Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Aurora of Rainbow Fire ❯ Sweet Dreams and Sour Awakenings. ( Chapter 2 )

[ 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.

This story is archived at
http://www.tmffa.com/member.html?id=420

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updates and new fics.



Aurora of Rainbow Fire chapter two: Sweet Dreams and Sour
Awakenings.

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.





A note about time, and perceptions thereof.

People, that is, living beings based on some form of matter
possessing intelligence and moral capacity somewhere between a
dolphin and a lawyer, each experience time in their own unique
fashion.

Rocks, which are not people, experience time on the grand
scale. Eons, millennia, epochs, all these are arbitrary units of
time useful to describe a rock's life. And even then, you'd need
a lot of them.

Some people even get to experience this sort of scale. The
estemed Dr. Washu-chan, for instance, had been kicking and biting
and attempting to replicate herself in the manner of a standard
living organisim for quite some time. But, like all other
people, she was still stuck in the present, occasional Mihoshied
experiments notwithstanding. She could remember fantastic
amounts of her personal history, and had done many many things
throughout her long life. Even so, it took forever for a news
report to finally disappear and return her to her regularly
scheduled programming.

Tenchi experienced time as those moments between
embarrassing and/or personally threatening moments, and
increasingly, those moments when he wasn't with his two lady
loves. All that work stuff was simply to be endured in the
knowledge that it would eventually be over and he could go back
to those endless moments of being wrapped in two sets of arms.

Now, though, with the weight of the upcoming journey
hanging over everyone's head, some members of the Masaki
household experienced time differently.

Ayeka and Ryoko now experienced time much like someone tied
to a chair, watching a digital timer tick down toward zero while
an expert attempts to defuse it.

Each day that brought them closer to meeting the parents
and hearing a 'yea' or 'nay' seemed to go by in a flash. Each
moment not spent in strategic planning was wasted. On the other
hand, each day that went by without a premarital romp in the
woods seemed to drag tediously by, much like an awkward silence
on a first date.

But it was Sasami who felt the passage of time in all its
terrible glory.

Children feel things that they don't know how to describe,
and Sasami felt the time pass. Not even an AIDS patient watched
the clocks and calendars like Sasami. It was the end of a golden
age and the beginning of something new and frighteningly unknown.


Sasami felt this, and although the nightmares hadn't
started, she knew in her gut that they soon would.

The extra tension in the air added by two worried young
women and one worried young man only made her nerves worse, but
here, at least, was a problem that she could deal with. Sasami
was always better at helping others.

She noticed her sister's preoccupation fairly quickly, and
she asked her straight out, "Ayeka, what's going on?"

"Oh, I'm just concerned about the visit home. I want
Mother and Father to meet Tenchi and Ryoko, but I'm not sure how
they'll react."

"Oh, I see. You're worried about them not liking Tenchi
and Ryoko?" Sasami asked, concern written on her young face. Her
big sister had been so happy lately, but now, despite the smile
on her face, she looked upset. She moved to sit beside Ayeka,
carefully keeping her head straight so as not to dislodge her
furry head ornament.

For her part, Ryo-Ohki took the move without complaint,
especially when Ayeka also reached over to gently scratch behind
her ears.

"Yes, I'm very worried. What if they've already picked
someone out for me to marry?"

"You'll just have to explain that you're in love with
Tenchi and Ryoko-"

Ayeka cut her off at that. "Sasami, I love only Tenchi. I
just have to put up with Ryoko because Tenchi also loves her,"
she clarified.

"Well, if you say so," Sasami replied doubtfully. "But I'm
sure they'll understand. And I just know they'll like Tenchi and
Ryoko. I do."

Ayeka hugged her little sister close. "Yes, I do too.
Very, very much. Thank you, by the way." She let go and scooted
away to give her sister some space. "So, are you looking forward
to going home?"

"Yes, I miss Mom and Dad ever so much!" Sasami said
unhesitatingly, but Ayeka looked at her doubtfully.

"Ever so much?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yep!" Sasami replied, then hopped down off the couch,
startling Ryo-Ohki and nearly dislodging her from her perch.
"I'd better get started on dinner, if you want we can have wonton
soup again."

"Sasami, it's early afternoon." Ayeka stopped her sister
with a faintly disapproving look.

"Have to start it early, you know," she insisted. "Those
things take a long time to cook."

"Sasami..." Ayeka repeated warningly.

"But I do want to see Mommy and Daddy, I do!" she insisted,
lip trembling.

"I know you do," Ayeka said comfortingly, drawing her
little sister into a hug. "You want to know a secret? I'm a
little sad that we're leaving, too."

"Why?" Sasami asked, clearly disbelieving her sister's
statement. "You've got Tenchi and Ryoko now. You'll get to be
married and go off and have all sorts of fun," she paused, trying
to remove the tremor from her high voice. "...and I'll just be
going home. You know they won't let me come back here, even if
you do." Her eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears as she
leaned back to look directly at Ayeka.

"Oh, Sasami, I'll still come and see you! And so will
Tenchi and Ryoko."

Ryo-Ohki miyahed, pawing gently at Sasami's head.

"And yes, Ryo-Ohki will come too. It's not like we're just
leaving," Ayeka consoled.

"I know, I know," Sasami protested. "But you don't see, do
you?"

"I do see," Ayeka replied gently. "You're afraid you're
going to miss everyone. But we'll be visiting all the time."

Sasami shook her head vehemently, flinging a few tears away
and forcing Ryo-Ohki to jump down with a protest. She gathered
the cabbit back into her arms and wiped her face with the back of
one sleeve before turning back to her sister. "No, you don't
understand. It's not your fault, but..." She sighed.
"Nevermind."

"No, not nevermind. This is important to you," Ayeka said,
preventing Sasami from rising from the couch.

"It can wait. We've still got several weeks left, don't
we?" she said despondently, trying to cheer herself up.

"Well, yes..." Ayeka replied hesitantly. "I suppose we can
discuss it later, if you really don't wish to talk about it now."

"Thank you. I've got things to do now," she said, speaking
to the cabbit, "so you'll have to get down now."

Miyahing, Ryo-Ohki scampered up Sasami's shoulders and
leaped onto the back of the couch, looking at her expectantly.

Sasami giggled, although she didn't really feel it. "Okay,
you can help too."


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


Kagato hmmed softly to himself, intently scanning one of
the newer files in Washu's extensive database. The collection of
data on this one subject alone staggered him, indicating that
Washu had spent considerable amounts of her time researching this
being. Oh, there were several more files of comparable size, but
this... There was something special about this one. DNA
sequences, psych evaluations, astral scans, links to several
different cell samples locked in a subspace container, all marked
'DO NOT CLONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!'; this must have been a
very interesting subject indeed.

"Whatcha doing?"

Kagato most carefully did not have a heartattack. "Ah,
Miss Washu, I was simply-"

"Chan."

"-Washu-chan, I was simply scanning some of your gathered
material. May I ask why this file was in a hidden, triple
encrypted folder in a section that was supposed to be reserved
for descriptions of the mating habits of the Aguierilan tube
fish?"

Washu leaned around to see exactly what he was reading,
then nodded. "Oh, that's easy. That's where it belongs." Many
other scientists would have been upset at the invasion of their
personal database, but not Washu. In fact, she would have been
disappointed if he hadn't, as his genius was very nearly on par
with her own. She'd already scanned many of his own files
herself. (Raising an eyebrow or two at some of the pictures, and
occasionally adding them to her private collection.)

He nodded, then raised one slim eyebrow. "Ah, again, may I
ask why?"

"Neither one of them make any damned sense."

"I see..." he said, nodding in confusion.

Washu shook her head and shuddered. "You would if you had
met Mihoshi. She has singlehandedly set back the science of
_everything_ by more than a century, and that's just by
existing."

Kagato blinked. "My, my. That does sound bad."

"Anyway, all you need to know about her is that she is an
OMWDTD variable, and is to be avoided at all costs. Come on,
sweetie, we've got some more experiments to run." Washu took his
large hand in hers and gently tugged him out of the room.

As he exited the door behind her, he asked, "OMWDTD?"

"Oh, my. What does this do?"

Experiments, experiments, and more idle chitchat. Kagato
found himself frequently bored. It wasn't that Washu's theories
were uninteresting, but her research methods were depressingly
five dimensional. She seemed compelled to explore every branch
to see where it went, rather than looking ahead to find the most
promising fork and delving directly for it.

(Like now, for instance,) he thought as he carefully
configured an extra-planar sampling device to phase out and
search for threads of cosmic will. (She ignores the obvious fact
that the forces could be wrapped around a higher lifeform
consciousness and tweaked in such a way as to turn the physical
body into a standing, sentient energy matrix, chosing instead to
toy with the subtlties of the influence they have over the
galaxial dispersion effect!) He finished the last calculations
and tapped a holographic activation key, sending the little
spherical device on its way with a slight inward rush of air.

(And all it does is delay my own research. I never thought
being a research assitant would be this dull,) he thought
bitterly, returning his mind to the fascinating files on two
Jurian princesses. (Sisters,) his memory reminded him. (Sisters
with the blood of Jurai's royal family coursing through their
veins. One with the power, the younger without. The comparison
should prove to be most informative.) A smile grew on his face
as he considered the possibilities. He owed Jurai a large debt
of pain.

"Good to see you in a good mood for a change," chirped his
diminuitive boss. "Come on, we've got a bit more to do." She
turned a walked away, clearly expecting him to follow like the
obedient little underling he was.

Rubbing his temples in vain effort to prevent the now
familiar throb of a headache, he followed. For now.


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


Deep in the wee hours of the night, the Masaki household
slept peacefully. Some twitched, as in Tenchi's case. Some
wiggled their noses, as in Ryo-Ohki's case. And still others
dreamed, as in the case of a certain Jurian Princess...


"Oh, look Ryoko. There's one of the primitives now!"
Princess Ayeka exclaimed, pointing out a young male peeking at
them from behind a rock.

Her friend and confidant in the court, the Countess Ryoko,
put one hand up to shield her eyes even as the other held a
delicate parasol up to block the sunlight. A few brief moments
of searching and she had also spotted the grubby humanoid.
"Quite right, Princess, it does appear to be one of the natives,
and a prime male at that. You have a good eye to spot him so
quickly!"

Princess Ayeka nodded modestly at her friend. "Oh, tis
nothing. Come, let us have a closer look at the brute."

The two offworld travelers casually strolled closer,
careful not to catch their elegant attire on any twigs or brush.

The native jumped up at their approach, giving them a brief
but amazingly stimulating view of his strong chest and short
loincloth before he turned and ran off into the forest.

"Oh, my! Did you see that butt?" Ryoko exclaimed
excitedly.

Ayeka again nodded gracefully. "Calmly, my dear. It would
not do to get all worked up like one of the primitive females.
We must be refined, aloof, and in control, as benefits those of
our standing."

Ryoko composed herself before bowing in return. "Of
course, Princess Ayeka. I forget myself."

Ayeka patted her friend gently on the arm. "That is quite
alright, you're learning. And he was indeed in fine physical
condition. Come, let us hurry lest he escape."

The two refined ladies snapped their parasols closed and
rested them on their shoulders as they journeyed deeper into the
forest. The trees were widely spaced, tall and very old. Their
intertwined branches and broad leaves shaded the forest floor,
blocking the light and smothering the undergrowth, making the
trip a pleasant journey for the pair.

Suddenly, a ferocious saber-toothed cabbit dropped off a
limb above them, growling hungrily.

Eyes wide, Ayeka turned to her friend, who was shivering
and whispering something over and over. "I must stay calm, I
must be refined, I must stay calm..."

Ayeka nodded and smiled. "That's very good, you stay calm
and refined while I run for it."

"What?!"

But Ayeka was already gone, running through the forest for
all she was worth. Behind her, the screams of her unfortunate
friend spurred her on.

Only it seemed like she was running through mud. No matter
how hard she tried she just couldn't go any faster. And the
snarling, slobbering sounds of the saber-toothed cabbit were
getting closer and closer. Her breath came in ragged gasps now
as she crashed through the underbrush, the limbs clutching at
her, trying to hold her back.

A sheer rock face loomed ahead, forcing her to stumble to a
stop. Ayeka spun, pressing her back against the wall in terror.

The giant, slavering, rabid, space cabbit crouched at the
entrance to the canyon, pawing at the ground and leaving deep
furrows with its monstrous claws. Its red eyes glowed, filling
Ayeka's world.

She knew. Ayeka knew what it was like to be the prey.
Knew what it was like to be a few short breaths away from lunch.
Even as the cabbit stalked inexorably closer, Ayeka felt the
helplessness steal over her, the resignation to her fate as a
long-pork sandwich.

"UUGG!" yelled the caveman as he sprang down between the
ferocious cabbit and its princessy prey.

Tenchi! Tenchi was here! Ayeka clasped her hands together
beside her face, watching as her primitive hero fought the
monster.

Caveman-Tenchi grunted in defiance, brandishing a giant
carrot-club. He slammed it on the ground several times,
challenging the beast.

Ferocious though the primitive saber-toothed cabbit was, it
wanted nothing to do with this man and his giant carrot. It
cowered before him as he advanced and swung it threateningly over
its head, then jumped away and ran as he made as if to hit it.

Caveman-Tenchi grunted in satisfaction and turned to the
beautiful female he had saved. "Uhg! Grunt!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't understand a word you're saying,"
Ayeka replied hesitantly, standing up to her full height again
but still barely coming to the towering caveman's throat.

Caveman-Tenchi abruptly stepped forward and seized her by
both arms; ready to claim his prize if the strip of leather being
pressed into her leg was any indication.

"Oh, my! You really fill out a loincloth, don't you?"
Ayeka giggled and attempted to back away, but the brute would
have none of it and jerked demandingly at her clothes.

"Now wait just a minute!" Ayeka protested, trying to hold
him off by placing her hands against his firm chest and pushing.
"Just because you saved me doesn't mean you can just take me like
one of those little girls you have waiting for you back at the
cave!"

"Grunt grunt oog ug!" he replied, ripping the obi from her
and tearing her formalwear as he tried to peek inside.

"But I'm a cultured lady from a civilized race! I can't
just rut in the dirt with an ignorant primitive!"

Abruptly, he stopped, let her go, and kneeled with one knee
on the ground in front of her. Caveman-Tenchi cleared his throat
for attention, then began.

"Oog ug-unck uck yuh**
Grunt uhg arg!-oog uh grunt-grunt
Uh uh grunt uhg uh."

Ayeka's jaw dropped as she stared, dumbfounded, at the
grubby, backwater primitive who claimed her as his mate. Ticking
the syllables off on one finger, her eyes lit up in surprise.
"That was a haiku!" she exclaimed delightedly.

Caveman-Tenchi smiled and grunted proudly. "Uh ugh." He
stood up and grabbed her arms again, spinning her around into his
forceful embrace.

"Wait! Poetry does not give you permission to get in my
underwear!"

Her protests fell on uncaring ears as Caveman-Tenchi
proceeded to strip off her clothes and dump the tattered rags
unceremoniously on the ground.

Realizing she would be in a world of pain if she allowed
him to simply rip her panties off the same way, Ayeka took the
initiative and removed them herself, sagging against his rock
solid stance as she worked them down over her legs.

He snatched them from her and studied them intently,
keeping both arms wrapped around her as he felt of the silky soft
material. Curiously, he brought them to his nose and took a deep
whiff.

And immediately broke down coughing, tossing them away and
holding his nose.

"Hey! That's not how it's supposed to go!" Ayeka exclaimed
angrily, glaring at him with all the fury a naked person can
direct at someone who has just told them in no uncertain terms
that they stink.

And that's pretty damned furious.

Abruptly Ayeka sighed and dropped her head, the anger
fleeing like morning mist. "I can't get any respect."

Again, warm, powerful arms encircled her, calloused hands
snagging her butter-smooth skin in enticing ways. Roughened hide
rubbed her nipples into firm ripeness, and the press of his
erection into her behind sent a wave of weakness through her
knees. Only through his help was she able to remain upright.

Ayeka rubbed her hands along the outside of his, assisting
his efforts, directing him lower and lower. Her eyes closed and
her head lifted back as his search disappeared between her legs,
and a soft gasp escaped her lips. Her own hands left his and she
reached back, lifting the loincloth and fondling him beneath it.

Caveman-Tenchi got more at more excited as she explored
beneath his tattered leather. "Uhg, ugh, uuUUUOOOHhh..." he
moaned as she found an especially sensitive spot.

His hot breath in her ear told him he was ready even as
they dropped to the ground. Ayeka supported herself on her hands
and knees, waiting for him.

Several long moments passed, and still he hadn't entered
her.

"I'm sorry, Ayeka, but I promised Grandfather..."

"SH-"


"-IT!" Ayeka yelled, bolting straight upright in bed.
Then, realizing what she'd just done, she clasped both hands
across her mouth and looked around in panic.

Sasami grumbled irritatedly in her sleep, batted softly at
the air, turned over, and was still again.

Ayeka sighed in relief, sitting in bed and contemplating
her disappointing dream. And her additional disappointment at
waking up in her own bed rather than Tenchi's. She'd rather
liked that part of their relationship, but since the no-nookie
clause had been enacted, had retreated back to her own bed to
avoid certain temptation.

The whole no sex thing bothered her more than she cared to
admit. Sure, she'd gone her entire life without it, but now that
she'd tried it she found she rather enjoyed it. It was fun- and
addictive.

That was beside the point.

(Dammit, it had been such a good dream! Ryoko eaten,
Tenchi in a loincloth (mental note: Call Mrs. Ikeuchi and see if
they carry loincloths), interesting sex... and then Tenchi had to
go and screw it up!) Ayeka clenched her fists around the
blanket.

(Wait, wait, calm down. It's not Tenchi's fault, remember?
Just a dream. Just a damned dream. Nightmare, really, but
still, you can wake up from nightmares. What I need right now is
for Tenchi to hold me and tell me it's all right... To kiss me
and pinch me and...)

"Shit."

There was no chance of going back to sleep now. Ayeka
decided to grab a snack from the kitchen and hit the bathroom.
Nothing like a nice, looong bath to cure what bothers you.

Slipping into her soft tabi, Ayeka adjusted her sleeping
clothes and eased out the door, careful not to make any noise and
wake her sister up.

The house was very quiet at night. Not that it was always
that noisy during the day, oh no. It was frequently pretty
silent then as well. But nothing quite compared to the stillness
of night.

Unless, of course, you were squirming and writhing in the
arms of your-

Ayeka ruthlessly squashed that thought.

Her footsteps sounded loud to her as she softly padded over
the wooden floors, the very rare squeak a sort of punctuation to
the lonely thoughts her mind kept repelling. Ayeka quickly
descended the stairs into the living room, tracking a sound she
was beginning to be aware of.

Soft snores buzzed from a dark lump on the couch,
occasionally accompanied by a wiggle.

Ayeka walked over and paused, staring down at Ryoko in the
moonlight. She was still dressed in the clothes she had worn the
day before, and didn't even have a blanket covering her.

Of the two, even Ayeka admitted that this was affecting
Ryoko more. A nomadic sleeper by habit, Ryoko had taken to
sleeping wherever she collapsed since they had agreed not to
sleep in Tenchi's bed anymore.

Now she shivered slightly in the night chill, wrapping her
arms desperately around herself.

Despite herself, Ayeka felt like a heel. Even she would
admit that Ryoko looked alone and vulnerable, and needed
companionship. She kneeled silently on the floor beside the
couch, looking gently down at the equally forsaken pirate. One
hand reached out and gently rubbed Ryoko's arm, restoring some
heat back into the goose pimpled flesh.

Ryoko shuddered and rolled slightly, unconsciously seeking
the caring touch.

Ayeka turned and laid both arms across the sleeping pirate,
who hugged them close, and lay her head down onto the couch.

They could all handle the few weeks until school vacation.
But what if her parents didn't like Tenchi? Her perfect dream
would be over. And there were any number of reasons they
wouldn't like Tenchi. Ryoko, for one. Two wives weren't unheard
of in the Jurian empire, but weren't common either. And a high-
ranking Jurian princess in marriage with a notorious criminal to
a common man from a backwater planet no one had ever heard of?
Ayeka shuddered.

Ryoko turned in her sleep, moaning Tenchi's name.

Sighing, Ayeka raised her head again to look at the
sleeping woman. Ryoko looked so innocent when she was asleep,
completely unlike the hellraiser she was when awake. (It
figures,) Ayeka thought. (The evil ones always do.)

Ryoko's legs rubbed against each other, and one hand
sleepily found its way inside her dress. Her soft moanings rose
in intensity, as did presumably her dream.

Ayeka frowned and pulled her hands back as Ryoko tried to
pull them into some rather personal spots. From the sounds of
it, her dream must have been on similar lines as Ayeka's own.

She watched in silence for a few moments more, the abruptly
realized that her own breathing had quickened in response. Ayeka
knew what would stop illicit thoughts. She rose and hurried to
the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it up with cold tap
water, draining it in a series of loug gulps. Then, just for the
hell of it, she filled the glass again and returned to stand over
Ryoko's defenseless form.

"Hey," she spoke softly to the moaning figure. "If I can't
have Tenchi in _my_ dreams, neither can you." And then she
poured the cold water.

A bit later she felt kind of bad for getting the couch all
wet, but Ryoko's keening, literal levitation ten feet straight up
_was_ rather amusing. When the sputtering, cursing pirate had
calmed down and looked around, Ayeka smirked evilly up at her.
"How's that for a wet dream?"

Ryoko gasped and struggled to keep from blasting the cruel,
evil, ugly bitch below her, finally managing to unclench her
fists and drift lower. "Ha ha," Ryoko replied humorlessly.
"You're just a barrel of laughs in the middle of the night,
aren't you? What's the big idea, splashing water all over
someone who was _trying_ to sleep?"

Ayeka's expression softened. "You looked cold-"

"So you decided to pour ice water on me?" Ryoko asked
incredulously.

Ayeka laughed nervously. "Um, sorry about that. Long
story. Let's just say it seemed like a good idea at the time?"

Ryoko's eyes held the promise of much retribution, and
Ayeka backed away nervously.

"Okay, maybe it wasn't a good idea. I'm sorry?" Ayeka said
placatingly, holding her hands up in front of herself as Ryoko
advanced menacingly.

Sighing, Ryoko stopped her immediate plans to kill,
dismember, and bury Ayeka. (That's just fine, Princess. You've
had your fun. I can wait until you're not expecting it.)

"Really, now, I'm trying to be nice to you," Ayeka tried
again, boldly stepping forward and grabbing Ryoko's arm. "Come
on, let's get you dried off and hustled off to bed. You
shouldn't sleep on the couch like that, you'll catch a cold."

"If I don't drown first," Ryoko agreed nastily.

"I'm sorry, okay? If you want you can get Tenchi to spank
me." Ayeka tugged the sopping wet Ryoko down the hall and into
the girl's bathroom, still extended by Washu's technology.

"I'd rather do it myself..." Ryoko grumbled to herself.

"What?!" Ayeka exclaimed, momentarily shocked.

"Uh, I mean, it'd hurt more."

Ayeka still looked at her dubiously, but continued her
task. Ryoko's dirty clothes were piled neatly in the laundry and
Ayeka used a large bath towel to rub her briskly all over, drying
her off and driving off some of the considerable chill she had
picked up during the night and cold water bath.

Having no other clothes available at the moment, Ayeka
quietly led the nude Ryoko up the stairs to her own room and dug
out an extra pair of her own pajamas.

Shrugging, Ryoko accepted them without comment and dressed
quickly, the cool silk causing shivers as it slid over her bare
skin. She looked up to see Ayeka staring at her with a
contemplative look on her face. "What?" she said quietly,
whispers being too loud to be used around the sleeping Sasami.

Ayeka shrugged. "Why not?" she mouthed back, seemingly to
herself. Appearing to reach a descision, she tugged Ryoko down
to her futon and threw back the sheets. Seeing the obvious
question written across Ryoko's face, she shrugged. "I'm tired
of sleeping alone, and I bet you are, too." She held one finger
up and wagged it back and forth. "But no funny stuff, okay?"

Ryoko looked at her oddly. (Strange, but... Hmm, how to
be naughty and unnerving...) She reached out quickly, grabbing
Ayeka's hand and keeping the finger extended, bringing it to her
mouth and sucking on it in one slow, sensuous motion before
releasing the hand, patting Ayeka on the cheek, and sliding under
the covers before Ayeka had time to speak.

Ayeka cradled the hand against her breast and cupped her
cheek in the other, utterly dumbfounded.


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

No one sleeps like a child, except the completely innocent
and the completely unselfconscious.

Ryoko usually fit all three. Although having assumed adult
status a long time ago, there was still a certain childlike
wonder to her, a naive assumption that the universe really wasn't
all that bad. And by and large, to her, it wasn't. She had fun,
personal power, and shortly after her landing on earth, love.
Even the snooty Jurian princess was little more than a mild
annoyance, sand in the bikini during the beach vacation that was
life.

Innocence is, of course, relative, but despite the
substantial reward offered for her immediate incarceration and/or
disposal, Ryoko was innocent. She'd never really done anything
that _bad_, per se, more like naughty.

And Ryoko had never experienced a day of shyness or
selfconsciousness in her life, most of the time she was the
instrument of other's embarassment. Truly, she was blessed and
smiled upon by the gods, and not that nasty kind of smug grin the
Gods use right before they turn a life into some kind of personal
hell that would make Job wince either. An honest, benevolent
smile.

However, until now she'd never been invited to the bed of
another female for use as a body pillow, so maybe there was just
a hint of a smirk around the edges of that hypothetical god's
smile. Despite her brazen, deliberately provocative actions,
Ryoko was so nervous that she all but forgot about the
unfortunate method of her wake up call.

The fact that she and Ayeka had shared some pretty intimate
secrets, not to mention their colaboration on some rather
inventive projects designed to turn Tenchi into a sex god
straight from the legends of the Tantra, simply made things
worse. Sure, she had done some things to Ayeka, and vice versa,
that weren't exactly normal behavior between two girls in a
nominally platonic relationship, but it wasn't like she was doing
it for Ayeka's benefit. Tenchi's reactions were just so _cute_
when he was tied in the chair like that.

Thoughts of Tenchi warmed her in a way the thick blanket
hadn't and Ryoko uncurled from her near fetal position, getting
as comfortable as she could, pushed to the edge of the futon as
she was. Unobtrusively, she turned her head and looked over at
her bedmate, being just barely able to make out Ayeka's features
in the dim light.

Ayeka was stiff, stiff, stiff. Every muscle in her body
radiated tension, almost like she'd hooked herself up to a couple
of hundred volts of high amp DC power to recharge for the night.
Although if she stayed like that for very long, recharged was
going to be the last thing she was going to feel like in the
morning.

Ryoko stifled a chuckle. To think she'd been worried.
Ayeka was probably as afraid of this situation as she was, for
all that it had been Ayeka's idea in the first place.

Heh.

Nothing to worry about. Ayeka wasn't the type of person to
just reach out and fondle her because she wanted her to. Wanted
to, that was. Ryoko rubbed her eyes sleepily. She was tired,
and clearly not thinking right. There was no sexual tension in
that bed that she didn't cause herself.

Right. Now, time for sleep. Busy day tomorrow and all.

Apparently, Ayeka had come to essentially the same
conclusion, and visibly relaxed beside her.

That was all well and good, at least until Ayeka felt the
need to turn over. In the process, one hand accidently brushed
Ryoko's pajama covered breast.

Ryoko instantly froze.

Ayeka, on the other hand, apparently didn't notice, and
curled onto her left side much like Ryoko, facing away.

A disturbing question popped into Ryoko's sleep-fogged
mind. Was that an accident? Did Ayeka mean to do that, and had
just turned away to cover it up?

Had to be. Coincidence, that's all. Ryoko pinched
herself. She was just being paranoid.

Sleep. Sleeep. Sleee...

"Ryoko," someone hissed.

...p. "Whaa?" she mumbled, not really opening her eyes.
She must have fallen asleep, finally, and now was being woken up
_again_.

"As comforting as this _may well be_, could you maybe
remove your hand from my panties?" requested Ayeka's voice with
the infinite patience of someone who is certain there is an
explaination for this, and is prepared to listen to any
longwinded excuse in order to prove it to themselves.

Ryoko's eyes snapped open with a near-audible jerk, her
pupils dialated to the fullest.

Interestingly enough, Ayeka's right temple was about three
inches from her nose, and the two were now pressed tightly
together in the center of the bed in the position commonly known
as the spoon. Ryoko also discovered that her arm had become
wrapped around just under Ayeka's breast, across her stomach, and
down between her legs; a position she favored when sharing Tenchi
in Tenchi's bed.

Rather awkwardly, she extricated her hand from Ayeka's
nightclothes (It was dry! Thank the Kami!), and brought it back
across the increasingly fine line marking her side of the futon.

"I'd like to request that you refrain from sucking on my
ear as well, but I suppose I could be negotiable on the issue,"
Ayeka joked, desperately trying to salvage the situation.

With a brief shudder, Ryoko turned over to face the other
direction, tugging impatiently at the sheets to keep from hogging
them all to herself.

"Right," Ayeka agreed. "If I'd wanted to be ravished in
the middle of the night, I would have gone and woken up Tenchi.
At least HE doesn't have feet that could freeze water." The last
was delivered with a matter of fact tone that suggested an actual
complaint, rather than the forced light tone that she had used.

"Shut up."

"Oh, calm down," Ayeka snapped peevishly, a little too
loudly in the stillness of three AM. She sat up and turned to
look at Ryoko's rigid back. Much quieter, she continued. "You
and I both know it was an accident. Just like I didn't mean to -
ulp!" she said, clapping a hand across her mouth.

(I'm not going to ask, I'm not going to ask...)

"Didn't mean to what?" She couldn't help it.

"Nothing! Good night!"

"Ayeka..." Ryoko growled. "What. Did. You. Do."

"Ah hah, nothing really," she replied, giggling nervously.
"What do you say we just get some sleep? Need to be well rested
for tomorrow, you know!"

"Unnh," complained a new voice as Sasami stirred sleepily
and sat straight up on her futon. "Could you keep it down?" she
mumbled, not really awake, before laying back down and turning
over, presumably burying her head under her pillow.

"There, you see?" Ayeka whispered again. "We woke Sasami
up. Let's just sleep." She lay back down and turned, covering
it protectively with her arms with a finality that implied that
further information couldn't be pried out of her with a crowbar.

Ryoko ground her teeth, then firmly shut her own eyes.

A minute later, a grin spread across her face.

Wake up calls indeed.


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


"My, my," murmured Kagato to himself as he studied the
recorded readings of one particularly nasty fight between the
princess Ayeka and the space pirate Ryoko. "This Ryoko is a
lovely creature, but the princess is not without her charms.
Such ferocity, such power!" he exclaimed to himself as he started
a multi-dee recording of the fight, the first of many.

Various statistics and readings were displayed over the
scene, annotated with cryptic notes by Washu herself. Especially
strong peaks were replayed several times with different notations
as Ryoko's energy blade slammed into Ayeka's forcefield over and
over. The estimated potentials were displayed on the opposite
side of the screen, as well as a small brain icon indicating
areas of high neural activity.

Kagato shook his head at the readings. "Such _potential_
these Jurians have. I knew that all Jurians had access to the
higher plane powers, but I had no idea that they could ever reach
so deeply..." His left hand idly tapped out a slow, haunting
melody on a holographic keyboard to his left, the synthesised
organ notes spuring his thoughts onward. Not as good as the real
thing, but close. He smiled wistfully, remembering just who had
loved that song.

His nimble fingers hit a discord and halted, all of his
astonished attention devoted to the screen.

A striking young man had just entered the picture and was
standing between the two fighting women. They had ceased to
actively fight, but both the power levels and the estimated
potentials had risen dramaticly, far beyond what he would have
expected. In fact, given Washu's skill, the overall potential
shouldn't have risen at all, as potential was usually a fixed
sum.

Kagato paused the fight, barely glancing at the newcomer,
and commanded the now extensive notes to fill the screen.

-The rivalry between Ayeka and Ryoko has entered a new
phase with the addition of the young earth boy Tenchi. These
readings confirm my suspicions about the nature of my release
from the stasis crystal I was imprisoned in.

As previously noted, the rivalry between the two started
when each was very young, and due to happenstance or contrivance
has only escalated since. Many such situtions can be found in
psychology texts from all species and cultures, usually between
siblings. Something about the other being simply irritates the
one, and each wants to be the best, have the best, and prove
their innate superiority.

With the relatively new addition of a possible mate, the
fights have taken on a more primal urge, tapping reserves of
power deeper than ever suspected. It is fortunate indeed that
Ayeka has been taught considerable restraint throughout her
childhood, as have all of the Jurian royalty. Sasami has yet to
undergo such training, but as she is prepubescent and the
necessary neural pathways have not developed yet this is not a
concern. Ayeka continues to develop her power and her wits as
she schemes for Tenchi's favor.

Ryoko demonstrates great power as well, as do many of her
species. Her lack of respect for most laws and customs is
reflected in her lack of restraint, and she frequently comes
close to overpowering the princess, despite the difference in
overall potential. She is much more forward in her pursuit of
Tenchi and is continually embarassing the shy boy.-

Kagato paused, touching a highlighted link to one side.
Immediately, the screen blurred, and a modified version of a
psych evalutation program started to spout hypothesises about the
two girls' childhoods that would have made Freud blush. He cut
it off mid-phallic.

"Two young women going to such lengths over a boy?" he
mused to himself, his cultured voice filling his quarters.
"Sounds like he must be quite a catch."

A link conveniently supplied brought the file on Tenchi up
on screen, and Kagato marveled at it's completion.

"Even the great Washu was attracted to the boy," he
murmured, bringing up a 3d still picture.

"Oh, my. I must admit, they _do_ have good taste."

He was perfect.

Or so close to perfection as to make no difference,
perfection in this case being a sense of aesthetics and not an
integer.

Kagato marveled at this boy- No, this young man. This
very attractive young man. He studied the picture intently.
Finally, for the first time ever, he could look at another male's
face and not see a pale reflection of HIS face... Tenchi alone
filled his vison. He shook himself and keyed up video.

Over the next hour, he watched Tenchi sweep, tend the
carrot fields (and immediately made plans to aquire some seeds
and start a garden of his own), act completely shy and
startlingly brave. All the best moments of the time she had
spent with him, Washu had captured for her records. Even the
less than flattering moments were cute to Kagato, as he watched
Tenchi waffle, break, and run from the bevy of not-quite-so-
attractive-anymore girls that had been drawn to him like a
magnet, and as well they should.

(There is something about that young man...) Kagato
thought. (He's special. Almost as if the cosmos itself had
conspired to make him and direct his way through life. And he
_must_ prefer men,) Kagato reasoned. (All of those girls are
attractive, even I can admit that. And they're just throwing
themselves at him, ready and willing, yet he does nothing!)

He sat in silence for some time, pouring over the files.

"Hello, what's this?" Kagato murmured aloud for the first
time in hours.

On the screen was a little picture of a cell, one of
several hundred in a little stasis container linked to Tenchi's
file. Also included was a DNA sequence map and a brain structure
map.

"Jurain descent!" Kagato hissed, instantly recognizing the
familiar double-helix. "Earth was an abandoned Jurian colony!"
He sat back, steepling his hands before himself. "Well now, that
opens up possibilities."

He smiled, picturing an unstoppable fighter, loyal only to
him, one who could stand by his side as they conquered Jurai
together...

"Yes. Intriguing possibilities."


Tenchi: Next time, I have an unpleasent awakening of my
own. We all have a pleasent shopping trip at the mall, but it's
interrupted by terrorists!

Azaka and Kamidake: Did we mention that Tenchi gets in
trouble?

Ayeka: Big trouble.

Ryoko: So drop by for the next chapter of Aurora of Rainbow
Fire, The People's Coalition Against Capitalist Exploitation.

Kiyone: It's all political anyway.