Tenchi offered her hand, quickly helping the still smoking Ryouko up off the floor. "Are you all right?" she asked her fiercely. Ryouko smiled slightly, "I didn't know you cared." She brushed herself off, looking down shyly as she said, "I'm fine." "You're my friend," Tenchi shrugged as if that explained it all. She looked out at the alien ship following behind them, "Can we talk to them?" Ryouko looked over at the dark haired woman thoughtfully. 'Friends,' she thought to herself wryly. She smiled slightly at Tenchi's question and explained, "I rather doubt Ayeka wants to hear anything I have to say." Tenchi shrugged, "It's worth a try." "Ryo-Ohki, establish a communications link with Ayeka's ship," Ryouko instructed. The communication screen came on, and Ayeka's face appeared just above them. "Ryouko," she growled out angrily, then she trailed off in surprise. "Yosho?" she gasped softly, staring at Tenchi as if she were a ghost. Tenchi looked up at her, and for a moment was tempted to deceive her. She could try to pass as Yosho, maybe trick Ayeka into lowering her defenses. But..., she sighed softly, feeling her essential honesty rearing it's head. With a slight smile Tenchi said, "My name is Tenchi Masaki." A bit more quietly she asked her, "Can we talk?" Ayeka looked visibly flustered, "Tenchi? That was the name of Yosho's sword..." She shook her head, peering intently at Tenchi. Ayeka didn't look very happy about it, but she said, "It seems we do have things to discuss." "I'm impressed," Ryouko murmured to Tenchi softly. Seeing the irritated look on Ayeka's face Tenchi quickly said, "Could you follow us, please? We'll go to my Grandfather's shrine to talk." She found herself looking at Ayeka, wondering who the young woman reminded her of. Keeping her temper firmly in check Ayeka said, "I'll follow you." "Assuming you can keep up," Ryouko smirked. They heard a muffled scream of rage as the communications connection was cut. Tenchi sighed, "Do you have to tease her that way?" Ryouko smiled, "But it's so fun." She looked up, "Ryo-Ohki, let's head back to the shrine. Fast, but let Ayeka keep up." "Myah!" Ryo-Ohki answered cheerfully. The two ships sped across the sky over Japan, quickly arriving at the shrine's lake. Ayeka's ship gently settled down into the water, floating there just like a sailing ship. Ryo-Ohki hovered above the shore, transporting Tenchi and Ryouko down in a sphere of scarlet energy. Then Ryo- Ohki itself began to shrink, compressing inward to drop down in front of them as... ...a fuzzy little cabbit. "Myah!" Ryo-Ohki said proudly. Tenchi blinked as the little creature bounded over and began to rub up against her leg happily. "The spaceship becomes this?" she looked down, smiling slightly. Ryouko elbowed her gently, "Later." Tenchi looked up, "Oh, right." Out on the water a golden sphere of energy rose up from the ship, skimming across the water to reach their side. It dissipated, revealing two young women, Ayeka and someone else. Tenchi looked at Ayeka, her long dark hair blowing in the breeze, then down at the younger girl, clearly related despite the much lighter hair color. "My name is Princess Ayeka of Jurai," she declared regally, "and this is my little sister, Princess Sasami." Sasami waved cheerfully, the smile on the light blue haired girl's face quite contagious as she said, "Hi!" Without really thinking about it, Tenchi waved back. Ryouko had to chuckle softly at that. She looked over at Ayeka and, for Tenchi's sake, tried her best to be civil to her. "It's been awhile, Princess. So what are you doing out in the boonies like this?" she asked with a smile. "I was looking for my missing brother," Ayeka ignored her attempt at civility and continued on quite coldly, "but instead I had the great misfortune of running into you." Ayeka looked over at Tenchi and added, "What I do not understand is why someone so obviously of Jurai descent would be associating with this... criminal space trash." "A former criminal," Tenchi said quietly, "and I think that's something we have to discuss." "How dare you..." Ayeka started, when the heard a man clear his throat. "Grandfather," Tenchi smiled. Katsuhito Masaki looked over at Ayeka and Sasami then smiled at his granddaughter, "Are these friends of yours, Tenchi?" Ayeka had a very odd look on her face as she looked at the smiling older man. "Have we... met before?" she asked him softly. The older man chuckled at that, "I think I would remember meeting someone like you." He bowed slightly, "My name is Katsuhito Masaki." Ayeka bowed in return, "My name is Ayeka, this is my sister Sasami." The little girl smiled and bowed as well, looking quite cute. Taking advantage of her Grandfather's arrival Tenchi spoke up, "Could we use a room up at the shrine for a bit? We have some things to discuss." "Of course," Katsuhito nodded, "and I'd be honored to join you." They all trooped up to the shrine together, Tenchi trying to make conversation while also doing her best at keeping the peace between Ryouko and Ayeka. The two ladies did not like each other at all, that was made crystal clear. 'At least someone's getting along well,' Tenchi thought, watching Grandfather and Sasami talking happily, Ryo-Ohki bouncing along beside them. Up in the shrine they gathered around a table, and some time was spent in pouring tea and setting out snacks. Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami sat there formally, looking rather uncomfortable. Ryouko lounged sideways, and Katsuhito looked perfectly at ease as he drank his tea. "You came here chasing after Ryouko," Tenchi said quietly, "why?" Ayeka looked across at Ryouko, her eyes dark with hatred as she said, "After many years of criminal activities Ryouko attacked my homeworld, Jurai, leaving fire and destruction in her wake. My brother battled her, chasing her off Jurai and following her to this place, I think." Tenchi looked over at Ryouko, who met her gaze steadily. Ryouko thought about saying that Ayeka was lying, denying that she had done anything wrong. But looking into those eyes all she could do was nod slightly, acknowledging the truth. "Myah," Ryo-Ohki added softly. Tenchi turned back to Ayeka and asked her, "So you want to bring her back to your home, to put her on trial for her crimes?" "Indeed," Ayeka found herself looking at the young woman with a bit more respect. 'This Tenchi is really quite attractive,' she thought admiringly. "That's really quite interesting," Katsuhito noted softly, "do your people not have a statute of limitations on crimes?" Ayeka's cheeks went red, and she looked down uncomfortably. "Ha!" Ryouko jumped up with a grin, about to say something more when Tenchi tugged her back down to her seat. "There is a statute of limitations on Jurai," Tenchi said quietly, "and it's run out on Ryouko's crimes, hasn't it?" Tenchi hesitated, then looked over at her Grandfather, then at Sasami. Taking the cue Grandfather asked the little girl, "Would you like to help me get more tea?" "Sure," Sasami beamed, and the two of them went off together. More gently Tenchi said, "Ayeka, Ryouko has spent the last seven hundred years sealed in a cave by my ancestor's sword. That's punishment enough, isn't it?" Ayeka's eyes glittered, not with anger but with tears, "She took my brother away from me! There's no punishment enough..." "Wait a minute," Tenchi blinked, an odd look on her face, "you and Ryouko have both lived seven hundred years, right? So why couldn't Yosho?" Ryouko's eyes narrowed in thought, "His ship was crippled when we fought, but he didn't look too badly hurt after sealing me in the cave." "He might still be alive," Ayeka murmured softly. Tenchi looked at her in this calmer, less enraged look, and realized who she reminded her of. Ayeka looked like Tenchi's mother, at least, what she could remember of her. "Who's alive?" Sasami asked curiously. "Our brother," Ayeka smiled slightly at her little sister. She looked up at Tenchi, then over to her Grandfather, "Lord Katsuhito, could I and my sister stay here, while we search for our brother?" "I don't see why not," Katsuhito Masaki smiled cheerfully. 'I can think of a few reasons,' Tenchi thought to herself with a sigh. Ryouko didn't look terribly pleased about it, either. "Lady Tenchi," Ayeka turned to look at her gravely, "can you use the sword that you carry?" Tenchi took the wooden hilt in her hands, then she ignited the blade of light by the force of her will. "Yes, I can," she said quite unnecessarily. "The sword may remain with you for now," Ayeka said, "but when I find my brother, he may want it back." "It was his to start with," Tenchi said simply, even though she felt a slight twinge. She had gotten used to having the sword around, and realized that she might miss it when it was gone. "I'll call your father," Grandfather smiled at Tenchi, "let him know you're up here." Tenchi got an odd look on her face, and groaned softly. "What's wrong?" Sasami asked her cheerfully. "How in the world am I going to explain what happened at school?" Tenchi sighed.
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