Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Aurora of Rainbow Fire ❯ The End of an Age. ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The story arc Aurora of Rainbow Fire is part two of an
ongoing series called The Odd Man Out. All current parts can be
found at http://members.tripod.com/ballisticsausage/index.html




Aurora of Rainbow Fire chapter one: The End of an Age.

A Tenchi Muyo TV series lemon comedy by Nugar.
Email the author at nugarthebarbarian@yahoo.com with any
comments.
All characters and situations copyright their creators,
Hiroki Hayashi and Masaki Kajishima, and AiC and Pioneer and are
used without permission. This is a nonprofit work only.




Ryoko sighed. "This whole 'school' thing these Earthlings
cooked up really gets on my nerves. Maybe I should go blow it
up."

Ayeka shook her head and laughed softly. "Yes, but what
would you do when the Galaxy Police come to arrest you? Hope for
frequent conjugal visits?"

Ryoko smiled. "Well, assuming they could actually capture
me, which they couldn't. But really, how would they know it was
me? Earth buildings blow up all the time. I'd just break a gas
pipe or something and wait. Do you think I'd be so stupid as to
leave any clues pointing to me?" She noticed Ayeka's delighted
look and cut her off with a raised hand and a stern look. "Wait,
don't answer that or I'll leave you up here to find your own way
down."

Ayeka's mouth closed again with an almost audible snap and
she gave her best 'Who, little old me?' look to her cohort.

Both of them were high in the branches of a large cherry
tree overhanging the path from the road to the Masaki house.
Ryoko was stretched out comfortably on a slender limb with her
head and shoulders propped up against the trunk so she could look
at the princess better. Ayeka sat crossways in a narrow fork of
a neighboring limb with one leg dangling and the other braced
against Ryoko's limb near her feet.

Ryoko wasn't buying it. "You can use that on Tenchi, but
not on me, Princess. I ain't falling for it."

Ayeka reflexively looked down at the 'falling' reference,
idly wondering how many limbs one would have to bounce off of to
reach the ground. She finally decided that it was more than ten
and quickly lost interest. With one hand she smoothed her short,
loose teal skirt back down around her legs and tucked it between
her skin and the rough bark. Her formal kimono had been
abandoned in favor of a dress more suitable to sitting in a tree,
and while practical, it also meant that she had a continuous
draft and showed an indecent amount of skin to anyone on the
ground. This was good because Tenchi was due home from school at
any moment.

"My point is why does he waste all this time going to a
school here on Earth when most of the things he is learning are
wrong anyway?" Ryoko asked in a mildly annoyed tone.

"Tenchi is very good at fulfilling other's expectations of
him. Normal people are expected to get an education so that they
may provide for their families later. But I suppose a space
pirate wouldn't know about such things."

Ryoko hmmphed. "For your information, Princess, I went to
school too. But at least I learned useful things like the laws
of metaphysics, hex-force applications, and probability theory.
'Sides, Tenchi will never be a salaryman, not with us looking
after him. I swear, I don't think there's anything that could
possibly be as boring as being a little housewife."

"It's not ladylike to swear, Ryoko," Ayeka chided gently,
then continued before Ryoko could retort. "I agree, however. I
wasn't raised to be a housewife either. But neither was Tenchi.
I don't feel that he could be happy relying on us to take care of
him for the rest of his life."

Ryoko nodded. "But at the very least, we need to get off
this planet for a while. I don't care about 'civilization', if
that's what you're thinking, but I've got friends I haven't heard
from in a long time that I'd like to see."

"Pirates like yourself?"

Ryoko shrugged. "Some."

"Mother and Father are probably a little upset at me by
now. My duties as a Princess of Jurai include finding a husband,
and I've canceled all of my marriage meetings while on this
vacation."

Ryoko's head snapped around to stare at Ayeka, her eyes
wide in surprise and outrage. "You mean this is just a vacation
to you?! What, are you just going to pack up and leave to go
marry some prissy little fop? 'Sorry Tenchi, it's been fun.
Bye.' Is that it? Why you little-"

*slap*

"Never!" Ayeka shouted at the top of her lungs, her hand
raised to strike again. "And I will NOT sit here and listen to
you accuse me of such! I love Tenchi will all my heart and will
never leave his side!"

Ryoko raised one hand to gingerly touch the red handprint
on her cheek, surprised that Ayeka had managed to reach that far
before she could dodge, although not surprised at the vehemence
of Ayeka's denial. "Well, quit talking about marriage meetings
and the end of this 'vacation'!" she yelled back angrily.

Ayeka lowered her hand and looked down apologetically. "I
wasn't. I was simply thinking of Mother and Father, and the
complications of being a princess." Her head raised and her
expression turned resolute as she said, "They'll simply have to
understand that I've already found someone. It's not like I'm
the only princess, after all."

Ryoko said nothing, looking back impassively.

Ayeka noticed when she returned her attention to the
pirate. "I apologize for slapping you. Please forgive me. You
angered me terribly when you said those things."

Ryoko shrugged. "Don't worry about it. But what are you
going to do about your parents? And for that matter, Tenchi's.
We still haven't _told_ them that we recently put Tenchi on a
short leash."

"Yes, that's true. It just didn't seem that important at
the time," Ayeka admitted.

"Especially since that time could be better spent with your
ankles crossed behind his back, eh Princess?" Ryoko jabbed, a
smile returning to her features.

"As if you're one to talk, Ryoko." Ayeka snorted
indelicately.

"Well, we need to tell them something soon. Grandfather
has started to ask some rather personal details about our sex
life."

"Such as?"

"You know, 'Who ate all the whipped cream?', 'I can't seem
to find the broom I had at the shrine, have you seen it?', 'Why
does Ayeka scream and hide whenever anyone is dusting?', that
kind of thing."

"Why, the nerve of him!" Ayeka replied indignantly. "That
is our business, thank you very much."

"I agree completely, Princess. And Tenchi's father is also
asking questions, but he is just worried that Tenchi is too shy.
I think we should make a formal announcement, but I'm not sure
how to start. You're the one that knows all that protocool
stuff."

Ayeka looked thoughtful and smoothed out her dress again.
"Well, I think we should ask Tenchi. The customs here are
remarkably similar to Jurai's own, but I would very much like it
if we avoided giving offense because we overlooked something."

"Agreed. Where is Tenchi, anyway?" Ryoko sat up and
looked around. "He should be here by now."


****************


Tenchi was on a bus, actually, his head leaned against the
window as he daydreamed idly. Traffic had been worse than usual,
making the bus run late. He sighed and attempted to wipe the
big, stupid grin off his face, only to smile anew when he
realised, as he had about once every fifteen minutes all day,
what was waiting on him at home. Shifting uncomfortably, he
unobtrusivly plucked at the crotch of his pants, trying to pull
both them and his underwear down just a little more to make room
for the persistent bulge that resided there. It didn't help that
the underwear was actually one of several thongs Ryoko had, or
that it was made entirely of silk. That was a sensation he
couldn't get used to, nor did he want to. It made him feel sort
of sexy.

Tenchi knew he had a good thing going on. His life had
been ridiculously active and adventurous since the girls had
arrived, but had quieted down to a more resonably level lately.
In fact, the only real adventure he'd had in weeks was the
incident with Mihoshi's vibrator, and for once all the bad things
had skipped him by and hit Kiyone instead, which would have been
amusing enough itself if he hadn't felt so much pity for the
serious Galaxy Police officer. And that wasn't all. Ryoko and
Ayeka almost never fought anymore, and even then it was usually
more from habit than true anger. Instead, they had teamed up and
agreed to share him. (Without actually asking his opinion of the
matter,) his subconscious reminded him nastily. However, even
the part of him angry about being left out of the descision
making process agreed that it wasn't all bad.

He wiped his nose reflexively, checking for the blood that
used to be commonplace whenever he thought of something
incredibly perverted, such as what he hoped the girls had in
store for him when he arrived home. His fingers came away dry,
he noted. Even his nosebleeds had been cured.

In truth, Tenchi was living in his own personal golden age.
History has seen many golden ages come and go, each grander than
the last. Ironicly, the people living in those ages rarely if
ever realise that they are living in a time better than any other
they could have hoped for. They're too wrapped up in their own
little worlds to notice. Tenchi was no exception, although he
did vaguely wish that this would last forever. He was far too
busy enjoying himself to take the time to reflect on his
situation, again, a condition common to happy people.

As such, he nearly missed his stop and had to be prompted
twice by the driver, who had been driving this route so long that
he knew all of his regular passengers by name and where they
would need to be let off.

Tenchi waved to him and said goodbye as he exited the
public bus, then turned to the path ahead of him, looking around
warily.

_Where_ could they _be_?


"Psst, there he is!" Ryoko whispered quietly to her
companion, nodding in Tenchi's direction. A sudden gust of wind
stirred the still small spring leaves, all but drowning out her
words.

Still, it was enough for Ayeka, who slowly turned to look,
doing her best to blend in with the motion of the leaves. "Yes,
I see him. Ready?" At Ryoko's nod, she smiled. "On three."

"One," Ryoko replied, guaging Tenchi's progress.

"Two..." Ayeka seconded, tensing as Tenchi steps drew him
near. Her hand found Ryoko's without looking.

"Three," Ryoko finished, and they dropped soundlessly from
their perch.


Tenchi suddenly found himself stopped in his tracks with
two girls pressing kisses against his cheeks. He smiled warmly
and kissed them each in turn, putting his arms around them. "Hi,
girls. How was your day?"

Ryoko's fingers trailed down his chest. "Oh, same as
always. But much, much better now that you're home.

Ayeka's own hands wandered to his behind, copping a slow
feel and untucking his shirt. "Oh, yes. I quite agree." Her
fingers slipped into the waistband.

Tenchi, enjoying the attention but not nearly so bold as to
try it himself, attempted to steer the group toward the house.

Ryoko would have none of it, stepping directly in front of
him and impeding his progress with one hand on each of his
shoulders. "Nuh unh unh... What's your hurry, Tenchi? We just
want to... 'Talk'... for a while..." she purred sensuously,
stepping closer and letting her elbows rest on his shoulders.
"You've been gone _all day_..."

"Aha, um, school you know," he replied lamely, swallowing.
Other sensastions from his rear informed him that two sets of
fingers had curled around the elastic waistband of his thong,
creating a sense of apprehension over what he suspected would
come next.

Sure enough, Ayeka hauled cruelly on the panties, giving
them a viscious yank to force the thin band farther between his
clenched cheeks and binding the front painfully tight over his
package. "Come now, let us take a walk through the trees. We
have important matters to discuss." She neither let go nor
relaxed the pressure in the slightest.

"Okay!" he squeaked, painfully aware of how aroused he was.
As Ayeka would say, he was learning. Pavlov's dogs never had it
so good.

With Ryoko on his right and Ayeka on his left, they took a
detour off the path, ostensibly to 'enjoy the spring air'.

However, there really were important matters to discuss.

"Earth customs?" he wondered aloud after they had explained
the situation. "Well, here in Japan it used to be arranged by
the parents, but that's not practiced anymore. I guess we just
tell Dad and Grandpa. There are tea ceremonies to be held and
such, but to be honest I haven't the faintest idea of how to do
it for the both of you." He chuckled nervously, scratching the
back of his head. "To be honest, I've never been engaged to be
married before. I'm a little scared."

"Try to see it from my point of view," Ayeka prompted.
"I've been engaged to be married my entire life. The only
question was which Lord it would be. At least, that was the only
question until I met you. Then it was simply a question of
when." She smiled sweetly.

Tenchi supressed the flash of irritation at that without a
conscious thought.

"Yeah, yeah, don't mind her. She's too cocky for her own
damned good."

Ayeka stuck her tongue out at Ryoko, who promptly gave her
the red eye back.

"But really, I mean, I don't understand why you like me,"
Tenchi said, unknowingly putting his finger directly on the big
question everyone has when they're in love. "You're both so
powerful, beautiful, and here I am just another guy still in
highschool." He stopped before he mentioned the apparent age
difference. Inexperienced with women though he was, he still
knew better than to bring up the subject of a woman's age.

Ayeka and Ryoko shared a look, then in unspoken agreement
each raised a hand and spanked him very hard in unision.

"Yowch!" he exclaimed, jumping and grabbing at his seat
with both hands, whirling to face them.

"BAD Tenchi!" Ryoko glowered at him.

"Tenchi, don't you ever belittle yourself like that again
or I'll see to it that you can't sit for a _week_." Ayeka looked
angry.

"Whaddaya think, we're stupid or something for falling in
love with you?"

"Umm, no..." he stammered.

"Even back when we didn't always get along, the one thing I
never faulted Ryoko for was her taste." She paused, then added,
"In men."

"Right. So you don't worry about things like that," Ryoko
said, patting him on the arm. "You just be happy and proud and
everything will be just as it should be."

"Now, back to the matter at hand, what do you suggest we
do?" Ayeka grabbed his arm and gently turned him so that their
walk could resume.

They walked in silence for a few minutes as Tenchi
collected his thoughts. Early evening sunlight filtered in
through the trees, highlighting the fresh greenery popping up
through the ground after the long winter. It had just rained the
day before, and everything was just slightly moist and
shimmering; the ground soft and springy beneath their feet.
Ayeka lead the way, slightly in front of the others, guiding them
unerringly to her favorite spot.

Tenchi jammed his hands in his pockets and stared intently
at the ground, prompting the two girls to give him a little extra
space as they walked, hands to themselves. Finally, he spoke.
"Well, I think we should call everyone together and make a formal
announcement of our intentions. Then I'll talk to Dad and
Grandpa and see what we should do next. I do know that we need
to meet your parents and tell them as well. Is that going to be
a problem?"

"Not for me!" Ryoko chirped. "Because it's not an issue at
all."

Tenchi winced, trying to imagine what it would be like to
be an orphan, as Ryoko had already explained to them. "Well, is
there anyone we should talk to?"

Frowning, she held a finger to her lower lip and considered
his question. She shrugged. "Well, Zeke," she said, pronouncing
it 'Zee' 'kee' instead of the American way, "would wring my neck
if we didn't stop by his bar and let him get us drunk, and some
of my other friends would want to know too, but no, no one I
'have' to tell." She sniffed. "It wouldn't be like none of them
have ever gone on a drinking binge and showed up married without
telling anyone."

Tenchi's mouth quirked upward, amused. Ryoko rarely
mentioned her friends, but when she did it was usually to dismiss
them. He looked up and noticed that Ayeka had stopped in a
clearing.

"Well, it could be a problem for me. I hope not, but it
could be. Probably will be. Almost definite-" she cut off her
rambling understatements without elaborating. "Anyway. How will
we get there? Ryu-Oh isn't going anywhere for quite some time."
She turned and guestured, directing their attention to a woody,
well leafed sapling in the clearing.

Ryu-Oh, for it was the regenerating fragment of Ayeka's
ship that the was pointing at, stood nearly three feet high now,
growing surprisingly quickly in the non-Jurian soil. Beams of
light were generated by its leaves and directed around the
clearing, but particularly at Ayeka and to a lesser extent the
other two.

Ayeka kneeled in beside her ship, tenderly smoothing the
soil around its roots and flicking the odd bug off the leaves.
It was a purely symbolic gesture, however, as Ryu-Oh was as
comfortable as a tree can be and not threatened by the Earth
fauna. It was painstakingly obvious that a deep bond existed
between Ayeka and the tree, one that neither of the other two
fully understood, although each came close for different reasons.
"Ryu-Oh is growing quickly, and likes the Earth. However, it
will still be several years before it can return to space. I
needn't stay here the entire time, but I certainly must return
periodicly."

This brought a question that he'd been meaning to ask to
Tenchi's mind. "What about Sasami? What happened to her ship?"

"Sasami's space tree is still growing on Jurai, and will
not be mature until she is. The ship she arrived here on Earth
in was not the same as those like Ryu-Oh. Sasami wasn't truly
Bonded to it," Ayeka explained. "She must visit home from time
to time as well, to prevent the pangs of loneliness her tree must
be feeling."

"Oh."

Ryoko shrugged. "Well, I've still got Ryo-Ohki. We can
make it to Jurai easily, as long as you don't mind stopping every
now and then to rest. She hates long trips."

They nodded.

"So, when do we go?" Ryoko asked.

"I guess we should go as soon as school lets out," Tenchi
replied. "As long as I make it back for summer term, we'll be
fine."

"So, shall we make the announcment?"

The suggestion was met with approval and they trecked off
to the house to call everyone together, atlthough Tenchi had a
few nagging worries.

Frequently, that's the only warning anyone has that a
golden age is coming to an end.


****************


"Washu-chan, you've got a message from the Director of the
Intergalactic Institute of Science," chirped one the little
chibi-Washu bots beside her head.

Although all but asleep, comfortably stretched out on a
suspension field, Washu's head snapped up so hard the little bot
nearly went flying. "All right!" she exclaimed, flexing her
fingers in a subtle command to her holographic keyboard. Several
clicks later, a small window appeared before her in midair.

"Greetings, ah, Washu-chan," began a pale grey humanoid
with three fingers on each hand. Washu's eyes lit up on
recognition of the greatly respected Dr. !!Prarp. "We have
reviewed your submission for the greatest scientific breakthrough
of this century, and I must say, I'm very impressed. As one of
the finalists, you're of course invited to attend the ceremony on
Mindhead Two, where you will defend your theories in front of a
panel of experts. Then we can determine the overall winner. The
opening proceedings will start in 93A80 cesium ticks and you are
welcome to show up any time between now and then. The Convention
Center's coordinates are GSP 545.111.917.338-26, rotation twelve.
I look forward to meeting you in person." The figure bowed and
the message ended.

An almost unholy glint appeared in her eyes as she rubbed
her hands together in anticipation. Finally, she was going to
get the respect she deserved.

"Hooray for Washu-chan!" agreed her little moral boosters.

All those weeks of solid work, nearly a full month of
research interrupted only by a short break... They had all come
to fruition. And there had been such terribly interesting things
going on in the house as well, as Tenchi had finally had his
choice made for him.

Washu sighed. It fit, really. Tenchi had found his mate.
Well, mates, really, but most of the wacky fun relationship
hijinks her housemates had entertained her with were now over.
She'd truly enjoyed her time with her friends here, and was
forever thankful that they had freed her from her crystalline
prison. But now, maybe it _was_ time to go. She hadn't really
thought about it when she'd first entered in the contest, but now
it weighed heavily on her mind.

First prize: One custom built planet from the Intergalactic
Institute of Science. Self-supporting, rich in resources, and
fully stocked with all the playthings, err, scientific tools
she'd only dreamed about. As well stocked as her lab was, it had
nothing on the massive resources the Intergalactic Institute of
Science could provide. And the respect such a win would bring!
She'd have assistants queuing up at the door, and _everyone_
would want to read her papers... She drooled slightly.

Abruptly, she broke out laughing and wiped her mouth. She
had to win the contest first, after all.


****************


"Everyone, we have an announcement to make," Tenchi began,
taking his place as spokesman to his family.

Washu glanced over at Sasami, who was smiling smugly, if a
little wistfully to Washu's experienced eye. She clearly knew
what the announcement would be about, which surprised Washu a
little. She hadn't expected Ayeka to tell her little sister that
quickly.

Tenchi's father and grandfather looked up from the
television, questioning looks on their faces. Alone among the
members of the house, they had no clue what had been going on.

Washu snickered softly to herself. She had been indirectly
responsible for that when she had fulfilled a request from Ayeka
and Ryoko for a little soundproofing around Tenchi's room.

"Yes, Son?" Nobuyuki asked, his eyes already wandering back
to the dancing images on the TV screen.

Tenchi cleared his throat and drew himself up to his full
height, allowing both of the girls to take his arms. "I," he
said, "am in love."

"With me," Ryoko added.

"And me," Ayeka finished a second later, giving Ryoko a
sideways glare for saying it first. "And we love Tenchi as
well."

Nobuyuki was instantly the center of attention, as he
cleared his throat loudly and slowly stood up, his face
unreadable.

Katsuhito had his own opinions on the matter, but he would
not begrudge his son-in-law his rights as a father. He remained
silent, even as he doubtfully considered the likelihood Tenchi
could successfully keep a three-way relationship going with two
equally strong-willed women like Ayeka and Ryoko. He hoped his
grandson wasn't setting himself up for heartache.

Everyone watched anxiously as Nobuyuki slowly walked with
great dignity over to his son, allowing the girls the time to
release his arms before he took his son's hand in his own.

Tenchi tightened his grip as his father shook his hand
firmly, recognizing the man-to-man bonding experience for what it
was.

"Son, congratulations," Nobuyuki said seriously. "You have
far exceeded all my hopes and dreams by landing not one, but two
lovely young ladies. You have my blessing and support."

Tenchi smiled awkwardly, gratified by his father's praise.

Suddenly, Nobuyuki spread his arms wide and lunged forward,
wrapping his son into a manly embrace. "Praise all that be! My
son isn't gay after all!" he yelled to the heavens, tears
streaming down his face in gratitude.

Everyone facefaulted.

"Geez, Dad!" Tenchi protested, fighting his way out of the
hug.

His father let him go and straightened back up, wiping
tears from his eyes and recovering his emotional bearing. "I'm
sorry, Tenchi, but you had me worried," he explained gruffly.

"Well cut it out." Tenchi tugged his shirt back into
position and stepped back into the protective reach of Ryoko and
Ayeka. "Now," he said in an official tone of voice, "I would
very much like to marry them both, at the same time. To be
perfectly fair, we wanted to have two ceremonies, one Juraian,
and one Earth."

Nobuyuki glanced over at Katsuhito, then back at them.
"Well, it'll be different with two brides, but I'm sure we can
work something out to everyone's satisfaction. Right, Grandpa?"

"Ah, yes, I'm sure we can arrange something," Katsuhito
admitted doubtfully. "If there's anything to arrange for," he
muttered under his breath where no one could hear him.

"No point in worrying about it just yet. What about Ayeka
and Ryoko's parents?"

Tenchi glanced back reflexively before answering, "Well,
I'm in school right now, but spring vacation is coming up soon.
We were planning on going to Jurai to see them personally. Ryoko
says that Ryo-Ohki can make it there and back in plenty of time.
Ayeka says that it would probably be best to talk to her parents
first and arrange a Juraian marriage first before we did anything
here."

The other two men nodded agreement. "That's a good idea,
Tenchi," his grandfather admitted. "Ayeka is royalty, so her
family should be given the respect they are due. What of Miss
Ryoko?"

"Parents?" Ryoko replied. "I could have been grown in a
test tube for all I know. I speak for myself."

Katsuhito nodded.

Nobuyuki grabbed the three young lovers together in a
massive hug, nearly crushing Tenchi in the process. "I am
honored to hear that all our families shall be joined as one."

Everyone else nodded, and murmured appropriate sentiments.

Washu jumped up. "Well, I'm not marrying anyone, but I do
have an announcement to make." Seeing that their attention was
now on her, she continued. "In a day or two I will be traveling
to Mindhead two, home of the Intergalactic Institute of Science.
Some of you were wondering what I'd been working on in my lab all
this time. Well, I'll tell you. I've invented a whole new way
of rearranging reality. A trifling invention for one of my
genius, but staggering to the rest of the universe. I sent it in
to a contest the IGIS has for the greatest scientific
breakthrough of the century, and it's in the finals. I'll be
going there for the judging and to defend my work, which will
take about a week and a half." She paused, then squealed and
jumped up and down. "If I win I get my very own planet, custom
built by Magrathea, Inc.!"

Everyone agreed that that was quite a prize, and she
received several wishes of luck.

"Luck? Luck? I'm the greatest genius in the universe! I
don't need luck, and if I did, I'd _make_ it," Washu replied in
mock indignation. Suddenly something occurred to her. "Hey,
that's a pretty good idea. I'll get back to you on that one."

"Do you want some dinner?" Sasami called after her before
she could disappear through the door to her lab.

"Yes, thank you." She waved before she closed the door.


****************


Two weeks later:


"Goodbye, Washu-chan!" Tenchi called, his arm around his
loves.

"Yes, goodbye!" Ayeka seconded, a happy lilt to her voice.
She clung to Tenchi's side with one arm as she waved.

"Don't forget to write!" Ryoko called from a similar
position on Tenchi's other side. "And don't let the door hit
your ass on the way out," she added under her breath.

Washu waved happily from the door to her lab. She needed
no spacecraft for this journey, set up as it was by the
Intergalactic Institute of Science. "Thanks for everything!
Goodbye!"

Sasami waved farewell furiously, tears streaming down her
face. "We'll miss you!" She stood close to her sister and
Ryoko, centered toward the front of the group of people gathered
to wish Washu luck.

The rest of the family and friends waved and offered their
best wishes in turn, making Washu smile wistfully. Mihoshi was
bawling and soaking Kiyone's shirt while the latter awkwardly
patted her on her back. Washu knelt and beckoned to Sasami.

She practically ran to her, giving her one last hug and
allowing Washu to whisper in her ear softly. After a few seconds
she giggled and stood back.

"Well, it's time for me to go," Washu began. "I want you
all to know that I'm very thankful for your kindness and
hospitality, and I wish you all the very best. Now I'm off to my
new estate on Washu-chan Prime, and I'll miss you all very much.
Thank you, and you're welcome to stop by anytime you grow tired
of this galaxy. Goodbye!" Waving one last time, Washu stepped
through her door and shut it firmly. A brief flash of light
later, she was gone.

Ayeka and Ryoko breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, Ayeka
had a thought. Bending down to Sasami, she asked, "What was that
that Miss Washu told you, Sasami? Was it a secret?"

Grinning, Sasami shook her head. "Un unh." Covertly, she
felt the small object Washu had slipped into her pocket.

"Well, what was it?" Ryoko asked, kneeling down in turn.

"She said, 'Tell those two fools to always call me Washu-
chan!'"

They both laughed. "Well, Miss Washu isn't here now, but
I'm sure that if I see her again, I'll call her Washu-chan just
like she wants," Ryoko replied, smiling.

Sasami abruptly giggled again. "There was another thing,"
she said, beckoning them closer.

They leaned in closer. "Hmmm?"

"She said 'always'. And not to worry, because you'd stop
being kappa in a few hours." Sasami laughed.

They both frowned and leaned back to look at each other.
"But Sasami," Ayeka said hesitantly. "we're not- Kappa!"

"Kappa!" Ryoko complained, running in a circle on her new
short, greenish legs.

Sasami waved her finger at them. "She said 'always'."


****************


Some days later, after the excitement had passed, Katsuhito
adjusted his glasses with one hand as he read through the ancient
scrolls held spread out with his other. Although he'd read them
all before, it never hurt to check for wisdom he may have missed.

It's a beautiful late spring day to commune with nature, he
thought, sitting calmly in his position atop one of the hills
surrounding the Masaki shrine. The sun was shining through an
open patch in the fluffy white clouds, birds chirped and sang
through the bright green trees, and just enough breeze blew to
keep sweat from forming on one's brow.

Unless, of course, you were Tenchi and Ryoko, hard at work
pulling a laden cart across the fields below. Ayeka stood in the
front of the two wheeled cart in full formal dress, occasionally
snapping her whip over their heads. The distance was great and
the details were fuzzy, but there was no mistaking that
whipcrack. The faint words "...faster, servants..." floated to
his ears on the breeze.

Katsuhito blinked in astonishment at the scene, then
recovered his composure. "Well... Well, well. I must have a
talk with young miss Ayeka about this."

He continued to watch in growing irritation as the cart
continued its agonizing crawl across the field.

Ayeka pushed them mercilessly, driving them to greater and
greater efforts. Then, inexplicibly, she had them stop.

Although about to return his interest to the scrolls, he
continued to watch this new turn of events.

Ayeka bent down and laid her whip on the bundles in the
back, then proceeded to shuck her clothes off and bundle them
neatly, stopping only when she had reached a thin white shirt and
short, loose pleated skirt.

Ryoko had let go of her hold on the front of the cart and
stood idly by, accepting Ayeka's outer clothes and putting them
on over her own before picking up the whip. Then she waited
patiently for Ayeka to take her place at the front of the cart
before calling something out haughtily and snapping the whip.

With a brief stumble, the cart once more began its arduous
journey across the fields.

"Oh, well then," he said to himself in a somewhat uneven
voice. "As long as they're taking turns... Apparently, I was
mistaken in my assesment of their relationship." He smiled
paternaly to himself. "Boy must have more of Nobuyuki in him
than I thought. Still..." he sighed. "I had better have a talk
with him lest he ruin his future."


****************


"Tenchi!" boomed Katsuhito in his most authoritive, aged,
wise, not-to-be-messed-with grandfather voice.

It was also one that prompted immediate response, and
Tenchi's frantic scrabblings could be heard as he ran the last
few yards to the shrine office. He'd already been on his way to
do his chores, but apparently Grandfather wanted to speak to him.

"Yes, Grandfather?" he said, easily catching his breath
from the dash.

"Tenchi, sit down." He paused, allowing his grandson to
sit before him before continuing. "I wish to discuss your
relationship with Miss Ayeka and Miss Ryoko. I was somewhat
concerned about this arrangement, but as both of the girls seemed
happy with it, I decided not to press the matter. But, tell me,
Tenchi, when did you start sleeping with them?"

Tenchi blushed faintly. "Ah, to be _perfectly_ honest, not
since a day after."

Katsuhito raised one eyebrow. He didn't need clarification
to know what day Tenchi was using as a mark. "And the not so
perfect answer?"

Tenchi blushed brighter. "R-Ryoko and Ayeka caught me in
the woods ten minutes after I told them I loved them."

Katsuhito was a master of self-control. He lowered his
eyebrow as if he'd expected this all along. Still... "_Ten_
minutes?"

Tenchi nodded shamefacedly. "I tripped." That sort of
said it all, really.

"Ah." Katsuhito paused, digesting this information. "And
they've already got you trained to the harness, I see." He sat
up straighter so the light would reflect off his glasses just so.

Tenchi just nodded.

"You're a pretty fast mover. Why, soon you'll be holding
down a job and providing for a family. A particularly large
family, especially considering your age. Ayeka and Ryoko will
probably take turns doing housework and cooking, and you'll come
home from work in your business suit and briefcase and ask what's
for dinner, I bet you've got it all planned out. Why, if I were
to ask the color of the napkins the bride's family would use,
you'd probably be able to tell me _just_ _like_ _that_." He
snapped his fingers in front of Tenchi's face.

"Uhh... White?" Tenchi hazarded, eyes wide. "Really,
Grandfather, we havn't thought that far ahead. We're all young,
I mean, we've got time here..." He trailed off.

Katsuhito sighed. "Tenchi... Suppose one of your ladies
were to become pregnant. Nine months can dissappear in an
instant, and weddings take _time_. Not to mention the added
complication of two brides. Tenchi, if Ayeka and Ryoko fought as
much as they did, imagine their parents! You havn't even met
their parents yet! The proprieties, boy, think of the
proprieties!"

Tenchi gulped and nodded. "But, Grandfather, Jurai has
different customs than Japan." He blushed, remembering. "_Very_
different. Ayeka says that as a princess of Jurai, she's
supposed to marry whomever her parents choose for her, but she's
confident that with a little persuasion-"

His grandfather cut him off. "That's just what I'm talking
about. Ayeka is royalty, and I doubt her parents would take
kindly to her being spoiled by some boy on a planet no one has
heard of, no matter what she may do with her lord fiance."

Tenchi drew himself up indignantly. "Ayeka is not
'spoiled', and I don't think you should call her such."

Katsuhito inclined his head apologeticly. "Well said,
young Tenchi. I never ment it as such. But you have to see this
from her parents view. Just ask your father about my reaction
when he started courting your mother. Parents will be parents,
even as teenagers will be teenagers."

Tenchi settled back down. "I really do want to marry them,
Grandfather."

"That's good to hear, Tenchi. And for all of your sakes, I
hope things turn out well."

Tenchi nodded his head. "Me, too, and thanks. She says
not to worry about the political fallout, it all hinges on
whether or not I can make a good impression with her parents."

"That's a big worry," his grandfather reminded him.

Tenchi nodded.

"Anyway, in the interests of making a good impression with
her family, I want you to stop sleeping with them until after
you're married. It shows restraint, and a desire to not barge in
where you are not welcome, something her parents will no doubt
appreciate. I am well aware that you have neither, but they
don't have to know that." He winked conspiratorily, although
this was lost because he had previously angled his glasses so
that the light reflected off and hid his eyes mysteriously.

Not that it would have relieved Tenchi at all anyway.
Little beads of sweat rapidly became large beads of sweat as
Tenchi pondered the ramifications of this. "Uh..."

Katsuhito frowned. "I mean it. Keep it in your pants,
boy. It may well be the one thing that saves you when it comes
to the parents. You're still a virgin and so is she, as far as
they're concerned."

Tenchi winced. "Couldn't we, you know, sort of stop _just_
before I meet them?"

"Have you no will, boy? Maybe I need to drill some
restraint into that thick head of yours. Heed my words, Tenchi.
No more nookie until after marriage. Parents can _smell_ all
forms of tension, or lack thereof." Katsuhito fixed him with a
firm gaze, brooking no disobedience.

Tenchi wavered, then finally broke. "Yes, Grandfather," he
said, eyes downcast. He was made of surprisingly strong stuff,
but compared to the indomitible will of his grandfather he was as
easily broken as a dry twig.

Katsuhito smiled and got up, patting Tenchi on the back as
he got up as well. "It'll be okay, Tenchi. You can go without
for a few weeks. Look at it this way, you will have a very good
reason for making sure Ayeka's parents like you."

Tenchi turned bleak eyes on his grandfather's face. "It's
not me I'm worried about."


Well, not entirely.


****************


There comes a time in every man's life where he must make
certain decisions. These are very important decisions, pivotal
moments that will determine his future happiness and well being.

Often, the man in question is not even aware that he is
expriencing one of these moments. Often they are silly when
thought about, or the person is distracted by other matters.
Still, these moments can make or break a career, a reputation, or
even a relationship.

And all too often, the decision isn't really a decision for
the man. External factors beyond his limited control have made
it for him, and all the poor shmuck can do is stick to his guns,
blind himself to the consequences, and weather the present.

In Tenchi's case, the weather was stormy with a chance of
thermonuclear explosions.


"WHAT?! YOU PROMISED HIM WHAT?!" Ayeka's peircing screams
echoed through the house, a mix of disbelief, horror, and an
undercurrent of barely restrained violence. Katsuhito discovered
a pressing matter that required his immediate presence at the
shrine.

"How could you do this, Tenchi?" wailed Ryoko. "Don't you
love me any more?" Ryoko sounded more hurt than anything else,
and that was in many ways worse than Ayeka's lashing out.

Tenchi cowered before them. "I'm sorry! But I promised
Grandfather! We've got to wait until after we're married so
Ayeka's parents will like me more!"

Ayeka's mouth snapped shut with an audible click, but Ryoko
found a soft spot in the reasoning.

"But I don't have any other family! Why do I gotta get
kicked out in the cold?"

Although he hadn't originally thought of that, the reason
was pretty clear to him, standing so near as she was. "But I
love you both, I can't just abandon one of you for the other! It
wouldn't be right!"

"That's true," Ayeka agreed. "If I have to abstain for a
while, so should you."

Ryoko turned on her angrily. "You stay out of this!"

Tenchi walked forward and tried to draw them both into a
hug, but they both drew away. Hurt, he dropped his arms to his
sides and fixed them both with a look. "Look, I'm no more happy
with this than you are. But a promise is a promise, and I'll do
whatever it takes to make sure I get to marry the girls I love.
Even if it means this. I _have_ to seem like good husband
material to Ayeka's parents."

Ayeka nodded pensively, deep in thought, but Ryoko huffed
and turned away.

"Fine, be that way," Ryoko said, jumping into the air.
"But we'll see how long you last." So saying, she dissappeared
from view.

"Ryoko..." Tenchi started, but stopped. He turned to
Ayeka. "You understand, don't you?"

Ayeka looked up, catching his gaze with deep, troubled
eyes. "Indeed I do, my love. All too well. And that," she
paused, "is what troubles me the most."


****************


"Ryoko?" Ayeka asked hesitantly, pausing in her cautious
climp to the top of the roof where her sometimes rival brooded.

Ryoko sighed, slumping a little, but remained silent. From
time to time she would raise a bottle of sake to her lips and
take a swig.

Ayeka carefully pulled herself up to sit on the peak of the
roof, stareing out across the water in the same direction as the
pirate.

Finally, Ryoko ventured an opinion. "This sucks."

Ayeka nodded. "You don't know the half of it. It's worse
than it appears."

Ryoko turned to face her. "Really? How can it be any
worse?"

Ayeka sighed and held out her hand for the sake bottle,
which Ryoko obliginly passed. She took a meditative swig, then
said, "My family. That is, my father and mother in particular.
They're not going to be happy about this. I didn't mention it
before because I didn't want to worry you needlessly." Then, as
the taste of the sake made it through her fog and penetrated her
brain, she gasped and squinched up her face.

Ryoko took the sake back and nodded. "I figured as much,
but you seemed so," she paused, taking a drink. "Confident, I
guess. Do you really think you can convince your parents to let
you marry Tenchi?"

"I don't know," Ayeka replied, exasperated. "There's no
real precedent for this kind of thing. They've always been
lenient on other aspects of royal life, they _should_ accept
Tenchi once they see I love him." She sighed. "If they don't, I
may have to, ah, press the issue," she completed reluctantly, and
just for a second the air seemed charged with power.

Ryoko smiled and whapped her on the back. "That's the
spirit! Don't let them take you without a fight!" She leaned
closer and wrapped an arm around the princess's shoulder to
whisper in her ear conspiritorially. "But if they do make you
marry someone else, don't worry. I'll take good care of Tenchi."

Ayeka recovered her composure and glared at the pirate.
"Not funny, Ryoko."

"Who's joking?"

Ayeka just glared and scooted away, rising and pushing up
her sleeves.

"Whoa, easy there, Princess. Don't get carried away,"
Ryoko said easily, holding up her hands. "I doubt Tenchi would
just let you go like that, anyway. Relax, you've got us on your
side. I wouldn't do anything to sabotage your chances with
Tenchi. Really!"

Ayeka's mouth tightened and she bit back an angry retort.
"Well, that may not be all of the problem. Assasinations are not
unknown among Jurai royalty. Normally they would just destroy
our reputation and credibility, undermining our political power.
But Mother and Father are too strong for that, and you and Tenchi
don't have any to begin with. I might be vulnerable to scandal,
but I don't really care. But if I am forced to break off a
potential alliance with another of the royal families in favor of
Tenchi, his life may well be at risk." She quirked her mouth.
"Tenchi's Grandfather is actually quite right. If it appears
that we haven't actually started the dance of submission, there
will be less off an immediate desire to kill him. Violence is
always the last resort in politics, and as long as it appears
that there are other, more diplomatic ways of getting me to marry
whomever they want, he will be safe. It will come down to that
when they see that we won't be broken up any other way, however."

"Hah! As if that's a problem," Ryoko scoffed. "No tree-
hugging assassin is going to get by _me_, and you're not so bad
yourself. We can keep Tenchi safe."

Ayeka shook her head. "Ryoko, we are talking about _Jurai
Royal Family_ here. I may be a princess, but there are those who
possess far more power than I. Worse, they could appeal to the
Emperor, and if he favors them, there would be little you or I
could do about it."

Ryoko was forced to agree. Jurai had kept its royalty so
long because they had access to great power, and none had more
than the Emperor. It was for that reason alone that Jurai had
prospered and expanded in the face of vast empires of beings far
more powerful than the average Jurian. The Emperor never made
empty threats. "So, do you have a plan?"

"Well, I hadn't really thought about it, I mean, we had
some time to prepare..."

"No, you don't have a plan," Ryoko finished for her.
"Well, I'll think of something. I mean, if worse comes to worse,
you could always renounce your family and become an outlaw."
Although having meant it as a joke, she was startled to see Ayeka
nodding.

"Yes, I suppose that is an option. At any rate, it won't
be decided tonight. Could we get down off this roof?" she asked,
rubbing her arms and looking at the gathering night. "I'm
getting a chill, and I believe Sasami will have dinner ready for
us."

"Yeah, alright." Ryoko grabbed her by the arm and
exercised one of her gifts that had been hers as long as she
could remember. It was only wood and minerals, after all,
insubstantial to her power.

The two young women dropped slowly through the roof and
succeeding layers of the house, slowly coming to a halt directly
behind where Tenchi was sitting at the table. Separating, they
took their places on either side.

Sasami had been trying out different recipes for a week
now, and the table was set with several Chinese style dishes.
Bowls of boiled rice, beef lo mein, stir fried vegetables, chow
mein, and wonton soup sat scattered around the table, stared at
hungrily by the assembled household.

Nobuyuki and Katsuhito looked up at them expectantly.

"We're sorry for keeping you waiting," apologised Ayeka.

"That's okay," Sasami said. "We weren't waiting long."

Everyone dug in gladly. It was, as always, very good.

Tenchi ate politely, heaping rice into his bowl and
layering vegetables and little strips of meat over it. Due to
previous experience, his eyes remained locked onto his bowl,
never looking to either side. He could never tell when they were
going to do something... inventive, with their food. "Thank you,
Sasami, it's very good," he complimented.

"Thanks, Tenchi! I found the recipies in one of the old
cookbooks in the kitchen." Sasami blushed faintly at the
compliment.

"One of Achika's old cookbooks," nodded Nobuyuki. "And
this is very good, as good as anything she used to make."

Katsuhito nodded agreement.

"I was worried a little, I've never made this before. If
you like it that much I'll cook it more often." Sasami's heart
swelled with pride at the praise.

Ryoko, unfamiliar with the new food but familiar with the
similar Japanese foods, copied his style, albet with a little
less decorum. She mmmhmmed in enthusiastic agreement to the idea
of having it more often.

Ayeka, on the other side, preferred to work her way up
through the meal one dish at a time. She had tried several of
the dishes before, but when she bit into that first chewy wonton,
her eyes flew wide. "Wow, Sasami," she exclaimed, but not before
finishing the rest of the wonton. "They're all wrong. This is
very _very_ good!" She raised her soup bowl to her lips and took
a short sip.

"I'm glad you like it," she replied again, eating some
herself.

"Like it? I love it!" She glanced sideways at Tenchi, who
reflexively looked back. "Well, not as much as Tenchi, but I
must say that it is quite delicious."

Tenchi was about midway through his bowl of rice and mixed
vegetables and still eating, but for some reason his head
remained turned toward Ayeka. Maybe it was the expression on her
face; a cross between religious fervor and studious
concentration.

Where those with less restraint might have torn into such a
delicious concoction and quickly downed it all, Ayeka was brought
up to savor such things. Such culinary bliss, like an orgasm of
the mouth. She noticed Tenchi staring wide-eyed as she ate, and,
after a quick check to make sure no one else noticed, she
delicately bit one dumpling in twain in a flagrant disreguard for
proper manners. Tenchi's father looked up briefly, so she
quickly popped the other half in and started chewing slowly
before, with an exaggerated bob of her head that grabbed Tenchi's
attention, swallowing. Ayeka arched one eyebrow at him as she
licked the savory soup off the chopstick's length, encircling the
soft, beefy morsel with her tongue and sucking it into her mouth.

Ryoko, who privately considered herself much better and
subtler at the dinner table games, not to mention better at not
getting caught, was annoyed at the attention Tenchi seemed to be
devoting to Ayeka's childish antics. He should be drooling in
her direction instead!

She watched in silence for a few moments more, chewing
thoughtfully. Then a slow, evil grin spread across Ryoko's face.
She swallowed, took a drink, and cleared her throat for
attention. "You know, Princess," she began, watching as Ayeka's
head snapped up guiltily. "I'm quite surprised at you. The
Ayeka I _thought_ I knew would never stoop to displaying such
wonton lusts in public."

Ayeka choked in midswallow.


****************


"Feeling any better?" Tenchi asked, concerned, as they all
settled down in the living room to watch TV. Tenchi sat in the
middle and the two girls sat on either side.

Ayeka rubbed her throat and took another drink of water,
glaring past Tenchi at Ryoko, who had an _almost_ sutably
contrite expression on her face. "I," she paused to cough, then
continued hoarsly, "will live, much to Ryoko's disappointment I'm
sure." She winced at the scratchiness of her normally melodic
voice.

"I said I was sorry, alright?" Ryoko complained. "Who'd
have known that you'd choke on something as little as a wonton?
I mean, you never choked when you mmmph mmp-!"

Tenchi had, with great foresight, clasped his hand across
her mouth as Sasami walked in and sat some distance away on
Ayeka's other side.

"So, Sasami," Ayeka began, turning to her little sister and
trying to prevent the heat on her face from spreading. "What
would you like to watch?"

Sasami glanced at her nervously. "Well, I don't know. I
had already sort of planned on watching a movie, but I didn't
know you were going to watch TV tonight, too. Usually you're all
off in Tenchi's bedroom making funny noises by now. Or still
playing hide and seek in the woods."

Ah, the honesty of a child. Ayeka would not blush more.
No, she wouldn't. It was just hot in there, that was all.
"...Anyway, I'm sure none of us want to disturb your plans,
especially after you cooked such a wonderful meal for us. What
movie were you going to watch?"

She turned the TV on, displaying, fortunately, a news
broadcast.

"And in other news, the still operating terrorist
organization called 'People's Coalition Against Capitalist
Exploitation' has struck again, releasing a debilitating strain
of the influenza virus in the ventelation ducts of the Shinjuku-
ko mall-" Sasami clicked the mute button before answering. "Oh,
it's very romantic. It's adapted from the novel Aikan Muyo."

"No need for Sadness and Joy?" Ayeka asked, looking at the
screen strangely.

"Ah, I don't really know why I wanted to watch it," Sasami
said, giggling nervously. "I'll find something else." She made
as if to click the remote control, but Ayeka held her back.

"No, no, that's fine," she said, looking over to where
Ryoko was making sure Tenchi flossed after the meal. "You watch
whatever you want."

Sasami nervously shrugged, then relaxed as Ayeka turned
away from the TV to talk with the other two. Her sister probably
wouldn't be paying attention anyway, which was good. She really
wanted to watch that movie, but didn't want to try to answer
embarassing questions. It looked to be such a terribly
interesting show, she mused, watching the intro.

"So, what are we watching?" asked Ryoko quietly when she
paused for breath.

Ayeka shrugged. "Something Sasami picked," she replied,
equally quiet. "Anyway, given the restriction Grandpa has placed
on Tenchi, what are we going to do tonight?"

Ryoko chuckled and ran her hand through Tenchi's hair
playfully. "What else, Princess? The same thing we do every
night."

Ayeka frowned. "That's all well and good, but Tenchi may
get in trouble.

"Yeah, you know how Grandpa is. He could tell in an
instant," Tenchi seconded, despite the fact that it had taken the
old man several weeks to realize it in the first place.

"You do realize that that's a pretty specific restriction,
right? With all sorts of legal loopholes and situations not
covered?" Ryoko prodded in return.

Ayeka ohhed in realization. "Why, thank you for pointing
out something I should have seen myself."

Ryoko shrugged as if it was nothing. "You don't have to be
Washu to-"

Sasami's head turned to look directly at her, a broad grin
on her face.

Ryoko noticed instantly and hastened to correct herself.
"Ah, Washu-chan, the greatest scientist in the universe that won
the contest to prove it, ah, oh, to figure out how to get around
that silly little rule." She sighed in relief, noticing how
Sasami's grin stayed firmly put as she turned back to the TV.

Ayeka giggled, to which Ryoko responded with a glare.

"Girls, lets all be nice to each other," Tenchi ventured.
"We don't want to disturb Sasami."

They both turned to him, then exchanged a look. Unspoken
but understood thoughts flashed between them and they melted into
his arms.

Tenchi curled his arms around the two girls, hugging them
close as they snuggeled into his embrace, each turning to face
him.

Sasami found a friend as well, when Ryo-Ohki suddenly
hopped into her lap. She jumped, surprised. She hadn't noticed
the cabbit's approach, intently watching TV as she was. It was
amazing what they showed on Earth television.

Ryoko eased down on the seat, lowering her head in relation
to Tenchi and sliding one arm behind his back.

Ayeka went higher on the other side, also sliding her arm
behind him. One slender hand rose to caress his chest through
his shirt, lightly tracing the lines between the muscles with one
finger.

Ryoko abandoned all pretense of watching television and
simply started kissing up Tenchi's neck, stopping when she
reached his ear. Tenchi quivered twice as she flicked it with
her tongue, then visibly sank into the couch as she drew the lobe
into her mouth and nibbled on it naughtily.

Ayeka's breathing changed, causing Sasami to glance at her
guiltily. Ayeka had dropped her hand lower, out of Sasami's
sight, fondling Tenchi through his pants before gently untucking
his shirt and sliding her hand up it to rest on his well-toned
chest.

Tenchi's eyes drooped halfway, and he hugged tighter as
Ayeka's long, slim fingers teased his nipples. Ryoko's gentle
tugging at his ear served to further distance him from reality,
especially as Ryoko's hand joined Ayeka's under his shirt to work
the other side.

Once, Tenchi had been shy about this sort of display,
especially in as public a place as the living room. It didn't
fit his ideas of decency and discretion, nor was it, he felt, the
kind of thing a young girl like Sasami should see. However, all
of the girls were from the far more decadent Jurian culture,
where such foreplay was a common, accepted public practice for
people in love, except at sporting events and executions. Some
things were sacred, after all, and deserved the audience's full
attention.

So he had gotten used to kissing and fondling in public, at
least in his own house. But try as he might, his arms just
weren't long enough to reach far, and Tenchi had to content
himself with working his fingers along the muscles in their
backs, a gentle, soothing massage.

Ayeka finally gave up all pretenses and turned to kiss him,
hard. Her tongue probed and thrust against his, and her
demanding sucking pulled his lower lip between her teeth.

Tenchi extended his tongue to the fullest, licking her nose
and causing her to draw back in surprise, grinning. He smiled in
triumph, for the first giggle was his!

Ryoko ran her hand out the neck of his shirt and grasped
his chin, turning his head for a lingering kiss of her own. She
was less demanding than Ayeka, allowing his tongue to do the
exploration.

Sasami, on the other side, barely noticed all of this as
usual. She'd long suspected that it would be fun to kiss Tenchi,
and when she'd asked her big sister she'd had that thought
confirmed. But now, it was simply background noise. The movie
was turning out to be _very_ interesting indeed. Almost like the
entertainment available back home.

Ryo-Ohki miyahed in contentment, nuzzleing Sasami's hand
and pushing her head under it.

Sasami obligingly resumed her petting, lightly smoothing
the fur on Ryo-Ohki's ears as she kept her rapt attention on the
screen. It was such a wonderful night. "You know, Ryo-Ohki,"
she mused to herself. "I could stay like this forever."

Muffled giggling came from beside her, indicating agreement
to her assesment of the fun of petting.

Ryo-Ohki miyahed affirmative. She was certainly enjoying
herself.

Tenchi, on the other hand, was too far gone to even think
much beyond the two girls surrounding him. However, one nagging
thought did perculate through the happy stupor he found himself
in.

It was going to be a very hard few weeks.


****************


Washu was in paradise. More specifically, she was in the
tasteful, beautifully decorated formal lab office in the main lab
complex on her very own planet, coincedently named Washu-chan
Prime. Paradise summed it up nicely, however.

There was something about the way the yellow class C star's
photon stream diffused through the selectively polarized force
field of her roof and bounced merrily around the room that was
just so much better than the way the artificially-generated
specifically-selected photons in her lab had reflected off the
perfectly regular surfaces of her subspace lab.

The heady euphoria she got from the praise respected
scientists of the universe kept sending her way didn't hurt at
all. Not one tiny bit.

"So," she began, clasping her hands and leaning forward on
her (platinum-crystal matrix inlaid rare Jurian rosewood) desk.
"I see your record is impressive. What makes you think you're
good enough to be the lab assitant to the greatest scientist in
the universe?"

The applicant adjusted his small round glasses in a casual
manner. "I accept only the best, myself, and I'm sure that such
a respected scientist as yourself, Professor Washu, would be the
same. We have compatible theories, I'm very, ah, experienced,
and I can be of considerable assistance in _any_ field you chose
to explore, unlike the specialists I'm sure you've been
innundated with." He emphasised 'specialists', faint contempt
marring his highly bishonen features.

Washu nodded, impressed despite herself. Although a bit
arrogant, he had reason to be, and probably could have qualified
as a respected scientist in his own right. He was also easy to
look at.

She shook herself mentally, banishing such thoughts. She
was concerned with his looks only insomuch as whether or not he
would fit in with the decor. "Well, you're right. I do accept
only the best. And you're cetainly experienced."

He inclined his head gracefully. "Very."

Washu smiled and jumped down out of her chair to walk
around the large desk and expensive, elegant, and extremely
tasteful statue on one side. Walking up to the much taller man,
she extended her hand, which he grasped firmly. "Well then,
you're hired."

Kagato bowed deeply. "I thank you, Professor Washu. You
will not regret this."

She held up her other hand for him to stop. "You're hired,
but on one condition."

"Hmm?" he asked, looking up.

"Only if you call me Washu-chan!"

Nothing destroys your carefully constructed composure
faster than a facefault.



Sasami: Next, the aftermath. The recently active Masaki
household night life calms down once more, but I still can't get
any sleep. Everyone's life is changing, but we're not sure it's
for the better. Oh, well. At least Washu-chan is happy with her
new home.

Kagato: It is indeed nice. So... Convenient.

Tenchi: So be sure and read the next chapter of Aurora of
Rainbow Fire, Sweet Dreams and Sour Awakenings.

Ryo-Ohki: Miyah mya meya meow!