Her Grandfather looked down at the two of them a moment, keeping his expression carefully blank. A slight smile appeared on his face when he said, "I don't know if you can keep her, but she can certainly visit." "Thank you, Grandfather," Tenchi bowed respectfully to the older man. Ryouko headed back to Tenchi's room and she was about to follow when a hand on her arm stopped her. "That sword hilt," her Grandfather said softly, "it's from the cave?" For just a moment Tenchi considered lying, but she answered, "Yes." Her Grandfather nodded his approval, and Tenchi realized that the old man had known all along. "Keep it with you," was all he said. A few moments later, and both Tenchi and Ryouko had retreated to the room she had been staying in for the summer. Ryouko looked thoughtful, murmuring, "There's something familiar about that old man." Tenchi looked over at her thoughtfully, "Well, Yosho is supposed to be our ancestor." She shrugged, "Maybe we look like him." Ryouko made a face, "Try not to remind me of that too often, please. Or I may have to decide to take my vengeance on you anyway." Tenchi just smiled, somehow knowing that she wasn't too serious. "I'm going to set up a mattress on the floor," Tenchi said, "and you can take the bed." Tenchi took a few steps before Ryouko reached out and gently grabbed her arm. Tenchi turned, and met those vivid cat eyes again as Ryouko frowned, "That's not necessary. We can just share the bed." "I..." Tenchi started, when Ryouko placed her fingers against her lips. "No need for arguments," Ryouko smiled. "We're both women," she smiled impishly, "and I promise to be a perfect gentleman." Tenchi blushed, gulped, then she managed, "Yes." Tenchi got into the bed first, and Ryouko paused for a moment, standing there by the bed. "By the way, I prefer to sleep nude," she said cheerfully as her body shimmered, sliding right out of her clothes and leaving them in a pile on the floor. Tenchi's eyes got as big as saucers as Ryouko slid into bed beside her. "Good night, Ryouko," Tenchi squeaked out, keeping herself firmly turned away from the completely bare Ryouko. Ryouko pressed her body up against Tenchi's back, her breath gliding across the fiercely blushing Tenchi's ear as she murmured, "Good night." In another part of the shrine Tenchi's Grandfather sat in his office, a thoughtful expression on his face. The man who called himself Katsuhito Masaki took his glasses off and sat them down beside a jug on the desk, from which he poured out a glass of sake. He quickly tossed it back and sat there a moment before murmuring, "Nothing to be done, I guess. I'll just have to wait and see." He picked up the phone and dialed, and soon heard his stepson say, "Yes, father?" "Tenchi's bringing someone home with her," Grandfather said simply. "What?" Nobuyuki squeaked, "You mean she has a boyfriend?" "No," and Grandfather smiled slightly, "but she may just have a girlfriend." There was a long moment of silence at that, then, "What?!" Not too far away from the shrine buildings themselves, out in the center of a small pond, a majestic tree rises up towards the sky, wrapped around with ropes. A rainbow light flows down the veins of one of the leaves, striking down at the pond, then another. Soon dozens of leaves are shining bolts of rainbow light down at the pond, reflecting them up into the night sky. A signal, beamed out into the darkness of space. The next morning, Tenchi wasn't too terribly surprised when Grandfather announced that Ryouko had permission to stay with Tenchi in the city. Her father was such a pervert, he was probably looking forward to having a unrelated young lady under his roof! "You have the oddest look on your face," Ryouko asked her suspiciously. Tenchi sighed, "When my father tries to take advantage, try not to kill him." "When, not if?" Ryouko smirked. She nodded mournfully. "You don't know my father," Tenchi shrugged. Ryouko shook her head and laughed softly. "I can handle him," she waved casually. She looked at Tenchi thoughtfully, then at the sword hilt that she kept tucked in her belt. Tenchi tilted her head to the side curiously, "What?" "Your Grandfather, he's taught you to use a sword?" Ryouko asked her. Tenchi nodded, and she smiled, "Good. Come on." With that, Ryouko strode off into the woods. Tenchi hesitated a moment, then she followed, trying to catch up with her. They walked silently for a few minutes until they reached a clearing, and Ryouko turned to wait for Tenchi to catch up. "What's going on?" Tenchi asked with a sigh. "If you're going to carry that," and Ryouko nodded to the sword, "then I'd better make sure that you know how to use it." She just had to smile to herself, thinking of the irony of her training the descendant of the man who captured her so long ago. "Hold the hilt in your hands, and concentrate," Ryouko ordered her. Tenchi closed her eyes, holding the hilt firmly in her two hands. There was a faint shimmer at first, then the sword ignited, a beam of blue light coming from the hilt. Tenchi's eyes opened, then widened in surprise, but she still maintained her control over the blade. "This is what defeated you?" Tenchi asked her softly. "Yes," Ryouko nodded. She looked at the gems on the base of the sword longingly, the gems that held much of her own power, then looked up to meet Tenchi's trusting violet eyes. 'Damn,' she thought to herself mournfully. "What is it?" Tenchi murmured, looking at the blade. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at Ryouko, "What are you?" "I can't tell you," Ryouko said quietly, "you're not ready to hear it yet." Tenchi really looked like she wanted to argue that, but she reigned herself in. She smiled at Ryouko wryly, "You'll tell me when I am ready?" Ryouko stepped close to her, gently putting her hand on Tenchi's cheek as she leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "As soon as I can." She rose up into the air, leaving a blushing Tenchi at her feet, and simply disappeared. Tenchi stood there a moment, then shook her head as she muttered, "I don't think I understand her at all." Ryouko materialized by the shrine buildings, settling down to the ground gracefully. 'I wanted to tell her everything,' Ryouko thought to herself. Ryouko smiled slightly, thinking of when her spirit had roamed free of her physical body. She couldn't venture far from the cave, so she was pleasantly surprised when the little girl had appeared there. She watched her grow up there, the young Tenchi, a toddler, then a child, a girl, and finally the woman she had grown into. One day stuck in Ryouko's memory, when the young Tenchi had curled up on a stone by the cave and sobbed brokenly. Drawn to her, Ryouko had stroked that little head as comfortingly as she could, hoping that the child might, somehow, sense it. 'I guess I've always had a soft spot for her,' Ryouko admitted. A soft clearing of the throat, and Ryouko whirled around to glare at Tenchi's smiling Grandfather. "What do you want, old man?" she barked at him. He didn't seem bothered by her tone of voice, his eyes twinkling behind his square glasses. He held up a jug, "Sake?" Ryouko smiled, "I wouldn't say no." He sat down on the wooden steps and Ryouko sat down nearby him, He poured out the first glass, handing it over, then Ryouko poured his. They looked each other in the eye, and then they both downed the cups in one smooth gulp. Grandfather puffed out his breath, "Not bad." Ryouko's cheeks had a bit of red to them as she agreed, "Pretty good." She looked over at the old man thoughtfully, "What's your name, anyway?" Tenchi's Grandfather smiled slightly, "Katsuhito Masaki." Ryouko scowled, "Don't sound familiar." Grandfather topped up Ryouko's glass, "About Tenchi..." "Yes?" Ryouko looked at him curiously. "If you can, try not to hurt her," Grandfather said quietly. Ryouko was tempted to shoot back some cheeky remark, but she saw he was dead serious. She raised the cup to her lips, paused, and said, "I'll try not to." The next day they were in the city, and the past few days seemed almost like a dream to Tenchi. She was back at her desk, her school bag beside her, and bucking the dress code by wearing a boy's uniform once again. "So you were surrounded by mummies up at the shrine?" the large boy asked. He paused, "I hope you weren't so desperate that you went out with a mummy!" "Of course not," Tenchi answered indignantly. She paused, and a little smile tugged at her lips as she added, "But I did bring one home with me." "What?" he gasped. "Class? Class!" the teacher called out from the front of the classroom. They looked up at him, and he said, "We have a new student today, and I hope you'll treat her well." He gestured, and she came in from the hallway. The girl's school uniform looked good on her, the long skirt swishing around her legs. Long blue hair sprung wildly from her head, flowing down her back while her catlike eyes swept the room. They settled on Tenchi, and she smiled. "My name is Ryouko Hakubi, and it's very nice to meet you all," she smiled and bowed. Without asking she strode between the desks, finding an empty spot beside Tenchi's seat. She settled into the chair, reached over, and gently took Tenchi's hand in her own. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Notes: Sorry, Ayeka's been bumped to episode number three. The last name Hakubi is Washu's, so that seemed to make sense. The spelling of Grandfather's and Tenchi's Dad are taken from my Tenchi Muyo mangas.
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