Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ The Real Ryoko ❯ Chapter 1
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Trick Sparrow 
It takes the arrival of a hot young astrobiologist for Tenchi to realize who he truly loves. PG for I think, one cuss word. Comments please!
Anime/Manga: Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.06.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 1.0K | Status: Completed
It takes the arrival of a hot young astrobiologist for Tenchi to realize who he truly loves. PG for I think, one cuss word. Comments please!
Anime/Manga: Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.06.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 1.0K | Status: Completed
The Real Ryoko
Tenchi Masaki sat on one of the stepping stones by the tree-slash-rooted spaceship Funaho, watching the sun rise. He was a fairly attractive teenager, with black hair and soft brown eyes, but his personality was considered much more charming than his looks.
Tenchi turned in surprise as he heard a noise behind him. He looked up to see a pretty young girl with dark purple hair walking across the stepping stones toward him. He smiled and waved a greeting.
"Good morning, Lady Ayeka," he called. "Did you sleep well?"
The first princess of the planet Jurai's royal family shook her head. "How could I be expected to sleep with that monster-woman Ryoko and my own little sister up all night playing blackjack? It's such a disgraceful game!"
The boy laughed. "Don't worry about Sasami. She has fun with Ryoko. Besides, your sister seems to make Ryoko a better person."
"Maybe," sighed Ayeka. "So... What are you doing out here so early, Lord Tenchi?"
Tenchi winced at the usage of the proper title. He also had Juraian blood in him, but it didn't make him a prince, in his opinion. "Well, actually," he replied, trying to forget about Ayeka's view of how he should be, "I couldn't sleep either. Ryoko and Sasami DO get pretty noisy."
Ayeka chuckled slightly and sat down beside him. The morning sunrise was peaceful until Tenchi and Ayeka were scared half out of their wits to see a small spaceship, blaring alarms, heading right toward them.
Ayeka shrieked and climbed onto Tenchi's back. The boy chose to ignore the fact that the princess was inadvertently strangling him and ran across the stepping stones as fast as he was capable. With an enormous splash, the spaceship crash-landed into the lake surrounding the tree Funaho.
Tenchi eased the shaking princess off his back. He walked carefully to the downed ship and called, "Hello? Are you hurt?"
With much difficulty, the rear door of the spaceship opened. An unbelievably attractive young man climbed out. He had dark blue hair with aqua-colored bangs and bronze eyes. "I'm okay, but I think my ship's going down!"
Tenchi swam over to the young man and grabbed his arm. Together they managed to make it back to Funaho just as the spacecraft disappeared completely under the surface. The two young men, literally soaked, watched it sink. "Oh, great, all my work is in there!" He groaned in dispair and turned to Tenchi. "Sorry, I should have thanked you for saving me. I'm not much of a swimmer." He held out his hand. "My name is Toshiro."
Tenchi shook his hand, his teeth chattering. "I'm Tenchi Masaki, and the girl over there is Ayeka."
Toshiro smiled and skipped across the stones to meet the princess. "Nice to meet you, Miss Ayeka," he said, kissing her hand.
The girl blushed and managed to say, "The pleasure is mine, sir!"
The young man winked. "Call me Toshiro."
Tenchi slogged over to Ayeka and Toshiro. "We're really sorry about your ship, Toshiro. What did you say was in there?"
"My work," Toshiro said. "I'm an astrobiologist. I study unusual lifeforms in space." He gestured to the area where his ship had been. "My entire LIFE was in that ship, and as you can see, it's lost now."
"Ah, don't worry," said Tenchi cheerfully. "I'm sure we can come back later and salvage your work. But right now, we need to get us both to my house before we freeze to death!"
"Of course," Said Toshiro, laughing. He offered his arm to Ayeka. "Shall we?"
Ayeka smiled and turned red again. She slipped her arm into his and they began walking.
Tenchi raised an eyebrow. *What a ladies' man,* he thought, and ran to catch up with them.
Ryoko slammed her fist against the living room table. "Forget it, Washu, you're not going to make me jealous of that brat Ayeka!"
The red haired scientific genius ignored the space pirate's outburst and calmly pulled out a scanning instrument. "Actually, Ryoko, by my readings, your blood pressure is above normal and you are visibly redder than usual. Yep, I'd say you were jealous, Sweetpea!"
"Don't call me that, MOM," Ryoko said threateningly.
Sasami, the second princess of Jurai and Ayeka's younger sister, took the enraged young woman's hand to restrain her. "Don't be mad, Ryoko! Just because Tenchi and my sister have been out a long time, it doesn't mean anything happened. Besides, I don't think Tenchi even has a crush on Ayeka!"
Ryoko sat down, shocked. "You really think so, Sasami?"
Sasami looked at the cyan-haired pirate sheepishly. "I didn't want to get your hopes up at first, but now I know Tenchi doesn't have any feelings for her."
"There's much wisdom in childhood," Washu broke in. "I have many statistics on this subject, and I have also concluded that the boy considers Lady Ayeka to be no more than a friend."
Ryoko's shocked face turned into a smile, and then a grin. "WOOOOO-HOOOOOO, all right!" She flew in circles around the living room. "I knew it, I KNEW it! Tenchi would never fall for a snob like Ayeka!" Still floating, she said to Sasami, "No offense, Sasami, dear."
The pigtailed young girl laughed at Ryoko's aerial display while Washu poured herself a cup of tea.
Suddenly the pirate stopped. "Hey, wait a minute, Washu." She floated down onto the couch. "If you've conducted so many studies, you must know who Tenchi REALLY loves, right?"
The short redhead sipped her tea. "I do," she replied.
Ryoko gasped. "Tell me, who is it?"
"I think it's better off that you didn't know. Besides, for all you know, he could be in love with me!"
Ryoko narrowed her golden eyes. "If he is..."
The back door slid open and a drenched Tenchi walked inside, followed by the Jurai princess and a gorgeous blue-haired young man, who was also soaked.
Ryoko ran over to Tenchi. "Tenchi, darling, what happened? You're absolutely-- whoa! Who's your friend?!"
Toshiro grinned. "My name's Toshiro, and my ship crashed near your house. Your friend Tenchi helped me out. He's a stand-up guy."
"Yeah, yeah, good for Tenchi," said Ryoko. "My name is Ryoko, and over there are Washu and Sasami."
"Pleased to meet all of you," said Toshiro. He whispered to Tenchi, "Jeez, man, how'd you get all these gorgeous women?"
Tenchi sighed. "You don't know how complicated the story is."
Ryoko continued, "Our other residents are not here at the moment. Tenchi's father Nobuyuki is at work, and his grandfather Katsuhito is at the Masaki shrine. Galaxy Police officers Kiyone and Mihoshi went to town to buy groceries. But who cares about them?" she said, batting her eyelashes. "Tell me about yourself!"
Every one of the girls flocked around the suave astrobiologist. Even Washu, who didn't normally go insane over a guy, was under a male-induced spell. Tenchi rolled his eyes and thought, *Why are they all flirting with him? Even Ryoko is, and she's practically in love with me.* He couldn't believe it, but he was jealous of Toshiro. Maybe it was because he was so charming, or it was the fact that all the girls were crazy about him, but Tenchi Masaki, who was normally so compassionate, kind, and tolerant, already couldn't stand the guy.
That night at dinner, Toshiro was given the privilege of meeting all the members of the Masaki household. He was completely blown away by the staggering number of women that resided there. He enjoyed being with every one of them, even the ditzy blonde police officer, Mihoshi. He thought Sasami was a cute, bright little kid, but his attention was mostly on that devilishly beautiful space pirate, Ryoko. He had a feeling she was interested in him as well. All in all, it was turning out to be a great night for him.
Tenchi was in hell.
Ryoko and the other girls were hanging on Toshiro's every word, and he was just drinking it in. He had established an instant bond with Tenchi's father and grandfather, and even Ryoko's rabbitlike pet Ryo-Ohki was attached to him.
What a jerk.
"So," Ryoko cooed, "Tell us, Toshiro, what kind of lifeforms do you study in space?"
"Well, there is an innumerable variety of species and subspecies just in this galaxy alone," said Toshiro. "But I've never seen a creature quite like you, Ryo-Ohki!"
The little furball meowed in delight and jumped onto Toshiro's shoulder, where she nuzzled his cheek. Everyone laughed, except for Tenchi.
"Ryo-Ohki is quite a unique animal," said Kiyone, self-consciously brushing a blue strand of hair from her face. "She can actually turn into a spaceship that Ryoko can control telepathically."
"This woman never ceases to amaze me," said Toshiro, gesturing to Ryoko. She blushed madly.
Tenchi felt sick. "If you'll excuse me, I have a headache. I'm going to sit outside for a while." He stood and walked to the back door.
Ayeka looked concerned. "But Lord Tenchi, you hardly touched your dinner."
"That's okay, I'm not really hungry," he replied, walking out the door. "But the food was great, Sasami."
"Feel better, Tenchi," called Toshiro.
Tenchi closed the door without responding.
"Tenchi must really be sick," said Sasami worriedly. "I hope he'll be okay."
Washu shrugged. "Oh, well. Tenchi rarely gets sick, but when he does, he doesn't like company."
Ryoko held her gaze on the door Tenchi had left through. *I know Tenchi's not sick,* she thought to herself. *So what's wrong?*
Tenchi sat on the steps of the Masaki shrine. He couldn't understand why he disliked Toshiro so much. He was kind, funny, and obviously smart, so why did he make Tenchi want to gag?
The more the young man thought about it, the more he realized why he couldn't stand Toshiro. Ryoko liked him so much. Every time they would flirt, Tenchi would get physically sick. This fact made him ponder over the space pirate more than the astrobiologist. He finally decided that the problem wasn't Toshiro; it was Ryoko.
Ryoko acted like a rogue most of the time, but Tenchi knew she was hiding the real Ryoko, the Ryoko behind the space pirate. When she wasn't robbing banks, destroying cities, or bickering with Ayeka, she was a funny, pleasant person, and she was great with Sasami. Tenchi suspected that the reason she acted the way she did was because she had never experienced the love of family and friends. Now that she had both, her harsh exterior was wearing off.
Tenchi sighed and closed his eyes. He knew she loved him, for she showed it quite frequently. He cared for her deeply as well, and he could very well love her, if only she would drop the space pirate facade. He was convinced that the Ryoko deep inside was kind and gentle. He just needed to get her to show it, and he knew that with Toshiro around, that wouldn't be easy.
"Are you all right, Tenchi?" came a voice that startled the boy. He opened his eyes to see Sasami, who had her pigtails up in buns and was clutching Ryo-Ohki.
Tenchi smiled. *She's such a sweetheart,* he thought. "What are you doing out here so late, Sasami?" he gently chided. "It's past your bedtime."
"I know," she replied, plopping down next to him on the steps of the shrine. "But Ryoko--" (Tenchi's heart jumped) "--was saying that she didn't think you were sick, so I was worried about you."
Tenchi took Ryo-Ohki into his arms and scratched her ears. "You know me too well, Sasami."
The girl studied his features and finally said, "You don't like Toshiro, do you?"
Tenchi wasn't expecting that remark. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, whenever he talks to Ryoko, you look really angry." Sasami gave him a look that was too old for a girl her age. "And I know how much you like Ryoko."
The boy was shocked. *One ton of bricks after another today,* he thought. "You can tell?!" He asked the girl, bewildered.
Sasami giggled at Tenchi's reaction. "Yeah, I can tell you don't have any feelings for my sister, even though she's crazy about you. And plus by seeing your face every time someone says Ryoko's name, like RIGHT NOW, I can tell how you feel about her."
Ryo-Ohki mewed in agreement.
"Wow," said Tenchi softly. "If you can tell, the others must know."
Sasami smiled cheerfully. "No, nobody else knows besides me and Ryo-Ohki!"
Tenchi smiled back and put his arm around the young girl. He knew his secret was safe with Sasami.
Sasami rested her head on Tenchi's shoulder and sighed dreamily. *If only Tenchi didn't love Ryoko,* she thought. *He's such a sweetheart.*
The next morning Toshiro woke up to a high-pitched scream.
"Where is Sasami?!!" he heard the Juraian princess shriek. "She and Tenchi haven't come back home since last night!"
Toshiro stumbled downstairs and collided into Mihoshi. "Sorry, Mr. Toshiro, it's just that Tenchi and Sasami are missing!"
"Tenchi's missing??!" Ryoko shouted, floating down the stairs. "We have to go find him!" She paused. "And Sasami, of course."
"All right, we should all split up," said Toshiro. "Miss Ayeka and Miss Washu, you should look for them at the lake where I crashed."
Ryoko hit her hand with her fist. "If Nobuyuki and Katsuhito hadn't left for town, they could help us look." She thought for a moment. "Mihoshi and Kiyone, you look for them down by the cave--"
Mihoshi squealed in delight. "Yay! Did you hear that, Kiyone? It'll be like a Galaxy Police stake-out!"
Kiyone groaned in despair. "Sure, Mihoshi."
"--and Toshiro and I will go to the shrine."
The young man blushed and nodded.
"All right everyone," announced Kiyone in her usual battle-mode style of speaking, "Let's get this operation underway!"
Toshiro stared at Ryoko as they walked along the forest path to the shrine. She seemed genuinely concerned for Tenchi's safety, much more than she appeared to be for Sasami. He sighed.
Ryoko turned to look at him. "What is it, Toshiro?"
He shook his head. "I was instantly attracted to you when I saw you, Ryoko," he said. "And until now, I thought that you might feel the same way. But now I know your heart belongs to Tenchi."
"Its true that I love Tenchi," she said softly. "But don't get me wrong, Toshiro. You're a great guy, and you're definitely gorgeous. But with Tenchi..." she trailed off.
"He holds your heart in a way no one else does?" Toshiro finished.
Ryoko smiled and nodded. "And it's not like there's a shortage of women living here. Ayeka was drooling all over you last night."
Toshiro's eyes lit up. "Then let's go find your man, Ryoko!"
They laughed and continued on their way. When they reached the Masaki shrine, they found a charming sight.
Tenchi and Sasami were asleep on the steps of the shrine, his arms wrapped around her to keep her warm. The little girl was snoring softly with her head on his shoulder, and the furball Ryo-Ohki was sleeping on Tenchi's head.
Toshiro chuckled. "Tenchi really is a stand-up guy."
The young man's words awoke Tenchi and Sasami. Tenchi's eyes snapped open when he saw Ryoko and Toshiro together, and he sat up straight. Sasami looked up at him sympathetically.
"What are you guys doing here?" he managed to ask as calmly as he could.
"You two didn't come home last night," said Toshiro. "Ryoko here was worried sick about you."
Tenchi smiled. "And the real Ryoko shows her face again. Will you be visiting often?"
Ryoko pretended to be offended. "What is it, Tenchi? Don't you like it when I blast buildings and rob people blind?"
"Actually," said Tenchi, taking her hand, "I could get used to this Ryoko." He looked into her golden eyes lovingly.
Toshiro saw the cue to leave. "I'm going to head on over to the lake and see if Miss Ayeka is still there."
"I'll show you the way," Sasami said, winking at Tenchi. "Come on, Ryo-Ohki!" Toshiro and Sasami left, with Ryo-Ohki bouncing after them.
Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "Does Sasami know something I don't?"
"Sasami knows something a lot of people don't," Tenchi replied. He sat her down beside her on the steps. "Look, Ryoko, I know you love me, since you tell me all the time."
"Very true," she chirped.
"But as I see this side of you," he continued, "I realize that your space pirate lifestyle doesn't suit you at all. I know you're a sweet, gentle person, Ryoko, and I just wish you'd show it."
Ryoko lowered her eyes. "I know I've done some pretty rotten things in the past, and I also know you'll never forgive me for them--"
"You're wrong, Ryoko," Tenchi interrupted. "I DO forgive you. And..."
The young woman looked at him with such sweet innocence that was so becoming, that Tenchi failed to complete his sentence.
"And what, Tenchi?" she asked, knocking him out of his trance.
"And I..." He couldn't wait any longer. "I love you, Ryoko."
Ryoko couldn't speak. For a long time she just sat, holding Tenchi's hand and staring into his mahogany-colored eyes. She could tell by looking at them that he was telling the truth. "I... I..." she stammered.
Tenchi caressed Ryoko's cheek. "The more I see the real Ryoko, the more I can't stop thinking about you. I love you so much, but whenever you lash out with your cold exterior, it disappoints me."
Ryoko's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Tenchi. But the only reason I act like I do is because I'm not used to being loved. I'm accustomed to everyone despising me, and I used to like that. But now... now that I know how you feel..." Ryoko smiled. "I can't find a good reason to be a jerk."
Tenchi laughed. "I never liked Ryoko the jerk much anyway."
They both laughed, and Tenchi drew her face close to his with his hand. He slowly closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. Ryoko wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Suddenly she pulled away and screamed in delight.
"IN YOUR FACE, AYEKA!!" she shouted, literally loud enough to have been heard by the princess. "TENCHI LOVES ME!!!!!"
Mihoshi and Kiyone were walking from the cave that once held Ryoko after they had determined that Tenchi and Sasami were not there, when suddenly they heard a distant voice they immediately recognized as Ryoko's shouting, "TENCHI LOVES ME!!!"
Kiyone jumped in surprise. "Did you hear what I just heard?"
The blonde just giggled. "I knew it all along, Kiyone! Didn't I tell you?"
"Yes, Mihoshi," the young woman muttered. "You told me every day."
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Ayeka exclaimed. "Did I just hear that witch right?" The princess began pacing back and forth.
Washu put a hand to her chin. "Just as I predicted."
Ayeka froze. "What exactly did you predict, Miss Washu?"
"That our dear Tenchi would most likely fall in love with Ryoko," replied the mad scientist cheerfully.
Ayeka's eye twitched. "If you had predicted this already, then WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME??! I wouldn't have tried so hard to win his love!" Ayeka dropped to the ground. "How could you, my sweet Tenchi? How could you be seduced by that wanted criminal?"
Sasami and Toshiro arrived at the tree Funaho to see the Juraian princess in tears. Toshiro ran to console her. "What's the matter, Miss Ayeka?"
She wiped her face dry. "Didn't you hear? My Tenchi is in love with Ryoko."
"Don't cry, Ayeka," he assured her. "Maybe he just wasn't the right guy for you in the first place."
The girl looked up at Toshiro and blushed. "But he's part of the Jurai royal family and--"
"Does that matter?" he interrupted. "Maybe you only loved him because he was of noble blood. And Ryoko isn't such a bad person. They belong together."
"I think so, too," said Sasami. "I already knew Tenchi loved her, but he made me promise I wouldn't tell."
Ayeka lowered her eyes. "I suppose I have been rude to Ryoko just because of things she did in the past. But now I should be kind to her, to make Tenchi happy."
Toshiro helped her to her feet and took her hand in both of his. "Besides," he said softly, "There are other guys who are crazy about you."
Ayeka smiled. "I must say, Toshiro, you certainly know how to win a girl's affections."
Sasami and Washu looked at each other.
"I think that's the end of Ayeka's Tenchi obsession," said Washu.
Sasami giggled and nodded. Ryo-Ohki mewed happily and gave a flower to Ayeka. The princess laughed and scratched the animal's furry head.
The four turned to see Tenchi and Ryoko walking up to them, his arm around her waist. Both were blushing slightly.
"Well, congratulations to the happy couple!" exclaimed Toshiro. "She's quite a catch, Tenchi."
"Way to go, Tenchi!" cried Sasami.
Tenchi laughed and patted the girl's head. "Thanks, Sasami."
Ayeka walked up to the two and looked at them. Finally she took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm very happy for both of you."
"What?!" they said in unison.
"Before, I was upset that I was not able to win you heart, Tenchi," the princess continued, "But Toshiro helped me to see that I only loved you because you were part of the royal family."
"I'm glad you came to that realization," Tenchi said awkwardly.
Ayeka took Ryoko's hand. "And I'm sorry, Ryoko," she said sincerely. "I'm sorry for how I've treated you."
Ryoko was genuinely touched. She thought the Juraian princess hated her. "I'm sorry, too, Ayeka. And I won't tease you about Tenchi loving me and not you."
Tenchi's eyes filled with tears. He had expected the two would tear each other limb from limb. *Who would've thought they would make up because of something like this?* he thought.
Ayeka smirked. "Oh, I'm over Tenchi, if that's what you're worried about." She squeezed Toshiro's arm. "I've got what I need right here!"
Washu squealed with happiness. "Ohhh, my little girl has found true love!"
Tenchi laughed and hugged Washu's "daughter", but Ryoko just rolled her eyes.
Mihoshi arrived at Funaho, dragging an exhausted Kiyone behind her. "I heard the news!" Mihoshi panted. "Congratulations, Tenchi and Ryoko!"
Kiyone saw Ayeka and Toshiro together and blinked. "And I guess, congratulations to Toshiro and Ayeka."
Sasami looked down at Ryo-Ohki. "How could all have this have happened in just two days?"
The creature meowed in astonishment.
Tenchi was never ceased to be dumbfounded at the things that happened every single day at the Masaki household. It was like a roller coaster ride; full of ups and downs, but always exciting. And he had such great friends. Even though the girls could be completely unpredictable, especially his Ryoko, they were the most wonderful people he had ever met.
And Toshiro wasn't a jerk after all.
That night the entire "family" had a bonfire outside. Ayeka was resting her head on Toshiro's shoulder, and Ryoko was shamelessly sitting on Tenchi's lap. Kiyone was resisting a blackened marshmallow Mihoshi was forcing her to try, and Washu and Sasami were playing a game of blackjack on Washu's energy computer. Sasami was winning.
Nobuyuki sighed. "My son has found his true love. Soon they will get married and move somewhere and get lives of their own."
Katsuhito was petting Ryo-Ohki. "Do not worry about Tenchi. Even when he and Ryoko leave, Washu and Sasami will most likely stay."
"That's true," said Nobuyuki. "I suppose the house won't be quiet for a long time."
Ryoko looked up into Tenchi's eyes. "I love you, Tenchi."
Tenchi smiled sweetly down at her. "I love you, too, Ryoko." He bent down and kissed her.
"Ah, what the heck!" cried Toshiro. He leaned over and landed a wet kiss on Ayeka. The princess was surprised, but she responded by launching a full-body assault on him, knocking him to the ground and kissing him fiercely.
Tenchi laughed and hugged his Ryoko as they watched the sun fall behind the mountains. The light of the fading sun was still brighter than the leaping flames of the bonfire. Tenchi was confident that as long as he had Ryoko and his adopted family, his life would be brighter than any sun.
THE END
Tenchi Masaki sat on one of the stepping stones by the tree-slash-rooted spaceship Funaho, watching the sun rise. He was a fairly attractive teenager, with black hair and soft brown eyes, but his personality was considered much more charming than his looks.
Tenchi turned in surprise as he heard a noise behind him. He looked up to see a pretty young girl with dark purple hair walking across the stepping stones toward him. He smiled and waved a greeting.
"Good morning, Lady Ayeka," he called. "Did you sleep well?"
The first princess of the planet Jurai's royal family shook her head. "How could I be expected to sleep with that monster-woman Ryoko and my own little sister up all night playing blackjack? It's such a disgraceful game!"
The boy laughed. "Don't worry about Sasami. She has fun with Ryoko. Besides, your sister seems to make Ryoko a better person."
"Maybe," sighed Ayeka. "So... What are you doing out here so early, Lord Tenchi?"
Tenchi winced at the usage of the proper title. He also had Juraian blood in him, but it didn't make him a prince, in his opinion. "Well, actually," he replied, trying to forget about Ayeka's view of how he should be, "I couldn't sleep either. Ryoko and Sasami DO get pretty noisy."
Ayeka chuckled slightly and sat down beside him. The morning sunrise was peaceful until Tenchi and Ayeka were scared half out of their wits to see a small spaceship, blaring alarms, heading right toward them.
Ayeka shrieked and climbed onto Tenchi's back. The boy chose to ignore the fact that the princess was inadvertently strangling him and ran across the stepping stones as fast as he was capable. With an enormous splash, the spaceship crash-landed into the lake surrounding the tree Funaho.
Tenchi eased the shaking princess off his back. He walked carefully to the downed ship and called, "Hello? Are you hurt?"
With much difficulty, the rear door of the spaceship opened. An unbelievably attractive young man climbed out. He had dark blue hair with aqua-colored bangs and bronze eyes. "I'm okay, but I think my ship's going down!"
Tenchi swam over to the young man and grabbed his arm. Together they managed to make it back to Funaho just as the spacecraft disappeared completely under the surface. The two young men, literally soaked, watched it sink. "Oh, great, all my work is in there!" He groaned in dispair and turned to Tenchi. "Sorry, I should have thanked you for saving me. I'm not much of a swimmer." He held out his hand. "My name is Toshiro."
Tenchi shook his hand, his teeth chattering. "I'm Tenchi Masaki, and the girl over there is Ayeka."
Toshiro smiled and skipped across the stones to meet the princess. "Nice to meet you, Miss Ayeka," he said, kissing her hand.
The girl blushed and managed to say, "The pleasure is mine, sir!"
The young man winked. "Call me Toshiro."
Tenchi slogged over to Ayeka and Toshiro. "We're really sorry about your ship, Toshiro. What did you say was in there?"
"My work," Toshiro said. "I'm an astrobiologist. I study unusual lifeforms in space." He gestured to the area where his ship had been. "My entire LIFE was in that ship, and as you can see, it's lost now."
"Ah, don't worry," said Tenchi cheerfully. "I'm sure we can come back later and salvage your work. But right now, we need to get us both to my house before we freeze to death!"
"Of course," Said Toshiro, laughing. He offered his arm to Ayeka. "Shall we?"
Ayeka smiled and turned red again. She slipped her arm into his and they began walking.
Tenchi raised an eyebrow. *What a ladies' man,* he thought, and ran to catch up with them.
Ryoko slammed her fist against the living room table. "Forget it, Washu, you're not going to make me jealous of that brat Ayeka!"
The red haired scientific genius ignored the space pirate's outburst and calmly pulled out a scanning instrument. "Actually, Ryoko, by my readings, your blood pressure is above normal and you are visibly redder than usual. Yep, I'd say you were jealous, Sweetpea!"
"Don't call me that, MOM," Ryoko said threateningly.
Sasami, the second princess of Jurai and Ayeka's younger sister, took the enraged young woman's hand to restrain her. "Don't be mad, Ryoko! Just because Tenchi and my sister have been out a long time, it doesn't mean anything happened. Besides, I don't think Tenchi even has a crush on Ayeka!"
Ryoko sat down, shocked. "You really think so, Sasami?"
Sasami looked at the cyan-haired pirate sheepishly. "I didn't want to get your hopes up at first, but now I know Tenchi doesn't have any feelings for her."
"There's much wisdom in childhood," Washu broke in. "I have many statistics on this subject, and I have also concluded that the boy considers Lady Ayeka to be no more than a friend."
Ryoko's shocked face turned into a smile, and then a grin. "WOOOOO-HOOOOOO, all right!" She flew in circles around the living room. "I knew it, I KNEW it! Tenchi would never fall for a snob like Ayeka!" Still floating, she said to Sasami, "No offense, Sasami, dear."
The pigtailed young girl laughed at Ryoko's aerial display while Washu poured herself a cup of tea.
Suddenly the pirate stopped. "Hey, wait a minute, Washu." She floated down onto the couch. "If you've conducted so many studies, you must know who Tenchi REALLY loves, right?"
The short redhead sipped her tea. "I do," she replied.
Ryoko gasped. "Tell me, who is it?"
"I think it's better off that you didn't know. Besides, for all you know, he could be in love with me!"
Ryoko narrowed her golden eyes. "If he is..."
The back door slid open and a drenched Tenchi walked inside, followed by the Jurai princess and a gorgeous blue-haired young man, who was also soaked.
Ryoko ran over to Tenchi. "Tenchi, darling, what happened? You're absolutely-- whoa! Who's your friend?!"
Toshiro grinned. "My name's Toshiro, and my ship crashed near your house. Your friend Tenchi helped me out. He's a stand-up guy."
"Yeah, yeah, good for Tenchi," said Ryoko. "My name is Ryoko, and over there are Washu and Sasami."
"Pleased to meet all of you," said Toshiro. He whispered to Tenchi, "Jeez, man, how'd you get all these gorgeous women?"
Tenchi sighed. "You don't know how complicated the story is."
Ryoko continued, "Our other residents are not here at the moment. Tenchi's father Nobuyuki is at work, and his grandfather Katsuhito is at the Masaki shrine. Galaxy Police officers Kiyone and Mihoshi went to town to buy groceries. But who cares about them?" she said, batting her eyelashes. "Tell me about yourself!"
Every one of the girls flocked around the suave astrobiologist. Even Washu, who didn't normally go insane over a guy, was under a male-induced spell. Tenchi rolled his eyes and thought, *Why are they all flirting with him? Even Ryoko is, and she's practically in love with me.* He couldn't believe it, but he was jealous of Toshiro. Maybe it was because he was so charming, or it was the fact that all the girls were crazy about him, but Tenchi Masaki, who was normally so compassionate, kind, and tolerant, already couldn't stand the guy.
That night at dinner, Toshiro was given the privilege of meeting all the members of the Masaki household. He was completely blown away by the staggering number of women that resided there. He enjoyed being with every one of them, even the ditzy blonde police officer, Mihoshi. He thought Sasami was a cute, bright little kid, but his attention was mostly on that devilishly beautiful space pirate, Ryoko. He had a feeling she was interested in him as well. All in all, it was turning out to be a great night for him.
Tenchi was in hell.
Ryoko and the other girls were hanging on Toshiro's every word, and he was just drinking it in. He had established an instant bond with Tenchi's father and grandfather, and even Ryoko's rabbitlike pet Ryo-Ohki was attached to him.
What a jerk.
"So," Ryoko cooed, "Tell us, Toshiro, what kind of lifeforms do you study in space?"
"Well, there is an innumerable variety of species and subspecies just in this galaxy alone," said Toshiro. "But I've never seen a creature quite like you, Ryo-Ohki!"
The little furball meowed in delight and jumped onto Toshiro's shoulder, where she nuzzled his cheek. Everyone laughed, except for Tenchi.
"Ryo-Ohki is quite a unique animal," said Kiyone, self-consciously brushing a blue strand of hair from her face. "She can actually turn into a spaceship that Ryoko can control telepathically."
"This woman never ceases to amaze me," said Toshiro, gesturing to Ryoko. She blushed madly.
Tenchi felt sick. "If you'll excuse me, I have a headache. I'm going to sit outside for a while." He stood and walked to the back door.
Ayeka looked concerned. "But Lord Tenchi, you hardly touched your dinner."
"That's okay, I'm not really hungry," he replied, walking out the door. "But the food was great, Sasami."
"Feel better, Tenchi," called Toshiro.
Tenchi closed the door without responding.
"Tenchi must really be sick," said Sasami worriedly. "I hope he'll be okay."
Washu shrugged. "Oh, well. Tenchi rarely gets sick, but when he does, he doesn't like company."
Ryoko held her gaze on the door Tenchi had left through. *I know Tenchi's not sick,* she thought to herself. *So what's wrong?*
Tenchi sat on the steps of the Masaki shrine. He couldn't understand why he disliked Toshiro so much. He was kind, funny, and obviously smart, so why did he make Tenchi want to gag?
The more the young man thought about it, the more he realized why he couldn't stand Toshiro. Ryoko liked him so much. Every time they would flirt, Tenchi would get physically sick. This fact made him ponder over the space pirate more than the astrobiologist. He finally decided that the problem wasn't Toshiro; it was Ryoko.
Ryoko acted like a rogue most of the time, but Tenchi knew she was hiding the real Ryoko, the Ryoko behind the space pirate. When she wasn't robbing banks, destroying cities, or bickering with Ayeka, she was a funny, pleasant person, and she was great with Sasami. Tenchi suspected that the reason she acted the way she did was because she had never experienced the love of family and friends. Now that she had both, her harsh exterior was wearing off.
Tenchi sighed and closed his eyes. He knew she loved him, for she showed it quite frequently. He cared for her deeply as well, and he could very well love her, if only she would drop the space pirate facade. He was convinced that the Ryoko deep inside was kind and gentle. He just needed to get her to show it, and he knew that with Toshiro around, that wouldn't be easy.
"Are you all right, Tenchi?" came a voice that startled the boy. He opened his eyes to see Sasami, who had her pigtails up in buns and was clutching Ryo-Ohki.
Tenchi smiled. *She's such a sweetheart,* he thought. "What are you doing out here so late, Sasami?" he gently chided. "It's past your bedtime."
"I know," she replied, plopping down next to him on the steps of the shrine. "But Ryoko--" (Tenchi's heart jumped) "--was saying that she didn't think you were sick, so I was worried about you."
Tenchi took Ryo-Ohki into his arms and scratched her ears. "You know me too well, Sasami."
The girl studied his features and finally said, "You don't like Toshiro, do you?"
Tenchi wasn't expecting that remark. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, whenever he talks to Ryoko, you look really angry." Sasami gave him a look that was too old for a girl her age. "And I know how much you like Ryoko."
The boy was shocked. *One ton of bricks after another today,* he thought. "You can tell?!" He asked the girl, bewildered.
Sasami giggled at Tenchi's reaction. "Yeah, I can tell you don't have any feelings for my sister, even though she's crazy about you. And plus by seeing your face every time someone says Ryoko's name, like RIGHT NOW, I can tell how you feel about her."
Ryo-Ohki mewed in agreement.
"Wow," said Tenchi softly. "If you can tell, the others must know."
Sasami smiled cheerfully. "No, nobody else knows besides me and Ryo-Ohki!"
Tenchi smiled back and put his arm around the young girl. He knew his secret was safe with Sasami.
Sasami rested her head on Tenchi's shoulder and sighed dreamily. *If only Tenchi didn't love Ryoko,* she thought. *He's such a sweetheart.*
The next morning Toshiro woke up to a high-pitched scream.
"Where is Sasami?!!" he heard the Juraian princess shriek. "She and Tenchi haven't come back home since last night!"
Toshiro stumbled downstairs and collided into Mihoshi. "Sorry, Mr. Toshiro, it's just that Tenchi and Sasami are missing!"
"Tenchi's missing??!" Ryoko shouted, floating down the stairs. "We have to go find him!" She paused. "And Sasami, of course."
"All right, we should all split up," said Toshiro. "Miss Ayeka and Miss Washu, you should look for them at the lake where I crashed."
Ryoko hit her hand with her fist. "If Nobuyuki and Katsuhito hadn't left for town, they could help us look." She thought for a moment. "Mihoshi and Kiyone, you look for them down by the cave--"
Mihoshi squealed in delight. "Yay! Did you hear that, Kiyone? It'll be like a Galaxy Police stake-out!"
Kiyone groaned in despair. "Sure, Mihoshi."
"--and Toshiro and I will go to the shrine."
The young man blushed and nodded.
"All right everyone," announced Kiyone in her usual battle-mode style of speaking, "Let's get this operation underway!"
Toshiro stared at Ryoko as they walked along the forest path to the shrine. She seemed genuinely concerned for Tenchi's safety, much more than she appeared to be for Sasami. He sighed.
Ryoko turned to look at him. "What is it, Toshiro?"
He shook his head. "I was instantly attracted to you when I saw you, Ryoko," he said. "And until now, I thought that you might feel the same way. But now I know your heart belongs to Tenchi."
"Its true that I love Tenchi," she said softly. "But don't get me wrong, Toshiro. You're a great guy, and you're definitely gorgeous. But with Tenchi..." she trailed off.
"He holds your heart in a way no one else does?" Toshiro finished.
Ryoko smiled and nodded. "And it's not like there's a shortage of women living here. Ayeka was drooling all over you last night."
Toshiro's eyes lit up. "Then let's go find your man, Ryoko!"
They laughed and continued on their way. When they reached the Masaki shrine, they found a charming sight.
Tenchi and Sasami were asleep on the steps of the shrine, his arms wrapped around her to keep her warm. The little girl was snoring softly with her head on his shoulder, and the furball Ryo-Ohki was sleeping on Tenchi's head.
Toshiro chuckled. "Tenchi really is a stand-up guy."
The young man's words awoke Tenchi and Sasami. Tenchi's eyes snapped open when he saw Ryoko and Toshiro together, and he sat up straight. Sasami looked up at him sympathetically.
"What are you guys doing here?" he managed to ask as calmly as he could.
"You two didn't come home last night," said Toshiro. "Ryoko here was worried sick about you."
Tenchi smiled. "And the real Ryoko shows her face again. Will you be visiting often?"
Ryoko pretended to be offended. "What is it, Tenchi? Don't you like it when I blast buildings and rob people blind?"
"Actually," said Tenchi, taking her hand, "I could get used to this Ryoko." He looked into her golden eyes lovingly.
Toshiro saw the cue to leave. "I'm going to head on over to the lake and see if Miss Ayeka is still there."
"I'll show you the way," Sasami said, winking at Tenchi. "Come on, Ryo-Ohki!" Toshiro and Sasami left, with Ryo-Ohki bouncing after them.
Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "Does Sasami know something I don't?"
"Sasami knows something a lot of people don't," Tenchi replied. He sat her down beside her on the steps. "Look, Ryoko, I know you love me, since you tell me all the time."
"Very true," she chirped.
"But as I see this side of you," he continued, "I realize that your space pirate lifestyle doesn't suit you at all. I know you're a sweet, gentle person, Ryoko, and I just wish you'd show it."
Ryoko lowered her eyes. "I know I've done some pretty rotten things in the past, and I also know you'll never forgive me for them--"
"You're wrong, Ryoko," Tenchi interrupted. "I DO forgive you. And..."
The young woman looked at him with such sweet innocence that was so becoming, that Tenchi failed to complete his sentence.
"And what, Tenchi?" she asked, knocking him out of his trance.
"And I..." He couldn't wait any longer. "I love you, Ryoko."
Ryoko couldn't speak. For a long time she just sat, holding Tenchi's hand and staring into his mahogany-colored eyes. She could tell by looking at them that he was telling the truth. "I... I..." she stammered.
Tenchi caressed Ryoko's cheek. "The more I see the real Ryoko, the more I can't stop thinking about you. I love you so much, but whenever you lash out with your cold exterior, it disappoints me."
Ryoko's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Tenchi. But the only reason I act like I do is because I'm not used to being loved. I'm accustomed to everyone despising me, and I used to like that. But now... now that I know how you feel..." Ryoko smiled. "I can't find a good reason to be a jerk."
Tenchi laughed. "I never liked Ryoko the jerk much anyway."
They both laughed, and Tenchi drew her face close to his with his hand. He slowly closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. Ryoko wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Suddenly she pulled away and screamed in delight.
"IN YOUR FACE, AYEKA!!" she shouted, literally loud enough to have been heard by the princess. "TENCHI LOVES ME!!!!!"
Mihoshi and Kiyone were walking from the cave that once held Ryoko after they had determined that Tenchi and Sasami were not there, when suddenly they heard a distant voice they immediately recognized as Ryoko's shouting, "TENCHI LOVES ME!!!"
Kiyone jumped in surprise. "Did you hear what I just heard?"
The blonde just giggled. "I knew it all along, Kiyone! Didn't I tell you?"
"Yes, Mihoshi," the young woman muttered. "You told me every day."
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Ayeka exclaimed. "Did I just hear that witch right?" The princess began pacing back and forth.
Washu put a hand to her chin. "Just as I predicted."
Ayeka froze. "What exactly did you predict, Miss Washu?"
"That our dear Tenchi would most likely fall in love with Ryoko," replied the mad scientist cheerfully.
Ayeka's eye twitched. "If you had predicted this already, then WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME??! I wouldn't have tried so hard to win his love!" Ayeka dropped to the ground. "How could you, my sweet Tenchi? How could you be seduced by that wanted criminal?"
Sasami and Toshiro arrived at the tree Funaho to see the Juraian princess in tears. Toshiro ran to console her. "What's the matter, Miss Ayeka?"
She wiped her face dry. "Didn't you hear? My Tenchi is in love with Ryoko."
"Don't cry, Ayeka," he assured her. "Maybe he just wasn't the right guy for you in the first place."
The girl looked up at Toshiro and blushed. "But he's part of the Jurai royal family and--"
"Does that matter?" he interrupted. "Maybe you only loved him because he was of noble blood. And Ryoko isn't such a bad person. They belong together."
"I think so, too," said Sasami. "I already knew Tenchi loved her, but he made me promise I wouldn't tell."
Ayeka lowered her eyes. "I suppose I have been rude to Ryoko just because of things she did in the past. But now I should be kind to her, to make Tenchi happy."
Toshiro helped her to her feet and took her hand in both of his. "Besides," he said softly, "There are other guys who are crazy about you."
Ayeka smiled. "I must say, Toshiro, you certainly know how to win a girl's affections."
Sasami and Washu looked at each other.
"I think that's the end of Ayeka's Tenchi obsession," said Washu.
Sasami giggled and nodded. Ryo-Ohki mewed happily and gave a flower to Ayeka. The princess laughed and scratched the animal's furry head.
The four turned to see Tenchi and Ryoko walking up to them, his arm around her waist. Both were blushing slightly.
"Well, congratulations to the happy couple!" exclaimed Toshiro. "She's quite a catch, Tenchi."
"Way to go, Tenchi!" cried Sasami.
Tenchi laughed and patted the girl's head. "Thanks, Sasami."
Ayeka walked up to the two and looked at them. Finally she took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm very happy for both of you."
"What?!" they said in unison.
"Before, I was upset that I was not able to win you heart, Tenchi," the princess continued, "But Toshiro helped me to see that I only loved you because you were part of the royal family."
"I'm glad you came to that realization," Tenchi said awkwardly.
Ayeka took Ryoko's hand. "And I'm sorry, Ryoko," she said sincerely. "I'm sorry for how I've treated you."
Ryoko was genuinely touched. She thought the Juraian princess hated her. "I'm sorry, too, Ayeka. And I won't tease you about Tenchi loving me and not you."
Tenchi's eyes filled with tears. He had expected the two would tear each other limb from limb. *Who would've thought they would make up because of something like this?* he thought.
Ayeka smirked. "Oh, I'm over Tenchi, if that's what you're worried about." She squeezed Toshiro's arm. "I've got what I need right here!"
Washu squealed with happiness. "Ohhh, my little girl has found true love!"
Tenchi laughed and hugged Washu's "daughter", but Ryoko just rolled her eyes.
Mihoshi arrived at Funaho, dragging an exhausted Kiyone behind her. "I heard the news!" Mihoshi panted. "Congratulations, Tenchi and Ryoko!"
Kiyone saw Ayeka and Toshiro together and blinked. "And I guess, congratulations to Toshiro and Ayeka."
Sasami looked down at Ryo-Ohki. "How could all have this have happened in just two days?"
The creature meowed in astonishment.
Tenchi was never ceased to be dumbfounded at the things that happened every single day at the Masaki household. It was like a roller coaster ride; full of ups and downs, but always exciting. And he had such great friends. Even though the girls could be completely unpredictable, especially his Ryoko, they were the most wonderful people he had ever met.
And Toshiro wasn't a jerk after all.
That night the entire "family" had a bonfire outside. Ayeka was resting her head on Toshiro's shoulder, and Ryoko was shamelessly sitting on Tenchi's lap. Kiyone was resisting a blackened marshmallow Mihoshi was forcing her to try, and Washu and Sasami were playing a game of blackjack on Washu's energy computer. Sasami was winning.
Nobuyuki sighed. "My son has found his true love. Soon they will get married and move somewhere and get lives of their own."
Katsuhito was petting Ryo-Ohki. "Do not worry about Tenchi. Even when he and Ryoko leave, Washu and Sasami will most likely stay."
"That's true," said Nobuyuki. "I suppose the house won't be quiet for a long time."
Ryoko looked up into Tenchi's eyes. "I love you, Tenchi."
Tenchi smiled sweetly down at her. "I love you, too, Ryoko." He bent down and kissed her.
"Ah, what the heck!" cried Toshiro. He leaned over and landed a wet kiss on Ayeka. The princess was surprised, but she responded by launching a full-body assault on him, knocking him to the ground and kissing him fiercely.
Tenchi laughed and hugged his Ryoko as they watched the sun fall behind the mountains. The light of the fading sun was still brighter than the leaping flames of the bonfire. Tenchi was confident that as long as he had Ryoko and his adopted family, his life would be brighter than any sun.
THE END