tree:
Haruna's tree. The sake was exerting more of a hold on him, so he
stumbled over and sat down heavily at the base of the burned and
split trunk. He sat there for a long time, his forearms resting on
his knees, the unopened bottle hanging loosely from the fingers of
his left hand, lost in memory.
~~~~~
"Old man, have you seen Tenchi?" Ryouko asked the bleary-eyed
Katsuhito.
"Err, not recently. Problem?"
"I'm worried. The last time..." She trailed off.
"Mmmm." He nodded. "He shouldn't have gone out alone, I suppose.
Shall we have a look around?"
Ryouko smiled in relief. "Thanks." She had to step over a comatose
Aeka and Mihoshi. Kiyone was still awake, sitting in a cushy chair
and singing into a microphone in a language Ryouko didn't
recognize.
<Everything in this house has meaning for me, just like that old
karaoke machine,> Ryouko thought as she fondly remembered the good
times on the group's way to Jurai. She shook her head, smiling,
and followed Katsuhito out of her home, her expression fading to
worry.
~~~~~
Tenchi had dozed off, but he awoke with a jerk. Blinking, he
groggily brought the unopened sake bottle to his face, peering at
it. Nodding to himself, he peeled the foil seal off and took a
sip.
"BWRACK!!" He spit the liquid out. "Bleah. Jiichan was wrong: it
*doesn't* get better the more you drink." His stomach churned.
"Ohhh... No more, please."
Setting the bottle down, he rubbed his belly with one hand while
massaging his forehead with the other. "I'm going to regret this
tomorrow, just as soon as Ryouko sneaks in and wakes me up." He
giggled at a passing fancy of grabbing her and kissing her madly.
<Wouldn't she be surprised...> His mood soured almost instantly.
"No you don't, Tenchi." He sighed, wistful again.
He rolled over onto his hands and knees and returned to an upright
position by working his palms up the tree's trunk. Once standing,
his gaze continued up the split in the bole to where the single
trunk divided into many branches.
"Haruna..."
He backed away several paces, unaware of the two figures that
ghosted into being behind him.
"Gomen na, Haruna, but you were wrong." He stumbled forward again,
picked up the bottle, and poured the rest of the sake on the tree,
washing it like a grave marker.
"Rest in peace, Haruna."
A voice pointedly coughed, and Tenchi whirled around to see his
grandfather and a wide-eyed Ryouko.
"Oh, boy... I'm in it deep now," he muttered. He took a step
forward, but the other foot caught on a root when he tried to
bring it up, and Tenchi fell on his face. "Iteee!"
"Tenchi!" Ryouko fluttered in teleport and reappeared next to him,
helping him to sit up and rubbing his shoulders. Katsuhito walked
up and joined them, but nothing was said for several moments.
Tenchi was staring at the ground between his knees when he finally
spoke.
"Haruna was wrong, Jiichan. I... I remember... everything. Not at
first, but it crept back up on me, little by little." He absently
rubbed his left ring finger. "Everything."
Before Katsuhito could reply, Ryouko said, "BUT... but you acted
like... you didn't remember... Tenchi, why didn't you say
something?"
Tenchi laughed ruefully. "I thought it would be easier on you. I
didn't want to hurt you... talking about it. You tried so hard to
get me back, I--"
"Me and Aeka can take it, Tenchi," she answered a little crossly.
"We don't break too easy."
"Uh... yeah, you and Aeka..."
Katsuhito raised an eyebrow, but refrained from speaking. Another
period of silence followed.
"You saved me, you know," Tenchi abruptly continued.
"Well, yeah," Ryouko answered. "I got you out before it all
disappeared."
"No, no. That's not what I meant." He finally raised his head and
looked at her with bloodshot eyes. His hand reached out and
clumsily caressed her cheek. "Your face. It wouldn't go away. It
gave me a real pounding headache, too."
Tenchi giggled drunkenly, but it disappeared as quickly as it
came. He picked up a loose red petal on the ground. "I kept
drawing it and drawing it, seeing it everywhere I looked, and
Haruna kept tearing them up and crying about it and... and--"
"Um, what are you saying, Tenchi?" Ryouko was blushing heavily and
her breathing was becoming ragged. Without them being aware of it,
Katsuhito moved a discreet distance away. Tenchi dropped the petal
and looked into her eyes, his own going soft.
"You made me remember, and you weren't even there."
Ryouko blink-blinked, and then stared at him for a long moment
before gathering him up and crushing him in a hug. She finally let
him go and sat back on her shins, her eyes moist and her voice
catching. In passing, she noticed his color was changing and his
jaw was sagging, but the observation wasn't important enough to
get past her fearful joy.
"Does... does this mean that you... I... ?!"
"Ryou-- ko," Tenchi falteringly muttered, bending over at the
waist, "I... I..." He scooted to the side, leaned over the ground,
placing his palms on the leaf litter, and began emptying the
contents of his stomach onto the ground.
"I... I..." *COUGH!* "love... you..." Another set of heaves
cleaned out whatever was left. Tenchi fell to his side, groaning,
and Katsuhito returned and helped him sit up.
Ryouko was frozen. Joyed warred with an unfamiliar emotion on her
face; something felt... off about the scene, like she should be
angry instead of happy. In the end, she couldn't get her mind to
process it, so she shrugged, stood, and helped Katsuhito get
Tenchi to his feet. They both walked him back down the path
towards the house, the brooding nighttime forest swallowing them.
The branches of the broken camellia tree swayed and creaked with
the silent breeze.
____________________
Aeka, First Crown Princess of Jurai, was beginning to see herself
as a veteran campaigner in the space-pirate liquor wars. She
padded, and sometimes stumbled, downstairs for a cool glass of
water to wash away the 2:00 AM cotton in her mouth.
"Ugph." The smell of sake was still strong on the ground floor.
She pushed open the door to the kitchen and flipped up the wall
switch, turning on the harsh lighting.
"Oww..."
"Owie..."
Aeka blinked. "Ryouko-san? What are you doing up? ... And STILL
drinking?!"
Ryouko peered at her balefully with one reddened yellow eye. "Go
'way, Oujochan. I'm not in th' mood for a fight right now."
Aeka studied her for a moment, and then nodded distractedly. She
crossed the room to the sink and filled a glass from the
cold-water tap, taking a long drink. She stood in place for a few
seconds, and then walked over and sat down at the table opposite
Ryouko. Nothing was said for several moments as they both sipped
at their respective beverages.
Aeka delicately coughed once. "You remind me of how you were
before I talked you into going back for him... that last time."
Ryouko shifted around, but didn't say anything.
"I see... I... I will leave you to your thoughts." Aeka made to
rise, but Ryouko's hand quickly lay atop her own before she could
move.
"No! Um, no... Please stay... Aeka. That is, if you want to..."
The princess settled back and leveled her gaze at the pirate.
"Something happened earlier, or you wouldn't be this, ah, needy
for company."
Snorting, Ryouko said, "Can't put one by the best Jurai has to
offer, can I?"
"Not on your life, uncouth pirate."
Ryouko opened her mouth to retort, but she stopped and slowly
closed it, smiling wanly. "I'm... glad, to tell the truth." She
picked up her sake cup and quickly drained it, looking at Aeka
over the rim. She set the empty cup down. "I... like having you
around, Aeka."
The princess stared, then slowly smiled wanly in return. "I
understand. I... suppose I feel the same... most of the time."
They regarded one another, and then broke into giggles.
After calming down, Aeka said, "Now, what is troubling you,
Ryouko-san?"
The color drained out of Ryouko's face, and she lightly flicked
the edge of the empty sake cup with her forefinger, studying the
motion.
"Tenchi got... really smashed tonight. He wandered off and ended
up at *her* tree." She ignored Aeka's sharp intake of breath. "I
learned a couple of things, too." She looked back up at her
friend. "He *does* remember."
"WHAT?! Um, what?"
Ryouko nodded. "It all came back to him, slowly, and he's been
hiding it."
Aeka turned that revelation over in her head a few times, but
ended up frustrated. "I don't understand. Why? I mean, why hide
it?"
The cyan-haired woman nervously peeled the seal off of a fresh
bottle of sake and took a long pull straight from it. "Ahhh!
Courage in a bottle."
Her friend and rival quirked an eyebrow, and Ryouko smiled
sheepishly. "Remember what we just said, Aeka. I *like* having you
around." She set the sake down with a thump and placed her
forehead in her hands, elbows resting on the table.
"He... He said he kept seeing my face, drawing my face, and Haruna
kept tearing them up. He said that I helped him to remember even
though I wasn't there. He said... He said..." Between her wrists
she could see the tablecloth creasing inside Aeka's fists. "He
said... he... loved me."
Ryouko tensed, closing her eyes and waiting for the explosion,
waiting for the pain, for the scream, the tears, hate. Instead,
the hiss of hands on cloth reached her ears, and Ryouko
straightened, opening her eyes. With a neutral expression, an
almost empty expression, Aeka's gaze followed her own fingers as
they ran down creases, trying to smooth away the lines.
She waited, as Aeka smoothed.
"If what you say is true," the princess evenly mused after a long
moment, "why are you brooding and drinking by yourself?" Aeka's
red eyes narrowed slightly at the flash of something unreadable on
Ryouko's face. "The truth, Ryouko."
Cyan hair bounced slightly as Ryouko sighed. "He was throwing his
guts up while saying it."
Aeka winced. "I... see...." Feelings of sympathy rose in her in
spite of her personal pain. "What are you feeling?"
Ryouko chuckled dryly. "I should be jumping for joy, shouldn't I?
It's what I've been waitin' for, waitin' to hear, right? What
we've been fightin' over, ne?" She started having trouble focusing
her eyes.
"... And instead?" Aeka softly asked.
She barked a laugh. "I'm... disappointed. Go figure. Bad-ass space
pirate, disappointed because loverboy threw up his supper along
with 'I love you'. Hahaha! I should tell that one to Nagi. Heheh,
Heh... ..."
The overhead lamp glinted off of Ryouko's moist face as she
lowered it, and the soft sniffles tore jagged, mortal wounds in
the life-long feud between the two women, a feud that had already
had one foot in the grave since the months they'd spent searching
for Tenchi together. Aeka rose and sat next to Ryouko, pulling her
into her embrace. Ryouko snaked her arms around Aeka's torso and
buried her face in her shoulder, still only sniffling.
"What's wrong with me?" Ryouko asked, her voice muffled.
Stroking the spiky hair and mildly amazed at its softness, Aeka
said, "You're just like every other woman who dreams pretty dreams
of love, Ryouko." She laced her fingers on Ryouko's back. "Just
like everyone else... Just like me." Aeka rocked her, letting her
warmth flow into the other, putting off her own disappointment for
later.
"I may get Tenchi, but did I win?" Ryouko eventually asked.
"I... don't know what you mean." Aeka released her, and Ryouko sat
back and turned her head away.
"If, if you leave... I win... and lose."
Aeka clasped her hands in her lap and sighed, but before she could
speak, the kitchen door pushed open to reveal Sasami, rubbing her
moist eyes.
"Oneesama, I had a bad dream, and you were gone." She blinked at
seeing Ryouko's tears. "Ryouko-oneechan, did you have a bad dream,
too?"
"Hey, Sasami." Ryouko wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Uh... not
exactly, but... not as good as I wanted... I guess."
Sasami squeezed past Aeka and gathered them both in a hug. "I
dreamt that everybody went away! I hate that dream." She squeezed
her sister and her friend a little tighter. "As long as we're all
together, everything's all right. The bad dreams can't hurt us."
The two women stared into each other's eyes over Sasami's head.
~~~~~
Depressed, Aeka strode into the kitchen, glanced at the four, the
zero, and the seven on the stove clock, and bent down in front of
a cabinet. Opening the cabinet door, she loaded a handy basket
with the remaining sake bottles, adding a cup as an afterthought.
She left the kitchen, turning off the light, and disappeared into
the ladies' bath.
____________________
A slice of morning sunlight slowly crept up his face to happily
shine directly across his closed eyelids. The scream of chemically
abused optic nerves elicited a groan and a rolling of the head out
of the path of the offending photons. After a moment, he blinked
his eyes open to see a blurry figure sitting next to the bed.
Surprise made him sit up, "Aeka-san!" much too quickly. "Ohhh...
Ow." He pressed his fists into his temples.
"Feeling poorly this morning, Tenchi-sama?" Aeka asked, her voice
a dull monotone.
Tenchi instantly stopped his self-ministrations and, peering from
under his eyebrows, took a closer look at Aeka. It was then that
he noticed her color was off, even a little gray, and she wasn't
sitting so much as slumping in her chair.
"I've... been better," he finally said. "How are you?"
"About the same as you. Isn't sake in excess wonderful?" she dryly
remarked.
"Ahhh, heh, well..." Tenchi sat up and twisted to put his feet on
the floor, then regretted the movement, cradling his head in his
hands. "Oooh, how does Jiichan do it? He's probably already seeing
people at the shrine."
"Superior Juraian constitution... perhaps."
Chuckling wryly, Tenchi said, "Are you saying I'm a
featherweight?"
To his surprise, Aeka frowned. "No, Tenchi-sama. Never that."
Surprised again, he placed his hands on his knees. "What can I do
for you this morning, Aeka-san?"
"I was thinking..." She trailed off, then smiled a little
evasively. "I was thinking I am always chastising Ryouko-san for
doing this when I hadn't experienced it myself."
"Uh--"
"I must admit to not quite understanding what she sees in it, but
perhaps that is the sake's fault."
"Aeka-san--"
"Why didn't you want to be emperor, Tenchi?" she asked abruptly, a
short burst of courage.
<So...> He massaged his knees absently. "You spoke to Ryouko after
I came back last night."
"... Hai."
Tenchi closed his eyes, not wanting to see her pain, but he forced
them open; she deserved nothing less.
"Kagato... I killed him. That's why I don't want the throne."
Aeka started. "What? I don't..." She stopped, her features
illustrating her confusion.
"I don't want to have to do that again," he said quietly.
"But, Tenchi-sama! That was unprecedented! It almost never--"
"And," he uncharacteristically cut her off, "I don't want to be in
the position of deciding whomever else lives or dies. I don't want
that kind of power." He looked her in the eye. "You can't say that
the throne *doesn't* do that."
Shrinking back, she put her hands to her mouth. It *was* an
uncomfortable fact of rulers' lives. "But... but the high courts
make those decisions."
"On the emperor's authority."
Aeka wilted, "Hai," and looked at her hands for a moment. She
absently played with the overlap of her kimono, but a thought
occurred to her, and her resolve strengthened. "Wouldn't...
Wouldn't that make you the perfect man for the job?"
"Eh?" Tenchi blinked at her.
"Who would you rather have making those decisions? Someone
comfortable with it, not really seeing it for what it is, or
someone who dislikes it intensely, aware of every single life
taken by his word?"
Tenchi's mouth worked, but nothing was immediately forthcoming. <I
hadn't considered that.>
She smiled at him. "That you don't desire such a thing is one of
the reasons I..." Aeka clasped her hands under her chin and turned
away. "It's one of the reasons I... I love you, Tenchi."
He winced. "And I... care for you a lot, Aeka-sa-- Aeka, but I...
um..."
"Can you not say it?" she said in a small voice. "She deserves no
less from you."
Amazed at the confession, Tenchi paused, then said firmly, "I love
Ryouko."
"She is... lucky to have your heart, Tenchi-sama." She still
hadn't turned back to him.
"Thank you, Aeka-sama, but you will always have a place in there,
too."
Aeka wanted to wince, grimace, cry out, something! But she knew
better, better even than Tenchi. "I am glad," she turned back to
him, smiling, "because I don't consider myself out of the running
quite yet."
Tenchi collapsed in surprise, moaning from the floor as he
aggravated his hangover.
~~~~~
Something had shifted in the house, and relationships were being
realigned. She might not have thought of it in so many words, but
Sasami, Second Crown Princess of Jurai, was aware of it all the
same.
An American-style breakfast had appealed to her this morning,
perhaps a reflection of other changes. She already had a pile of
crisp bacon keeping warm in the oven, and she was currently
expertly assembling several omelets stuffed full of largely
non-Western treats. Pancake batter sat ready in a bowl, and she
kept her eye on a saucepan of homemade syrup, stirring
occasionally.
It took concentration to make sure all of the elements of a
successfully presented breakfast came off in fine fashion. Timing,
expertise in ingredients, and... love. Without the love for the
people she cooked for, a meal would only succeed by happenstance.
She looked over at Ryou-ou-ki, sitting on a stool and gnawing a
carrot without her usual zeal. Even the little cabbit was aware of
a change in the prevailing house-winds, and the poor dear was
distracted.
Sasami forced her mind back to her tasks, lest the meal get away
from her. It would all be all right. All the ingredients were
gathered in one place, ready to play their parts. Everything would
be all right. Everyone would stay together. Bad stuff couldn't
hurt them if they all stayed together. That was the important
part. The mix. The combination. Together.
~~~~~
Aeka returned with two glasses of water and a bottle of aspirin,
handing one glass and the aspirin to Tenchi. He took them
gratefully and shook out two tablets, thought about it, and shook
out one more, downing them with the water.
"I've been told that a little sake in the morning is supposed to
help," Aeka said, as she took back the aspirin and dosed herself
similarly, "but I'm not sure I could keep it down."
"Doesn't sound too pleasant, does--" They both stopped and
sniffed. Wonderful odors of cooking were creeping throughout the
house, and soon, everyone would be converging on the kitchen.
Their stomachs growled appreciatively, and they looked at each
other.
"Sasami-chan strikes again," Tenchi chortled, as Aeka laughed
lightly.
He paused, remembering what had caused him to fall off the bed.
"Ah, Aeka-san, what did you mean about still being in the
running?"
She looked at him with a twinkle in her bleary eye. "Nobility are
allowed, ah, multiple wives, and as Emperor, you could probably
have as many as you wanted-- within bounds of reason, of course."
Tenchi's mouth hung open.
Aeka sighed. "Do you not remember that some Juraian nobles
escorted two or three, sometimes *four* or more, women about the
palace?"
"Four? Or *more*?" he squeaked.
"Hai."
"*Four*?!"
Aeka finally reddened. "Well... usually two, sometimes three, but
four or more happens at times, although some consider, ahem, five
and above rather scandalous." She fanned herself, thinking of that
circumstance as being little better than a harem.
Although Tenchi was already nobility, she had carefully couched
her presentation around the throne, using it to lend credence to
what she knew would be a difficult moral adjustment for the young
Earther. She noticed Tenchi had wandered off into strange mental
territory. <Best to not let him scare himself over the thought of
too many wives...>
"Tenchi-sama, I think two... possibly three, wives," she added
reluctantly, "would be viewed as appropriate for the Emperor. More
and his power might be seen as too thinly spread, especially if
the marriages are political."
Tenchi scowled at that thought, and Aeka hurriedly said, "Not that
you would have to marry for those reasons, of course."
Relieved, he let out his breath. "Um, aren't we putting the cart
before the horse? Just a little?"
Aeka blinked. "I am unfamiliar with that expression."
"We are getting ahead of ourselves," he said wryly.
"Oh. Well..."
Tenchi stood up and walked to his chest-of-drawers, opening one
drawer and digging around. "I still don't feel like I want to do
that. Me? Emperor? I can't even imagine it." He pulled out a pair
of black drawstring pants and started stuffing one leg in, but
Aeka broke in with a strange statement.
"You have no idea the trouble you've caused, Tenchi-sama."
One leg in and one leg out, Tenchi stared at her. "Where? What?
How?"
"Jurai, disappointment, and not taking the throne."
He matched answers to questions, and gaped. "ME?! I'm *NO*-body!"
Almost instantly furious, Aeka raged to her feet. "YOU ARE *NOT*
NOBODY!! EVER!!!"
Tenchi leaned back against the chest-of-drawers. "Uh, okay, um--"
"WHEN..." She breathed in and out, calming herself a little, but
her eyes were watering. "When the People of Jurai found out that
the direct line had been discovered and that the current heir --
and I do mean 'HEIR' -- had been found and had defeated the
Usurper... You cannot imagine the joy, the celebration that went
on. Don't you remember?!"
"THAT?! Was for ME?!"
"Hai."
"But, but, but... I thought it was because Kagato was gone! ME?!"
Aeka shook her head. "No one knew whom Kagato really was; they all
thought him Yousho. The revelation of his real identity and your
existence came so quickly, they didn't have time to celebrate
his... removal. They went straight to celebrating the *real*
return of the main line!"
Tenchi stared at nothing. <Me?>
"When you declined the throne, I could almost feel the
disappointment in the air."
"I... I don't know, Aeka."
"You are the most powerful, Tenchi-sama, and the direct heir to
the throne. I could feel the enormity of your Jurai Power coming
off the Tenchiken in waves. It was almost painful. No one... No
one else could have defeated Kagato." She paused. "Not even
Yousho-sama, as it turned out."
Tenchi was speechless.
Aeka watched him struggle with her words. Sighing, she tiredly
stepped over and straightened his bed, tucked the sheets in, and
fluffed the pillows. She gathered the glasses and the aspirin, and
put the chair back in the corner. She picked up his dirty clothes
from the day before, even though she wasn't on wash duty today,
and began walking towards the door.
She stopped halfway, a maid burdened with his used items and
apparel, and still facing the door, she said, "That you defeated
him at all is sufficient to place you on the throne, but also, and
perhaps even more importantly, you are heir to it. It belongs to
you by birthright. Not to me, not to Sasami, or to any other
Juraian except Yousho-sama, but he's chosen his path. Even if I
became Empress without you, I would always feel like I was sitting
in your place."
She turned and bowed to him once, very low, before finally moving
to the door. She turned and looked back before opening it. "Be
sure to tell Ryouko you love her today." She frowned minutely.
"Preferably without throwing up at the same time," she gently
chided.
Tenchi was stricken, remembering how poorly the night before had
gone off, but Aeka reclaimed his attention one last time, her soft
voice ringing in the room with quiet power.
"The Throne of the Emperor of Jurai will always belong to Masaki
Tenchi... until his death. It is *his* -- by blood, by heart, by
right, and by might." Pausing, she gazed across to his staring
eyes. "*That* is why I am still in the running."
Quietly opening the door, Aeka bowed low again and stepped out of
the room. Sasami's voice could be heard, calling everyone down,
and then the door softly clicked shut.
____________________
He paused before opening the kitchen door, listening to Mihoshi's
voice on the other side. "Is it ready, yet? Is it ready, yet? Is
it--"
"MIHOSHI!!! AH! ARGH! Ow, owie, my head..." <Kiyone,> Tenchi
mused, pushing the door open and seeing the detective cradling her
skull.
"Ne, Kiyone!" Mihoshi patted Kiyone on the back. "Do you want me
to make you egg sake again?"
Kiyone looked up, her left eye twitching. "That's - for - colds,
Mi-ho-shi," she ground out.
"Oh! Do you have a cold? Is that it?"
Deciding that silence was the better part of sanity this morning,
Kiyone muttered incoherently, ignoring Mihoshi's prattle.
"Ohayou, Kiyone-san," Tenchi offered gamely.
"Says you." She winced. "Sorry. Ohayou."
Tenchi chuckled. "No problem. Business as usual, I see."
"You don't know the half of it, Tenchi-san."
Looking around the table, Tenchi still had yet to see one
particular person this morning. "Anyone seen Ryouko?" He was met
with shakes of the head.
"Ryouko is in the kitchen, helping Sasami," Aeka said, as she
brought in a platter heaped with bulging omelets. Tenchi nodded,
feeling a little tense.
Sasami was next out, carrying a pile of bacon and a bowl of cubed
melons of various kinds.
"Mmmm." Katsuhito pulled his head out of the newspaper and eyed
the offerings. "Looks good, Sasami-chan. We haven't had a Western
breakfast in a while."
"Thank you," Sasami said. "Ryouko-oneechan's bringing out pancakes
and syrup."
As if summoned, Ryouko came through the door. She stopped when she
noticed everyone looking at her. She blushed and hurried to the
table, setting her platters down.
There was one place open at the table, next to Tenchi, but she
just stood, hesitating and unsure why. Tenchi smiled lopsidedly
and held out his hand.
"Your place is waiting," he softly said, his voice seeming to echo
unnaturally to her.
Ryouko turned scarlet, but took his hand anyway, easing herself
down next to him. She watched Tenchi as he smiled at her again and
proceeded to fill his plate. Once finished, he smirked at her.
"Breakfast, Ryouko... -chan."
She jumped and turned to her plate, embarrassed that he actually
said 'chan' at the table in front of everybody! She jumped again
when she noticed everyone staring at her. Nobuyuki had a big,
silly grin on his face.
"WHAT?! Iitadakimasu!!" Still blushing, she filled her plate. <I'm
a space pirate! And a powerful one! This does NOT bother me. I am
NOT embarrassed!>
She ate, keeping her eyes down and on her food.
~~~~~
Sasami had conscripted her sister and Ryouko to do the dishes
while she worked on a grocery list. She currently had her head
stuck in a cabinet next to the sink.
Aeka, washing, looked sidelong at Ryouko, drying. "My, we're
awfully domestic this morning. Any particular reason?"
"A-e-ka hi-me," she ground out, trying to fight down a smile.
"OH-HO-HO-HOOOO!! Imagine it: a domesticated monster woman."
"Look, prissy princess," Ryouko wagged her finger, "I'm not the
one up to her elbows in dish soap."
"Touche, Ryouko-san." Aeka grinned, firmly defusing any escalation
to their heretofore-typical fights.
They continued to work in companionable silence until Sasami
wandered into the latest addition to the house. At her insistence,
citing the amount of food she had to prepare each day, Washuu had
connected a small pocket dimension to the kitchen to serve as a
walk-in pantry. Everything was Sasami-sized, of course.
While they were alone, Ryouko studied Aeka for a few seconds and
then nodded to herself. She put down her dish, placed an arm
around Aeka's waist, and leaned in to whisper in the other's ear.
"I don't like to lose, even when I've won, Aeka. I've been
thinking about this since last night. When the time comes,
'Oneechan', you'll have my support. I just want him to myself for
a little while."
Ryouko leaned back and saw suds jumping off of her friend's
shaking hands and tears spilling down her face. She gathered Aeka
into a hug, and Aeka snaked her hands around Ryouko's torso and
buried her face in Ryouko's shoulder. The pirate rocked the
princess lightly, stroking her fine, violet hair.
"Maa! We are completely out of sake!" Sasami said, coming out of
the pantry. "Everybody drinks too-- Ara?"
Ryouko smiled at her, but didn't let go of Aeka. Sasami felt a
profound sense of relief wash through her, and she rushed forward
to hug the other two.
<As long as we're all together...>
____________________
"Tenchi."
He looked over his shoulder at Ryouko. "Hi! Finished up?"
She nodded and held out her hand. "Come with me."
Looking at her curiously, Tenchi rose and took her hand. "Um,
Ryouko, about last night--"
She turned and put the fingertips of her other hand to his lips.
"No, don't apologize." She let the fingers fall away. "It may not
have gone like I'd pictured it... or dreamed about it, but I
realized that I was being silly." She chuckled at the contrite
look on Tenchi's face. "Besides, the whole thing was so 'me' it
smarts."
"Ryouko."
Pulling him along again, she led him through the house to the door
of the ladies' bath.
"Uh, Ryouko? I don't think--"
"Shhh." She placed one finger against his lips. "It's all right.
I, er, got permission."
Ryouko slid the door open, and the opulent ladies' bath beckoned
with curling fingers of steam. She pulled the nervous young man in
and shut the door.
"Strip."
"Ah! Haha! Um... I was kinda hoping to ease into--"
"I'm going to scrub your back," she said, arching one eyebrow.
"Got a problem with that?"
"Ah... ah... okay... I guess... um..."
She pointed a finger down and wagged it back and forth. "Strip,"
she repeated with a slight smile.
Furiously red, Tenchi pulled his shirt off and then started to
undo his pants, but stopped. "What about you?" <ACK! I can't
believe I said that!>
Ryouko read that thought by the expression on his face, and she
laughed for the sheer joy of it, causing Tenchi to chuckle in
response. Her clothes faded away, leaving her nubile glory open to
his inspection. "All right," she said, "where's Tenchi and what
have you done with him?"
"Ha ha," he nasally deadpanned, clutching his nose.
Swaying around behind him and grabbing him in a hug, she nuzzled
his ear. "I'm going to have to break you of that nose bleeding,
you know."
Tenchi considered that with what brain Ryouko was currently
leaving him for such activities. He mustered some resolve and his
meager wit, remembering that in a sense he wasn't exactly
inexperienced, and said, "Oh? In or out of the saddle?"
Ryouko blink-blinked in surprise, then she clutched him even
tighter. "In," she longingly whispered. "Oh, definitely in."
~~~~~
Riding the crest of their passion, a stray memory flickered
through Ryouko's mind. It was something Washuu had said just
before their first foray into Haruna's world. <"I was just
thinking how women in love are strong..."> the scientist had said
after a short pause.
<Yes, Washuu, we are. Strong enough to win... and even share.> She
bent over and kissed Tenchi. After the kiss, she lay down on him
as her world began to whiten in response to a rising force, a
blizzard of emotion and sensation, building and threatening to
bury her.
"I love you, Tenchi," she softly keened into his ear, her happy
tears disappearing like melting snowflakes into his shining black
hair. "Forever."
"Ai shiteru, Ryouko-chan... Forever."
And the storm rose around her, entered her, became her, buried her
in an embrace of blinding white heat, and her keen changed to a
cry of union, love, and joy, shouting the name that was now her
life.
====================
Part Two
____________________
"Tennnchi!! She's coming home! Help meee!!" Ryouko frantically
flitted around, trying to straighten up and leaving Tenchi to
scramble after her on foot.
"Ryouko! Calm down! You'll hurt yourself!" Tenchi skidded to a
stop when she whirled on him.
She floated down to his level, her belly only now noticeably
distended. It had taken three years, but with some help from
Washuu, Ryouko was finally blissfully pregnant. Differences in the
biochemistries between species, however, had caused Ryouko's
hormones to unbalance, expressing itself in shifts of mood and
behavior that jumped from belligerent, coquettish, to obsequiously
catering, amongst other things. On this day, her behavior
alternated between frantic nesting and verbal man-bashing.
"You! Nobuyuki! The old man! I'm not gonna break! I wish the three
of you would stop buggin' me about it!"
"Awww, honey! That's not fair! We all love you."
"Oh, yeeeah. Your father loves a good peek, and your grandfather
loves a good squeeze, now and then. Some family I married into.
Hmph!"
He sighed. "Ryouko-chan..."
"Gah. Men. You should be worried more about Aeka. I want this to
be *special*!"
"And it WILL be!"
"Ryouko," a third voice interrupted, "quit abusing the poor boy
and settle down." Nagi sauntered out of the kitchen, blowing on
one of Sasami's fresh cups of tea. She sipped. "Mmmm. The long
trip's worth it just for this."
"But, Nagi-chan!" Ryouko whined.
"Don't call me that!" the bounty hunter hissed. "You know I hate
that."
Ryouko burst into tears and began showing Tenchi massive amounts
of affection. He took it in stride.
Nagi smirked at Tenchi. "That's what you get for interbreeding."
"What a nice way of putting it," he said dryly. "We'll... weather
it... just like we have everything else."
"Oh, Tenchi. That's so sweeeet!" Ryouko increased her affection
levels.
Laughing, Nagi plopped on the couch and turned on the television.
Ryouko abruptly stiffened.
"AAAAHHH!! I've gotta talk to Sasami-chan about the meal!
AAAHHH!!" She teleported out of Tenchi's arms, leaving him
blinking. Nagi laughed at him again, but Tenchi shrugged and
walked around the couch, sitting next to her.
"I want to thank you for coming and being here for Ryouko while
Aeka is away."
"Don't mention it," she said gruffly. "Ever." She shifted around
uncomfortably under Tenchi's grin. "Besides, I don't hunt mothers
or mothers-to-be, if I know about it, and Ken-ou-ki was getting to
be useless without getting to see his 'mate'. Grrr."
"Thanks, Nagi-san. Your presence means a lot to her."
Nagi just frowned. "My friend, the 'formerly wanted'. Bah. Darn
Juraians and their pardons--" Now it was Nagi's turn to stiffen,
and Ryouko came barreling out of the kitchen. They looked at each
other.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Grrr, Ryou-ou-ki!!" Ryouko disappeared, hunting her partner in
crime.
Nagi sighed and slumped back onto the couch. "Damn." She speared
Tenchi with one eye. "I hope you don't mind a litter of cabbits in
the house."
Tenchi paled, imagining the necessary increase in carrot yield
from the fields, and promptly fainted. Ryouko reappeared, a soused
and satisfied cabbit in each hand, held by the scruffs of their
necks. Nagi wrinkled her nose as the sour odor of sake wafted
around the room. Ryouko looked at her friend.
"NOW what?!"
Nagi shrugged. "Just like you: let nature run its course." She
groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Looks like I'm stuck here for a
while." She jumped when Ryouko's arms snaked around her neck in a
hug.
"I'm not sorry, Nagi-chan."
"Ryouko!" she grunted. "What'll Tenchi think?!" <Nagi-chan,
indeed!>
Ryouko let her go, smirking. "Hmmm, well, Tenchi could probably
use a third wife, you know..."
"BWAACK!! NO WAY!! UH-HUH!!! I... Third?" She looked at Ryouko
askance.
Smiling smugly, Ryouko walked off to the kitchen, picking up the
two cabbits on the way. "You'll seeeee," she sang, the door
swinging shut behind her.
Nagi shook her head, spared a glance at Tenchi still on the floor,
"No thanks," and turned back to the television, wondering how her
life got so turned around.
"Some fun we're havin'," she muttered sarcastically. "Ryouko no
baaka."
~~~~~
The massive bulk of Aeka's new tree-ship settled calmly on the
waters of Masaki-no-ike. She waited on the bridge until all
necessary systems had shut down, and as she waited, she wondered
what had changed after her four-month absence. She knew Ryouko was
pregnant, as the pirate had messaged her, wanting to share her
joy.
Aeka sighed wistfully. <Babies, babies.> She turned her attention
to a cylindrical wooden trunk containing her gifts for everyone.
She made one last check to make sure she hadn't forgotten
anything.
It had been an odd trip home. There were things that had piled up
that needed the presiding Regent to attend to, and there had also
been innumerable meetings with the High Council and especially the
Chancellor. She frowned as she recalled the unusual looks she'd
received from a few of them.
She'd first feared that a coup was brewing, but she realized that
the looks were ones of amusement. It happened often enough that
she'd almost been to the point of screaming, wanting to know what
in the world was going on. But pry and needle as she might, no one
coughed up a single explanation. Even the Knights, Azaka and
Kamidake, seemed to be grinning more than usual. Not so rare for
Kamidake, but Azaka?! <I'm going to have to have words with them
one of these days,> she vowed. <Legends reborn or no...>
Satisfied that her gifts were in order, she gave a command, and
like the first time she'd come to Earth, she debarked in a ball of
green energy, which settled on the shore. It faded away and Aeka
looked up to see her beloved family present to greet her.
Sasami ran up first, hugging her sister. An emotional Ryouko
plowed into her, and Aeka suffered amusedly under the pirate's
hugs and kisses to the cheek. When Ryouko finally let go, Aeka
exclaimed over how big Ryouko was getting, to which Tenchi's wife
blushed and giggled. Aeka shook her head. <That's going to take
some getting used to.> She exchanged surprised pleasantries with
Nagi, and received a warm welcome from Tenchi, Nobuyuki, and
Katsuhito. Mihoshi and Kiyone were on patrol, and Washuu was busy
in her lab, she was told.
It was everything she expected and nothing she'd dreamed.
~~~~~
The evening meal was even better than she'd remembered; she wasn't
sure if even the palace chefs could top her sister's cuisine. Aeka
chewed thoughtfully, though, and with perhaps even a little
annoyance. Some of her family were giving her the same looks the
others back on Jurai had: amusement hidden behind warm smiles.
<WHAT is going ON?!> It was enough to drive her to distraction.
But here, she noticed a difference. The Council members had kept
their professional distance, even if they were seemingly enjoying
themselves at her expense. Here, though, she could almost feel the
warmth flowing into her. It was like a strange electricity in the
air, arcing unseen between Tenchi, Ryouko, and... herself.
Startled, Aeka dropped her chopsticks.
"Aeka-san? Are you all right?" Tenchi asked, concerned.
"Aeka?" Ryouko echoed.
Nervous, she mumbled, "Fine, fine. Just a passing thought. Nothing
for you to worry about."
The others nodded, keeping an eye on the princess.
~~~~~
Tenchi, Ryouko, and Katsuhito excused themselves from the table
early, offering numerous apologies. Aeka looked at them
suspiciously, as they claimed they needed to prepare for a
surprise welcome for her.
Everyone else was far from through with the meal, so nothing more
was said or done until the last of the gathered friends and family
pushed back from the table. Sasami then stood and said, "If you
will all follow me."
Highly interested in what had been planned, the rest got up and
followed the blue-haired princess as she led them into a room Aeka
didn't remember having been there before. <Washuu,> she correctly
concluded, seeing the smirk on the scientist's face. The new room
reminded her of the ladies' bath, except without the bath. She
wondered why it had been necessary to construct a pocket
dimension, but the short walk on a path through the thick growth
of plants native only to Jurai answered her question.
<They went to a lot of trouble. What is going on?!>
The trail opened onto a clearing paved in rough, gray stone. Stone
columns formed a semi-circle, partially enclosing the clearing,
and a lone obelisk stood at the rear with the symbol of Jurai, a
Great Tree, carved into its face. A low stone table with a
polished surface sat in the center of the clearing, and Tenchi and
Ryouko, in snow-white kimono, sat on one side, facing the guests.
Katsuhito sat at one end, dressed in his priest's robes.
Cushions were available for the others, and Aeka made to seat
herself with the rest, but Sasami took her hand and led her
surprised sister out of the clearing along a different path. The
path quickly terminated in a small private area, also paved in
stone. A clothing rack with a third snow-white kimono sat off to
one side.
"Please change, Oneesama, and I will lead you back."
Blinking and with shaking hands, Aeka pulled off the several
layers of her Juraian kimono, leaving only the undergarment.
Sasami held up the white inner kimono, helping her sister into it.
Next came the outer garment.
When she had finished tying the obi and adjusting Aeka's kimono,
Sasami looked her up and down and nodded. They retraced their
path, and Sasami led her to a single cushion on the side of the
table opposite Tenchi and Ryouko. Once seated on her shins, Aeka
clasped her hands to cover the trembling and peered wide-eyed at
the two across from her. Sasami retreated and took her own seat,
and Tenchi cleared his throat.
"Ryouko-san, Katsuhito-dono, and I would like to thank all of you
for attending this special occasion," he formally greeted. "We are
gathered here today for two reasons. First, I must admit that I've
been going behind your back for a little while now, Aeka-sama. In
discussing this matter with, er, Yousho-sama, Ryouko-san,
Sasami-dono, and a carefully selected few Juraian nobles and other
persons, and because of a conversation you and I had a long time
ago, I have decided that, should you be willing to step aside, I
will take the throne as Emperor of Jurai."
Aeka's jaw hung open a moment before she slowly closed her mouth.
"Ummm, yeah. I have no idea what I'm really getting into," a round
of chuckles greeted him, "but that will hopefully be addressed
with the second matter, discussed solely between myself,
Ryouko-san, Sasami-dono, Katsuhito-dono... and now, you."
Saying nothing more, Tenchi turned to Ryouko, who picked up a
teacup Aeka hadn't even noticed in her nervousness. There were
also a number of implements, some cloths, a tea box, and a teapot
of hot water, all situated between Tenchi and Ryouko.
Ryouko proceeded to dip the implements in a bowl of water and
carefully wipe them with one of the cloths. When all was ritually
cleansed, she passed the cup to Tenchi with a bow. Tenchi bowed to
her and took the cup. Opening the tea box, he measured a portion
of dried leaves into an infusing basket, closed the box, and
placed the basket in the teapot.
"We've, ah, really turned this ceremony inside out from the
traditional, but we hope the thought remains." After one agonizing
minute for Aeka, he carefully poured some of the brewed tea into
the cup and set the pot down. He rotated the cup a half turn,
studied it, and then carefully picked it up, placing it before
Aeka. She couldn't move a muscle.
"Aeka," he warmly said, "you have been more than family to us; you
have been our friend. And now, we would like for you to be more."
His voice firmed and carried. "With no thought to present or
future titles or stature, by this engagement ceremony, and with
the blessings of both Yousho-sama, highest living member of the
Jurai Royal Family, and Masaki Katsuhito-dono, Masaki shrine
priest, Ryouko and I are here to formally petition you to join us
in a marriage of love, as wife to us and only incidentally as a
future Empress of Jurai," he finished with a rakish smile.
Aeka's eyes were wide and she was pale, her clasped hands no
longer hiding her tremors. After a long moment, she blinked and
looked down at the teacup in front of her, almost afraid it would
shatter by the weight of her gaze. Slowing managing to pry her
hands apart, she moved her jittery fingers around the curve of the
fine porcelain. She closed her eyes and prayed to every god she'd
ever heard of to not let her drop it.
Opening her eyes, she brought the cup to her lips, the liquid
jumping and threatening to spill out, and took a careful, measured
drink of the bitter brew. She set the cup down, hesitated, and
then rotated it a half turn. She picked it up and set in front of
a smiling Tenchi.
Tenchi repeated the ritual, and then passed the cup to Ryouko, who
did the same. Tenchi and Ryouko looked at Aeka lovingly, but the
princess was still trembling, her wide, moist eyes blinking.
Aeka's voice shook when she finally spoke.
"Do... Am I s-s-supposed to say 'yes', n-now?"
Soft laughter echoed against the stones. "You already did,
Aeka-chan," Tenchi said. Aeka broke down crying at the
affectionate honorific, and both Tenchi and Ryouko moved around to
either side of her, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek. Aeka
gripped both of them tightly, letting all her relief and happiness
out in great, wracking sobs. It was what she dreamed of... come
true at last.
Teary-eyed, friends and family moved back into the house to give
them some privacy. Kiyone had to drag Mihoshi along the ground,
the blonde bawling and totally unable to walk.
Katsuhito laid a hand on Tenchi's shoulder before leaving. "Two
wives, eh? I hope you know what you're getting into," he said
good-naturedly.
"Ah... yeah," Tenchi said, scratching his head. "Maybe if I keep
them alternately pregnant--"
"AAHH!!"
"TENCHI-SAMA!!"
Fists lightly pounded on him as he laughed.
"A JOKE! Maaaannn..."
"See you for practice tomorrow, Tenchi. Regular time."
Tenchi wilted, as his wife and fiancee snickered at him.
Ryouko took the opportunity to whisper in Aeka's ear, the
resemblance to the action from years ago sending a tingle along
her spine. "I expect a *lot* more from you than just a little kiss
on the cheek, but I can wait till later... Aeka-chan." She leaned
back, wiggling her eyebrows.
"EEEE!!!" Aeka screeched. "Ryouko-sa-- Ryouko-chan!! You naughty,
naughty thing!"
Laughing, Ryouko levitated and zoomed back into the house, a
broadly smiling Aeka hot on her heels, trailing joyful tears.
"What was that all about?" Tenchi asked, bewildered.
Katsuhito chuckled from the far side of the stone floor. "I have a
feeling you'll find out later tonight. Oyasumi, Tenchi." He strode
down the path, whistling to himself.
Tenchi was the sole remaining occupant of the stone clearing.
"What *have* I gotten myself into..." He smirked and trotted after
his grandfather, hoping to catch up with his significant others.
====================
Epilogue
____________________
Twenty-one. She was twenty-one today, and Sasami was in joyful,
loving awe of her gift.
Life had been strange the last few years. Over the last three of
those years, Sasami had gone on the very minimum number of
marriage meetings required by duty. This wasn't by design... until
she realized that she wasn't finding what she was looking for. She
would call Aeka, Ryouko, and Tenchi and complain, wail, and
sometimes rage about the men she would meet, often surprising
herself with her own vehemence. They had been understanding,
although lately they had taken to sharing odd looks with one
another.
Oh, a few of the men she'd met were nice, decent gentlemen, but
she'd realized about two years into the meetings that she had a
yardstick she was measuring each one against. No matter how nice,
how considerate, how gentle, or how whatever-else one valued, they
never seemed to measure up. After the third year of meetings, she
was weary in spirit and had left for Earth to celebrate her
impending birthday and to be with the people she loved the most in
the entire universe, either already present or en route from the
thrones of Jurai.
<The bad stuff can't hurt us...>
She looked up at Tenchi, seated across from her: older, more
filled-out, Emperor, but still the same person Sasami had first
met, sweeping leaves on a lane. She looked to his left. Ryouko and
her daughter sat, smiling warmly at her. Ryouko contentedly rested
her hand on her swollen belly. On Tenchi's right, Aeka serenely
cradled her infant boy. And finally, back to Tenchi, and she had
to pinch herself so she wouldn't start bawling in happiness.
<...as long as we're all together.>
As Tenchi began to speak, Sasami took a deep, shuddering breath
and clasped her hands to keep them from trembling, resting them in
the lap of her snow-white kimono.
====================
====================
END IN VINO VERITAS
DISCLAIMERS
Tenchi Muyou!, Tenchi Muyou! in Love 2 (Tenchi Forever), and the
characters of both are the property of Masaki Kajishima and
AIC/Pioneer LDC. This work of fanfiction is for free-entertainment
purposes only; no compensation has been or will be received for
its composition.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My thanks to Andrew Norris, T.H. Tiger, and Vince Seifert for
exemplary prereading. My further thanks to Vince for prereading
and discussing the revised version.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
First, I really don't want to hear about how much you hated the
movie, "Tenchi Muyou! in Love 2". :) I understand that the
majority of the people who saw it didn't, ah... *care* for it
much. However, I thought it was grand, and that probably shows in
this fic.
IVV, first posted in May, 2000, was written to show the working
out of certain possibilities presented in the movie. However, I
don't expect everyone to agree with my choices, as there were
certainly others that could have been made.
Second, apologies to Thomas Doscher. This posting revises out an
unintentional point of similarity between "In vino veritas" and
Mr. Doscher's fic, "Destiny's Balance". Hopefully, this puts that
to bed. I highly recommend "Destiny's Balance", and it can be
found on GenSao's Tenchi fanfic archive.
GLOSSARY
Arigatou: "Thank you."
-chan: diminutive and/or affectionate suffix.
-dono: an honorific suffix that falls somewhere between -san
and -sama.
Gomen (ne, na, nasai): "Sorry." The particles add or change
emphasis
Hai: "yes", more or less, although the meanings of "hai" only
partially overlap those of "yes" and include meanings that "yes"
does not. Perhaps it would be more helpful to think of "hai" as a
term of affirmation rather than try to equate it with an English
word. :)
Ite!/Iteee! - expression of pain, like "Ow!"
Jiichan: affectionate diminutive of Ojiisan, "old man" or
"grandfather"; what Tenchi often calls his grandfather, Katsuhito.
Masaki-no-ike: Masaki Lake. Gratuitous Japanese? Indeed, but I
like the sound of it.
Oneesama/-oneesama: Honored Older Sister, both as a standalone
address and a suffix.
Oyasumi (nasai): "Good night."
Sake: liquor made from fermented rice. Packs a good whallop.
-sama: the highest honorific suffix.
-san: default honorific suffix.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
desaix@sysnet.net
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee
anime fanfics available at
http://www.geocities.com/zednik.geo/fanfics.htm
.---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
| Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
| Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
| Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject |
`---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'