Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Okayama Summer ❯ Chapter 4

*Swwwwweeeeeeeeetttttt... and this is the chapter in which the story REALLY begins. The first part is just the tip of a Tenchi/Ryoko thingy (which is NOT the main focus of the story, don't worry- I do not write PR {plotless romance}.) The rest is Gohan basically getting to know the Masaki shrine and its inhabitants. DO NOT tell me that Kiyone isn't in the OAV. She is, in the Mihoshi Special, but for some reason they haven't published that to the dub yet. I know Kiyone is OOC in this, but just imagine how she'd be if she actually lost her job. o.O Kowai... ^^; Cheers! ^.^*

Chapter Four

When Tenchi awoke, the first thing he was aware of was Ryoko. She was collapsed in a chair across the room from him, her eyes shut tight in sleep. I don't get it. She usually tries to get into bed with me. Something must be wrong... he rose quietly, and walked over to her. "Ryoko," he whispered, shaking her slightly. "Ryoko?" Her eyes opened and she stared up at him. "Tenchi."

Tenchi sat down on the edge of his bed, greatly relieved. "Ryoko, what are you doing in my room? It's the middle of the night. Is something wrong?"

Ryoko didn't move. She just stared at the ground. "There will be someone else staying with us, Tenchi."

Tenchi's eyes widened. "Ryoko, do you mean-?"

"No, no!" Ryoko shook her head vigorously. "Not THAT. I mean, Washu found..." Ryoko hesitated, and inwardly Tenchi groaned. Why do I have the feeling my peaceful life is over again? "Go on, Ryoko-chan. I'm listening."

Ryoko slowly began to tell him what she had gathered from Washu and Ryo-oh-ki. Tenchi was a very good listener, and didn't say a word until she had finished. "Well... this is all very odd, but what does it have to do with you being up here?"

Ryoko shivered slightly. "There's something about the boy, Tenchi. He's... different. I can feel some sort of power in him. And it scares me." She buried her head in her arms. "I'm scared. So I came up here." She lifted her head and smiled sleepily at him "I feel better when you're near me, Tenchi. Even if you're asleep."

I'm so lucky to have her. To have all of them, Tenchi thought miserably to himself, staring at the ground. I know I could never live without them now. My life has changed too much. And Ryoko... she's special. My special friend. She was the first one. She's known me since I was a baby. I never really thought about it before...

"Tenchi?" Tenchi glanced up. Ryoko was nearly asleep again, having used all her energy in telling him the story. "Yeah, Ryoko?"

"His name is Gohan. And you'll meet him in the morning." She curled up into a tight ball, and smiled, her golden eyes closing. "Ai shiteru, Tenchi." A few seconds later, she had drifted off to sleep again.

Tenchi couldn't move. He was frozen, trembling. Ryoko, my special friend. She loves me so much. He clenched his fists, his heart and mind catapulting in two different directions. This isn't fair. She can't do this to me. His gaze drifted to Ryoko, sleeping peacefully in the chair, and he sighed. "Oh, Ryoko." After placing her on his bed, he smiled at the sleeping young woman. She can have it for tonight. He hesitated, then kissed her on the forehead before exiting the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ayeka had awakened earlier than usual that morning, and she took it as a sign that something was amiss. After pondering this for a few moments, she realized that Sasami wasn't sound asleep on the mattress beside hers.

"Sasami?" The purple-headed young woman scrambled out of bed, contrary to her usual royal grace, staring at the empty bedroll. This isn't right. What has happened to Sasami-chan?

"I'll ask Tenchi-sama," Ayeka said decidedly, and stood up, brushing herself off. After pushing through the door, Ayeka crossed to Tenchi's room and knocked on the door lightly. When no one answered, she opened it and glanced anxiously around the door. "Tenchi?"

Tenchi wasn't there, but Ryoko was. She was curled up on the bed, sleeping peacefully. Tenchi wasn't even in the room. Ayeka blinked, then closed the door. "Now I can't find Tenchi! And why is Ryoko in his room...?" She fumed silently, until suddenly remembering the pact she and Ryoko had established a month ago. She could remember the exact words said...

"Listen, Princess," Ryoko said meaningfully, staring straight into Ayeka's eyes. "You know our fight about Tenchi?"

"Yes." Ayeka stiffened, as she thought Ryoko just wanted to boast that she would be the one to win it, but the cyan-haired woman simply continued, "We shouldn't be fighting over him. It's wrong." When Ayeka said nothing, being quite speechless, Ryoko continued. "Tenchi talked to me yesterday and said that he really didn't like it when we fought, and that it made him feel sort of like a prize that we could win... so, I don't think we should fight over him anymore."

Ayeka nodded, finding her tongue. "Yes. You're right, Ryoko. And whomever he falls in love with- if he falls in love with one of us at all- he falls in love with. We have to accept that and be happy."

"Agreed," Ryoko said, and they shook on it.

"And that's great," Ayeka murmured to herself, slowly descending the stairs. "But where is Tenchi?"

As she crossed to the living room, she was surprised to see Tenchi himself sitting on the couch where Ryoko usually slept, reading. "Tenchi-sama!"

"Hmm?" Tenchi glanced up and smiled when he saw her. "Oh, hello, Ayeka-san. You're up early this morning."

Ayeka nodded, then smiled back. "I see you and Ryoko have switched places. Why is she in your room, anyway?"

Tenchi sighed, and placed his book on the table. "She came in last night, really worried about something. Apparently, Washu's found this boy, and Ryoko feels very strangely about him. At least, that's what she told me." He shrugged. "So... what were you doing in my room, anyway?"

Ayeka frowned. "I wanted to talk to you about something. When I woke up, Sasami wasn't in her bed."

Tenchi stood up, and walked over to the kitchen door. "She isn't in the kitchen. I'd have heard her." He turned back to Ayeka with a troubled expression. "What do you think could have happened to her?"

"Who?" Tenchi and Ayeka started, and turned to the source of the voice. If was, amazingly, Sasami herself, standing half out of the door to the cupboard under the stairs- a.k.a. Washu's lab. Ayeka gasped, and stumbled over to her younger sister, grabbing her up in a tight hug. "Imouto! Sasami, what are you doing in Washu's lab? You worried me half to death!"

Sasami sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Aeka. You see, I got sick again last night and I went to Washu for medicine. She told me to spend the night. I know I should have told you, but I didn't want to wake you up." She grinned over her sister's shoulder. "Good morning, Tenchi!"

Tenchi waved slightly, and asked, "Sasami, are you better now?"

Sasami nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes. Much better." Her face brightened. "You should both meet Gohan!"

"Ryoko told me about him," Tenchi said slowly. He frowned slightly. We'll see if what she said about him seeming dangerous...

Sasami led both of them into Washu's lab and into a teleport column. "Destination?" a metallic voice asked.

"Washu's location at the moment," Sasami answered. There was a flash of white light, and Tenchi and Ayeka peered out of the column. The background looked the same, but they could also see Washu and a black-haired boy around Sasami's age talking with her. Tenchi's eyes rounded. "Is that Gohan?" he whispered to Sasami. She nodded vigorously. "Yes, that's him. Gohan!" She called the last word out to him, and stepped out of the teleporting machine. Gohan whirled around, and smiled warmly. "Oh. Good morning, Sasami!" He noticed Ayeka and Tenchi standing in the machine, looking out curiously at him, and walked over to them. He was tall for an eleven-year-old, Tenchi noted, and seemed unusually muscular for his age. "You must be Tenchi. Washu and Sasami told me about you," he said to Tenchi. Tenchi nodded, cautious. He seems perfectly friendly... maybe Ryoko was just being paranoid.

"And you are...?" Gohan turned to Ayeka, and cocked his head. Ayeka was staring at him with the same intensity Tenchi had. Gohan frowned, worried. What if they don't like me? He wondered. What if they put me out on the streets? I don't even know who I am... I won't last long...

"Tell me," Ayeka said softly, startling Gohan. "Do you know anything of a race called..." she shook her head. "No, it's impossible. They were extinct years ago." She held out her hand to Gohan. "I'm sorry if I seemed rude. My name is Ayeka." Tenchi noticed, with a bit of relief, that she didn't put her title of "princess" before her name.

"My neesan," Sasami informed the boy. Gohan nodded, taking it all in, and bit his lip. "Can I... is it all right if I..." He didn't seem to be able to finish.

Tenchi smiled. "Of course you can stay here." Gohan looked so incredibly relieved, Tenchi couldn't help but laugh. "I'm just glad you aren't a girl!"

"Me, too," Gohan said, looking quite frightened, and Sasami giggled. "You're funny, Gohan-san." She glanced up at Tenchi. "Tenchi, should I take him to his room?"

"Yes," Tenchi said warmly. "There's one left, next to the one belonging to you and Ayeka."

Sasami grabbed Gohan's wrist, and they both disappeared into the teleporting machine.

"Tenchi," Washu said quietly, startling him, "What do you think Ryoko's so worried about?"

Tenchi shook his head. "I don't know. We don't really know him, yet, but..." he shrugged. "He's just a child."

"And how old are you, Tenchi?" Washu asked, smiling slightly. Tenchi scowled. "All right, I know five years or so difference isn't that much to you, but-"

A loud bleeping interrupted Tenchi's words, coming from a machine in the corner. Washu frowned. "That machine alerts me of spaceships in the area... but- who would be contacting us...?"

Ayeka met Tenchi's eyes and frowned. "My father?"

"I don't know." From what he had seen of the King of Jurai, Tenchi thought Azusa could very possibly be coming back with more suitors for Ayeka, although he had said she could stay here with Tenchi...

Washu was standing by the machine, checking out the connection. " 'GP Fighter 849832'. It's from the Galaxy Police."

Ayeka groaned as she and Tenchi joined her. "What has Mihoshi done NOW?"

"I'll open the connection." For a split second there was a little crab with a large red 'CONNECTING...!' next to it, then a woman with storm blue hair and eyes, clad in a Galaxy Police uniform, appeared on the screen. She saluted briefly. "I am First-Class Detective Makibi Kiyone of the Galaxy Police," she rapped off smartly, then dropped the superficial air and added in a tearful voice, "And I need to see Detective Kuramitsu Mihoshi RIGHT AWAY!"

Ayeka nodded. "I'll go get her!" she said, then exited the lab.

"How do you know Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked. Now that he looked closer, he could see she was a nervous wreck. "And how did you find her?"

"I p-put a trace on her DNA. Sh-she and I were partners in the Galaxy Police," Kiyone said in a thick voice. "Be-before I-"

"I remember now!" Washu exclaimed. "Mihoshi told us about you..."

"Oh, yeah..." Tenchi said, face-faulting. "Didn't you... die, or something?"

Kiyone stared at him. "What?"

Ayeka ran back in, followed by a very sleepy-looking Mihoshi. "Here's Mihoshi," she said, and Mihoshi yawned, walking up to Washu. "Washu, what's going on? It's so early-"

"MIHOSHI!" Kiyone cried.

Mihoshi looked at the screen bearing her partner's image sleepily. "Oh, hello, Kiyone - KIYONE!" Mihoshi knocked Washu out of the way and stared into the screen anxiously. "Kiyone, what are you doing here? I mean, not that I'm not glad to see you, but- I thought you were stationed at HQ!"

"That's just it," Kiyone said, wringing her hands. "I really messed up a mission, and they fired me!"

"WHAT?" Mihoshi fell over in shock, then righted herself and stared blankly at her partner. "They- they WHAT? But- but, Kiyone, you're the best police officer I know!"

"Wonder how she got paired with Mihoshi?" Washu murmured to Tenchi, and he nodded in silent agreement.

"Like I said, I REALLY screwed everything." Kiyone sniffed. "I'll tell you about it when I land..." The screen went blank.

Tenchi blinked. "Uh... where exactly is she landing?" Although he already knew, there was a slight hope...

"Hurry up, Tenchi, and grab some umbrellas!" Washu yelled as she ran past him, followed by Ayeka and Mihoshi. Tenchi groaned, following after them with dragging feet. "We might as well register that damn lake as a landing area..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ryoko awakened slowly, her golden eyes fluttering open. "Ughh... where am I...?"

She suddenly remembered last night, and sat up on Tenchi's bed. The birds chirped outside her window, the sunlight streaming in. A perfect morning.

Ryoko floated up off of the bed, and flew lazily out the door. "I wonder where Tenchi is...?" She looked absently at the empty room next to Ayeka and Sasami's right before she descended the stairs, and stopped short.

Gohan, the boy from last night, and Ryo-oh-ki, in her cabbit form, were jumping on the bed. Sasami was sitting on the floor, giggling. Gohan was somehow able to twist his body into impossible positions every time he bounced, and Ryo-oh-ki was obviously working hard to keep up with him.

"Gohan, how do you do that?" Sasami asked.

"I dunno! I've never bounced on a bed before!" Gohan miscalculated his next bounce, and landed half-on and half-off the bed. "Itai," he said, quite calmly.

Ryoko snorted, and Gohan noticed her. "Hello, Ryoko!" he said brightly.

"Uh... hi," Ryoko said, another wave of uneasiness sweeping her. Her (somewhat) sensible side erupted at this. He's just a boy! How can you possibly be so scared of a BOY?

Sasami turned around and smiled in her kawaii way. "Hello, Ryoko!"

"Hello, Sasami..." Ryoko cocked her head. "Have either of you seen Tenchi?"

"Last I knew, he was down in the lab with Ayeka and Washu," Sasami answered, right before an enormous shockwave hit the house.

"AHHH!!!! What is that?!" Gohan yelled, jamming his hands over his ears.

"It's a ship!" Sasami exclaimed. She was leaning out of the window. "It looks like a Galaxy Police ship!" Ryo-oh-ki gave a final bounce on the bed and came to land on Sasami's head.

Ryoko sighed. "Wonderful... what, more people? And if whoever-it-is is anything like Mihoshi, I'm going to -"

"Tenchi, Ayeka, Washu, and Mihoshi are down there!" Sasami cried, interrupting her. She whirled around and grabbed Gohan and Ryoko's wrists. "Come on, let's go meet them!"

"Who's Mihoshi?" Gohan wondered, as he and Ryoko were pulled through the hallway and down the stairs.

"Our resident blonde airhead," Ryoko informed him. "Go ahead and talk to her. She'll chatter away to you for five minutes until she realizes she has no idea who you are."

Gohan chuckled at this, and blinked in the bright Okayama sunlight. Washu, Tenchi, Ayeka, and a blonde, tanned woman that had to be Mihoshi, were waiting expectantly as what could only be a spaceship floated in the lake. A small point of light glowed at the side, and they all watched as it traveled to the ground and disappeared, revealing a woman in a blue-and-white uniform; which was, Gohan supposed, the uniform of the "Galaxy Police" Sasami had mentioned. She looked up dully, and upon seeing the blonde woman, burst into tears. "Mihoshi!" She wept. "It was awful! And - and -" her face contorted. "I was acting like YOU-"

"Now, now, Kiyone," The woman named Mihoshi said, patting her on the back. "Come inside, and have a cup of tea. Then you can tell us all about it."

Kiyone nodded, and Mihoshi led her inside, beckoning to the others. They all blinked, looked at one another, and shrugged, before following the two into the house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They all listened intently as Kiyone told her story. Apparently, she had been given wrong information on what was going on in some sort of intergalactic hold-up, and had managed to kill five innocent people on the mission.

"A-and so they fired me," she finished, and sniffed, fighting to keep back her tears. "I have no place to live, no family to go to, no nothing. I'm nothing without my job."

"Poor Kiyone," Mihoshi said sympathetically. "Wouldn't it be better if I were the one that got fired?"

"YES," Kiyone said forcefully, then brightened. "So- Mihoshi. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Yes, I should," Mihoshi said cheerfully, but Tenchi cut her off. "Kiyone, if you know any of the people in this room- and there's no doubt you do- then you're going to be seriously freaked out."

"O-okay," Kiyone said uncertainly. Then: "Carry on, Mihoshi."

"Well, this is Masaki Tenchi," Mihoshi said, pointing to Tenchi. "He lives here with his grandfather, Katsuhito- we all call him Yosho, though-"

"Yosho, the Jurai prince, Yosho?" Kiyone asked, surprised.

"Yes, that's him," Mihoshi said. "Yosho owns the shrine." She pointed to Ryoko, who waved slightly. "That's Ryoko - you know, the famous space pirate?"

Kiyone nodded, glancing suspiciously at Ryoko. Ryoko glared back. "My name's been cleared, you know. I was under influence when I killed all those people on Jurai."

Kiyone smiled uneasily, and switched her attention back to Mihoshi.

"These are the princesses of the planet Jurai, Ayeka and Sasami," the blonde detective stated, pointing to both princesses. They smiled at Kiyone warmly. "Nice to meet you, Kiyone," Sasami said brightly.

Kiyone nodded again, with an odd look on her face.

"This is Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the universe," Mihoshi said, motioning to Washu. The pink-haired scientist shook her hand. "Glad I got to meet you properly, Kiyone. I answered your call, remember?"

"Yes, I do," Kiyone said, smiling weakly.

"And this..." she turned to Gohan, and frowned. "Hey, who are you, anyway?"

Everyone facefaulted, and Gohan, laughing nervously, introduced himself to both Kiyone and Mihoshi. "My name is Gohan. I just got here last night; I didn't get to meet you, Mihoshi."

Mihoshi smiled brightly. "Nice to meet you, Gohan!"

"And me, as well," Kiyone added. Mihoshi then looked to Tenchi with a pleading look in her eyes. "Teeeeeeenchiiiiiii, she's got nowhere to stay and-"

"We don't have any more rooms left," Tenchi said in a hopeless voice.

"She can share with me!" Mihoshi exclaimed. A strange look came over Kiyone's face, as if she were going to argue, then decided against it. Tenchi thought about it for a minute, then sighed. "All right, she can stay."

"YAY!" Mihoshi cried, and hugged her partner.

"Tenchi," Kiyone said in a hoarse voice (Mihoshi was cutting off most of her air), "Don't you need to consult your grandfather about this?"

"No, of course not," Tenchi said in a disgusted voice. "I do all the worrying around here. Every time someone shows up on the doorstep, Grandpa and Dad don't do a thing. They'll just smile and welcome you to the shrine, and I'll have to do the rest."

"Come on, Kiyone!" Mihoshi said, pulling Kiyone to her feet. "I'll show you our room!"

Kiyone smiled at the rest of them, and muttered something like "I thought I'd never have to share a room with her again..." before retreating up the stairs.

Ryoko grabbed Tenchi's hand - then, on second thought, Ayeka's as well - and said she'd found a new stargazing spot she'd like to show them. Sasami yawned, and said, "I'm going to start on breakfast. Gohan, would you like to help?"

"Sure!" Gohan said, following her into the kitchen. "As I'm the only normal human being around here, I'd at least like to help out with something..."

Washu, hearing his last comment, shook her head. "If only you knew, Gohan," she said softly. "You may just be the least 'normal' one of all." She then retreated to her lab, lost in thought.