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A/N The owner of Tenchi Muyo is actually Pioneer and AIC and some author, whom I give many thanks for creating such a wonderful universe and characters and a truly unique situation. Cheers. At this time, I'd like to thank an author which inspired me to write Tenchi Muyo stories. This author was Roas Atrades and his Will of The Goddesses series. I'd also like to cite him here as well, when I came up with the idea for this story, I was instantly reminded of a plot point of his. So, there you have it, one of the ideas in this story is like Roas Atrades (not entirely but like) and if I told you which one it was it would ruin it. Please, for a sensational story go read Will of The Goddesses by Roas Atrades, it is posted at TMFFA.COM. Prologue by RingPrincess Aeka leaned against the back of the cafe chair and smiled at her companion. "You are correct Turimi, it is nice to get out and act like normal people for a change." She placed her hand in the middle of the table. "I forget what it is like, locked in that stuffy palace." Turimi grasped her hand and squeezed it affectionately. "That is why I am here, to keep you grounded." Aeka laughed softly. "You do that very well." Her gaze traveled across the Jurain Bazaar. People were coming and going, commoners, children, adults and a few spacers. Aeka's eyes after some looking came to rest on one in particular. He was tall, taller than some of the crowd, but not as tall as others. He seemed, familiar in some odd way. But that couldn't be, Aeka didn't know any spacers, not as the First Crown Princess. Her pink eyes narrowed as the man turned towards her. He had short black hair, spikey in texture, a long scar ran down one of his cheeks, and over an eye. He wore an earing in the left earlobe, it was a hoop with an odd red gem that also seemed so familiar. "What is it Aeka? You look like you've seen a ghost." Turimi leaned across the table and turned her head to look at him, his deep mahogony eyes gentle. "I feel like I should know that spacer, but I don't." "A spacer, love." Turimi frowned and glanced over his shoulder into the crowd. "Which one?" "The one in navy blue and black, he has a scar on his right cheek." "The one carrying two blasters, an energy sword and a katana?" Turimi asked. "Yes, him!" Aeka sighed. "It is impossible that I should know him." "You could have him detained for questioning." "I could, but I won't." Aeka shook her head. Her gaze hadn't left the handsome spacer, and she tore her gaze away to look at Turimi. "I am not going to garner that sort of reputation for myself." "I find it odd." "It is most likely nothing, Turimi." She smiled to reassure him. "Just a memory, we are here to relax." So saying, she leaned foward, so that their faces were almost touching. Turimi smiled at her. "I know that." "Shhh," Aeka whispered and leaned in to kiss him. Neither of them saw the spacer turn and walk away, further into the bazaar. ---------------------------- Ryoko reached up to scratch Ryo-ohki's ears. "Well, that went better than expected." Her other hand came up and unzipped partially the top portion of the skintight red and black bodysuit she wore. She slipped in a few datadisks and zipped the suit up a few inches and left it open slightly, it wasn't about to fall off and it showed off the wide gold necklace that framed the gem in her throat. "Mia." The cabbit nodded and rubbed her face against Ryoko's. :Perhaps too easy, sister.: Ryoko walked down the street, eyes scanning ahead of her and Ryo-ohki also alertly scanning foward and behind. "You may be right, Ryo-ohki." She muttered Up ahead, two Jurain Knights stood conversing on the sidewalk, their rather distictive uniform causing them to stand out from the rest of the citizenry, if that hadn't alerted Ryoko, the long SpaceTree staves they each carried would have. Ryoko slowed for a moment to consider the situation. 'Tactics, cross the street and avoid them, but look guilty or head on through and ignore them.' She picked up her pace slightly. "Excuse me," she said politely as she prepared to slip past them. "Ryoko Hakubi?" The one on her right asked. Ryoko paused. "Yes, sir Knight." She flashed him a smile. "How may I help you?" "Would you please come with us?" The same knight asked. Ryoko looked him up and down and decided to tag him Green, for that was the main color of his outfit. "Have I done something wrong, sir Knight?" "No, this is just a courtesy." Ryoko cocked her head and looked at the other knight and instantly deemed him Gold. "Am I under arrest for something?" "No, Ms. Hakubi. You can leave at any time." Ryoko frowned and nodded. "Very well, I shall accept your courtesy." "If you'll step into the landcar." Gold gestured. ---------------------------- Ryoko knew she was going to the palace before the car even stopped and it wasn't hard to figure she was also going to the throne room. The long line of Jurain Knights on each side of the walkway and the way court paused as she was escorted to the front of the large spacetree that housed Azusa's throne. "Hello, Azusa." She said quietly. Ryo-ohki jumped off her shoulder and landed between her feet. The court was silent, amazed at her lack of formal respect to the king, and how calm she was about giving it. "I was surprised that you dared show your face on Jurai." Azusa's voice boomed. Ryoko shook her head. "It doesn't matter to you if it has been five years or five hundred years, does it Azusa? You and your people can hold a grudge against a perfectly innocent person." Azusa leaned foward and glared at her. "I doubt that you are entirely innocent Ryoko." He growled. Ryoko didn't laugh or even change her expression. "Azusa, if you kill me it would prove nothing besides the fact that you are an angry man whose anger has outlasted even the law." Misaski came foward out of the shadows, Funaho beside her. "Hello Ryoko." Funaho said gently. Ryoko's face showed no emotion, neither sadness or happiness at seeing them again. "Hello Funaho, Misaski." Azusa frowned. "You overrate your importance, Ryoko." "Perhaps." Ryoko said lightly, lifting a brow over amber eyes that matched her necklace and the matching wrist gauntlets. "Ryoko," Funaho paused. "Where is Tenchi?" Ryoko went still and closed her eyes. She looked down at Ryo-ohki, then back up at the royal family. "I need to make a comm call, may I do so?" Misaski repeated the question. "Ryoko, where is Tenchi?" Ryoko sighed. "I cannot answer your question until I make this comm call. If I don't, the consequences are something that doesn't bear thinking about." Ryoko stopped and smirked slightly. "No, Ryo-ohki I do not exaggerate." "Very well, hurry and make this comm call." Azusa growled. Ryoko nodded, her hand went into the a pouch attached to her gunbelt and came up with a curious looking device, she procceed to break it in half, one went into her mouth and the other in her ear. "I'm fine." She said softly, "I've just been detained and I need you to meet me at my location, instead of me meeting you at yours." A long, silent, pregnant pause. "I'm not sorry." Ryoko sighed. "I know, I know and this time it wasn't MY fault. Just think, it makes life exceedingly more interesting." Another pause, shorter. "See you in a few then." Ryoko crossed her arms and smiled. "There will be a man outside your gates soon, would you please let him in." Azusa nodded at Green, who saluted him with a wave of his staff and retreated to the front doors. Ryoko nodded at Azusa, "Thank you, my partner can be touchy where I am concerned." Azusa frowned. "Explain." "I don't need to explain anything to you, Azusa." Ryoko said smoothly. "You are not my commander, my boss or my father." She shrugged. A sound of boots walking briskly up the aisle was heard, Ryoko turned from her waist and smiled at the man coming up from behind her. "Glad you came." The man didn't say anything or even smile. His brown eyes were trained on her and her alone, they traveled up and down her person and he came to a stop next to her. Ryoko laid a hand on his well muscled arm. "I'm fine." She whispered. The man nodded, causing the hoop earing set with an unusual red gem in his left ear to bob. His gaze and face finally turned towards the throne and under the lighting, the scar running down the right side of his face was clearly visible. His eye was whole, but Azusa and his wives were unable to tell if it was mechanical or natural. Azusa dismissed him after a cursory glance showed he was taller than Ryoko and just as well armed. Both carried blasters and metal swords, the man carried one Katana, while Ryoko carried two. Azusa's eyes burrowed into Ryoko. "We shall ask for the last time, Ryoko. Where is Tenchi?" His voice was smooth, silk underlaid with steel. Ryoko's eyelids fell down halfway across her eyes and her shoulders fell slightly. "Tenchi ceased to be a long time ago." Her voice was sad, whether for Tenchi or for them, Misaski couldn't tell. "Then Tenchi is dead." Funaho sighed. "We feared it to be so when we saw you alone." Ryoko frowned. "Tenchi isn't dead, he has just ceased to be." The man reached up and grasped Ryoko's shoulder and gently squeezed it. Ryoko looked over at him and nodded her understanding. Ryo-ohki leaped up onto his shoulder and Ryoko and the man both turned and began walking out. It was time to go. Misaski came down off the throne podium, descending the stairs. "But, Ryoko, if Tenchi isn't dead, how can he cease to be?" Ryoko didn't pause, between one stride and the next she looked over her shoulder at Misaski and smiled softly at the Queen's confusion. "He grew up." ---------------------------- "I have had more than enough of civilization to last me quite a while." A baritone voice grumbled from the middle of Ryo-ohki's bridge. "I agree, Masaki." Ryoko laughed and proceeded to wrap her arms around him from behind. "I was able to get the information we wanted, though." Masaki nodded, his hands settling down on top of hers. "They didn't recognize me." His voice was sorrowful, but also relieved. "You never wanted to be a prince anyways, Masaki." Ryoko buried her head into his back. "I love you, space dog." "I love you too, pirate." Masaki smirked. "If you two are quite done." A lilting alto voice interrupted. The face of an adult humaniod Ryo-ohki appeared in one of the floating crystals. "I am setting a course for the Science Academy." Masaki nodded, "When should we arrive?" "Well, a few days optimum, I want to get any tails off our back." "Thank you, Ryo-ohki." Ryoko sighed. "Damn it, I should have known better than to go to Jurai." "As you said, it wasn't your fault." Masaki shrugged. Ryoko slipped around him and his arms went around her waist. "It was my idea." She protested "But not your fault." Masaki soothed. "We all knew the risks, Ryoko." Ryo-ohki agreed, the crystal bobbing up and down. "And we accepted them. The numbers just didn't play out this time." "All right, all right. I desist in the favor of both of your logic." Ryoko groused, but grinned afterwords. "I have news anyways. Wanna see." Ryoko let go of Masaki, but he didn't let go of her, after a few tugging efforts to get away Ryoko frowned and glanced up at Masaki. He was staring intently at her. "It can wait, we have a few days." He leaned down and kissed her, Ryoko pressed herself up against his body, arms returning around him. Ryo-ohki gave a disgusted sigh. "Get out of here, lovebirds." Masaki broke the kiss and glared at the crystal. "Jealousy doesn't become you, Ryo-ohki. Missing somebody?" "I am not jealous, there is absolutely no reason for me to be jealous." The cabbit/ship spat back. Ryoko smiled languidly up at Masaki. "Right, we believe you." She winked at Masaki and teleported them out of sight. Once the bridge was empty, Ryo-ohki heaved a great sigh. "Thank you, sister." ------------------------------ Masaki leaned up against the headboard of the bed he and Ryoko shared and stared down at her. "So, what is this news you are so anxious about?" Ryoko grinned in triumph. "So, you are curious." "Not as much as you'd like to think, but it does have you worked up. Not much does that anymore, Ryoko." Masaki frowned. Ryoko nodded. "I know, I just thought this was exciting." "Go on." "Aeka's getting married." Ryoko raised both of her eyebrows and waited for Masaki's reaction. He just nodded. "I saw her in the bazaar." "She didn't recognize you." "For a moment I thought she had, but I turned out to be mistaken. She was with a male, most likely her betrothed." "What did he look like?" "I only saw his face once, and that was only for an instant. Why does it matter?" Masaki stared at her, a slight frown on his features. "Well, it said she was marrying Turimi somebody. I haven't ever heard of a Turimi in Jurain politics and was wondering if he even was Jurain." "I don't know, Ryoko." Tenchi shrugged. "She seemed happy, and that is all I care about." Ryoko nodded. "You didn't speak to her." "She didn't know who I was and besides," Masaki paused. "Why bring up old pain?" "Sasami is in the middle of Jurain military academy." Ryoko went on, "Mihoshi and Kiyone are still part of the Galaxy Police." "That just leaves Washu." Masaki said quietly. "Yes." Ryoko suddenly cuddled up next to him. Masaki wrapped his arms around her, he understood, he always understood without Ryoko having to say a thing. --------------------------------- The cabbit ship landed outside of the Space Academy, depositing both passengers on the green lawn before reverting to cabbit mode. "You could be bipedular once and a while, Ryo-ohki." Ryoko smiled at the cabbit who took her accustomed place on her shoulder. :I'd rather not, thanks.: Ryoko shrugged and headed towards the buildings. Masaki was looking around him, brown eyes somewhat wistful. "Why do I feel so uncomfortable?" Ryoko stopped. "You feel it too." He nodded. Ryoko reached down and took his hand. "I am glad I am not alone in the feeling." He squeezed and they continued walking. The buildings were large and ostentacius, made of glass and concrete they predominated over wide lawns with shaped tiled paths and magnificent sculptures made of metals or ceramics. The wide steps that led up to the administration building were meant to make a person feel small and insignificant, students of all different species lounged on them, reading books or typing on holo-tops or conversing in groups. A few took notice of Masaki and Ryoko, some assumed they were visitors, others students. One gave out a piercing wolf-whistle at Ryoko's attire and Masaki smirked, unleashing his hand and wrapping an arm about her waist. Ryoko winked at the whistler and grinned at the females sending daggers of jealousy her way. "Claimed boys!" She laughed happily and bounced up the last few stairs. Masaki opened the door for her and they dissappeared inside. "Lucky bastard." One of the students groaned. Ryoko stepped across the marble floored foyer and approached the display boards. Her gaze running up and down each one. "Good work, Ryo-ohki." She scratched the cabbit's head. "Office and class room central." Masaki began looking from the opposite end of the display boards as Ryoko. "May I help you?" A young woman asked as she came and stood next to Masaki. Masaki looked over at Ryoko. She covered the distance between them. "We are looking for a Professor Washu Hakubi. Perhaps you could direct us towards her office." "Professor Hakubi?" The girl's voice was surprised, her green eyebrows raised. Ryoko face remained neutral. "Yes, I have it on good information she teaches here." "Yes she does, but most people don't seek out Professor Hakubi." The girl tossed her hair and smiled playfully at Masaki. "We aren't most people." Ryoko said calmly, ignoring the girl's attitude. "Her office is on level A-13, number 1324." The student supplied, frowning at Masaki's complete lack of response. "Thank You." Ryoko finally smiled and handed the girl a credit chit. "I appreciate it." Ryoko and Masaki slipped around the girl and towards the elevators. "Wait, I can't. . ." The girl began, but was cut off as she realized the elevators had arrived and gone, with the mysterious visitors with them. ---------------------- A polite knock on Washu's door caused her to look up from her holo-top, and then look back down. "Come in." She authorized and the door opened silently, until it hit the crab jangle a few feet in. Washu looked up again and the holo-top dissappeared from under her hands. "Ryoko!" She breathed, standing up and coming around her desk. "I didn't feel you or. . ." "Hello, Washu." Ryoko smiled at the adult scientist. Washu sat down on the edge of her desk. "The link. . ." She shook her head, magenta-red hair moving gently behind her. "Hasn't worked for a very long time. Please, don't try to reactivate it." Ryoko looked around the office and then back at the woman who claimed to be her mother. "How are you, Washu?" Her voice was level and had been level throughout the entire exchange. Washu's mouth opened and closed for a few moments, much like the crustaceans she loved. "I am well, much better, in fact since you walked through that door." Ryoko smiled. "May we sit down?" "Of course, how rude of me, Ryoko, please do." Ryoko took a seat on a chair uphostlered in red and Masaki took the one next to her. Washu gazed between the two of them. "It is hard to believe after all this time." She shook her head. "Ryoko, where is Tenchi?" Ryoko laughed and looked over at Masaki. "I was asked that question recently from the Jurain court as well, I shall answer the same way I answered them. Tenchi has ceased to be." Washu frowned. "Ceased to be? You can't mean," Her voice faded off. "Oh, he didn't die, Washu." Ryoko grinned turned larger. Masaki smiled. "What Ryoko means Washu, is that I was Tenchi." Washu stared at Masaki. "Tenchi," She breathed. Her astonishment was almost as great as when she had seen Ryoko for the first time. Masaki shook his head. "I don't go by that name anymore, Washu." Washu rubbed her temples. "This is going to take some getting used to." "Please, just call me Masaki." He shrugged. "It has been approximently five years." Washu frowned. "You have changed." "I grew up." Masaki shrugged again. Ryo-ohki shifting from Ryoko's shoulder to her lap. Washu looked between them. "I see that." They sat in silence for a long while. Ryoko suddenly leaned foward. "Washu, you are the only person we have actually contacted." Her gaze turned thoughtful. "We hope the others will understand, but we feel you are the best person to tell them we still live." "And perhaps you are also the best person to understand what we have been through." Masaki added. "Why won't you contact the others yourselves?" Ryoko looked away from her mother. "All of you have such wonderful lives now." She looked back. "We don't want to disturb them. Masaki and I have obligations to fufill and if we contact the others, they may try to suck us back into the old ways." "Jurai still either wants me dead or just wants me." Masaki sighed, he twiddled his fingers to show confusion. "Yet, Washu when I stood right in front of them and stared them in the face, they didn't recognize me." Washu nodded. "I didn't either, you have changed from the boy we all knew." "I was a boy, now I am a man and I see things much differently. Perhaps, if we hadn't been scattered things would have turned out otherwise." Ryoko nodded in agreement. Washu's persed lips and narrowed eyes were followed by an abrupt nod. "I don't know if things all worked out for the good, though." She added, green eyes sparking. "Things worked out as well as they were able." Ryoko raised her brows and dropped them in a facial shrug. "We are all still alive." "Excellent point, Ryoko." Washu sighed, "excellent point." She brightened. "What did happen? None of us were ever able to figure out exactly where you ended up." Ryoko bit the inside of her lip. "Tokimi," She paused. "I should start from the beginning instead of the middle, Masaki and I weren't able to put much of this together until later. Also, we want to hear of you and how things went. We are still here, so whatever happened mustn't have been exceedingly difficult." Washu frowned. "I wouldn't say that exactly. It was difficult enough with both you and Ten-Masaki gone." "I didn't mean to sound so flippant, Washu." Ryoko licked her lips. "Forgiven Ryoko. Five years has passed and nobody really knows each other anymore." Washu looked at Masaki. "Least of all the two of you, the others I have been able to keep in touch with, you are a mystery to me." Masaki nodded. "As you and the others are a mystery to us." Ryoko smiled. "Why don't we go get something to eat? This will take a bit." She stood up, Ryo-ohki jumping off her lap to the floor just before she did. "Miya!" Her voice was indignant. Masaki eased up out of his chair. "If you'd consent to walk like the rest of us, you wouldn't have these problems." Ryo-ohki changed into human form quickly. "If I walked like the rest of you, I'll gain all sorts of attention." She spat. Washu's eyes widened at Ryo-ohki. "Wear clothes." Ryoko said calmly. "Problem solved." Washu shook her head. Ryo-ohki crossed her arms. "Hello, Washu." "Ryo-ohki." Washu nodded. "You have grown up." Ryo-ohki grinned. "I have." "Clothes, Ryo-ohki." Masaki's voice was bored and he gave the cabbit a whithering stare, that somehow held absolutely no malice to it. Ryo-ohki phased into a black blackbody suit with gold accents. Her face decidedly neutral but the fire in her eyes suggested that Masaki might pay later. Washu walked out the door and waited for them to follow her. "There is a lovely cafe/diner on campus if you'd like that or we could head to my house." "Whichever you prefer is fine, Washu." Ryoko nodded. Washu grinned. "My house then, I haven't cooked for a group in oh, ever so long." --------------------------- Washu placed the teapot on the coffetable in her living room. Ryoko and Masaki sat next to each other on the loveseat and Ryo-ohki was curled up in a armchair. Washu took the other armchair and tucked her feet up underneath her. "You must be working off some assumptions, Washu." Ryoko began and leaned foward to pour herself some tea. Washu nodded as she watched her daughter's graceful movements, not at all offended that Ryoko hadn't called her mother once. "You must be assuming that Masaki and I are together and have been together for a very long time." Ryoko took a sip of her tea. "Romantically that is." Washu blinked and shrugged. "It doesn't really matter the timetable, I just assumed you were together." Ryoko blew her tea and nodded. "Your other assumption must be that we didn't come back because we couldn't come back." "I assumed you were far enough away that you couldn't make it back in time for the war, I hoped you would be back soon afterwards, but as the years passed that seemed less and less likely. Frankly I was beginning to assume you three were dead." "Almost." Ryoko nodded, "But I am getting ahead here." Masaki shifted and placed his arm around Ryoko. "If you remember, this all started not long after Azusa and Misaski and Funaho visited from Jurai, back when I was still a farmboy called Tenchi. . ." ----------------------------------- END PROLOGUE Ohh. . .is anyone confused? Should I continue this? Do I have too much time on my hands? Am I posting too much? What is everyone's opinion? Is it good, bad, so-so? Which of these questions are actually rhetorical? (I'll leave that decision up to you) PLEASE RESPOND!!!! This is the longest Prologue I've ever written. (wow) N. RingPrincess And Remember, all things in life can be solved with chocolate and vanilla coke.~Me |
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