Outside, Tenchi descended the steps leading away from the house, feeling
rather depressed. Part of him wanted very much to find Ryoko, wherever
she had gone to, put his arm around her, and tell her he was sorry, that
he'd decided he was going to stay home. But the rest of him knew there
was no way he could do that. Did she really love him *that* much, that
just by going to school for the day he was hurting her? For three months
he'd lived in fear of Ryoko, of being hurt by her in some way he couldn't
quite define. Now what he felt was almost the same thing, except that he
feared hurting *her*.  

Why couldn't things just be... *easy*?

For a moment Tenchi imagined Ryoko off by herself, crying maybe, because
of what he'd done. Because he'd gotten up and left her. Because of *him*.
It seemed like, now that he'd fallen in love with her, he was hurting her
far more than he ever had before. Or maybe, he considered, he was just
noticing it now, seeing things he'd previously overlooked.

He wasn't really sure.

"Gomen nasai, Ryoko," he said quietly.

"That's alright. I forgive you," she replied.

Tenchi looked over to his right and saw Ryoko floating alongside him,
watching him with a smile on her face.

"I... thought you'd gone off somewhere," Tenchi said guiltily.

Ryoko chuckled. "Did you think I was going to let you leave without even
saying goodbye?"

"I'm sorry I've got to go," he said.

Ryoko curled her body and arms around him and hung on as he continued
walking. "I heard you the first time. I didn't mean to make you feel bad,
Tenchi."

"I know you didn't," he said. "I wish I could stay with you. Honest. But
I just *can't*."

"Is school really that important?" she asked.

"Yes, it's important," replied Tenchi. "Besides, it's only for the day."

"And tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that," sighed Ryoko.
"I hate it. I hate everything that takes you away from me."

For a moment Tenchi got very worried. He knew quite well what Ryoko
usually tried to do to things she didn't like, and he suppressed a
shudder at the mental image of Ryoko blasting his school-bus and everyone
on it into flaming bits to prevent his departure. But he put his fears
aside, hoping that if he explained things better, understanding would
lead to acceptance. "Ryoko, if I don't go, I can't go to college," he
said.

"What's that?" she asked.

"It's like my school now, only it's harder, and it takes more time, and
you sort of pick one kind of thing you want to learn about, and focus on
that."

"I don't want you to go to that either, then."

"But if I don't go to college, I can't get a good job."

"Like your dad, you mean?" she asked, thinking of how little time
Nobuyuki spent at home.

"I don't think I want to be an architect, but something like that, yes."

"So what you're telling me is, you have to leave me now, so you can go to
college and see me even less, so that you can go to work and never be
with me at all?" she asked in a quiet voice, staring sadly at the ground.

"I never thought of it that way," Tenchi said, stopping. "Ryoko, all this
is new to me. Thinking about sharing my future with someone, I mean.
It'll take me a while to get used to it." He took hold of her hand.
"Whatever happens, I want to be with you as much as I can. But right now,
until I figure things out, I have to just do what I would have done
before. OK?" Ryoko nodded reluctantly, and he smiled. "Now, don't I get a
goodbye kiss?" he asked.

Ryoko kissed him. "See you this afternoon, Tenchi."

"Oh, I almost forgot. One other thing -- do you think you could pitch in
a little more around the house?"

"Tenchiiiiiii!"

"Come on. *I'm* asking you," he said, looking her in the eyes and smiling
at her. "Can you do it for me? Please?"

"Yeah, I suppose," answered Ryoko, returning the smile.

"Well, *that* was a lot easier than I expected," said Tenchi, sounding
and looking almost as surprised as he felt.

"You never asked me before," she said, grinning.

"Huh? I've asked you *lots* of times, Ryoko."

Ryoko shook her head. "You never asked me to do it for *you* before.
You've always said I *should* help, and I don't give a damn about what I
*should* do." She kissed him again. "And besides, we're almost married
now. I'll just think of it as part of being a housewife."

Tenchi cringed. "Uh, Ryoko, let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's not
that I don't necessarily want to, it's just that... well, I'm only
*seventeen*."

Ryoko sighed. "I know, I know. I'm being pushy, aren't I?"

"Maybe a little," answered Tenchi. "I just don't like being rushed. And
anyway, haven't we already made some pretty big promises to each other?"
he asked, looking at her with a serious expression. "Don't they add up to
more or less the same thing?"

"You're right," she admitted, remembering what he'd said about going with
her if she had to leave, and never running away from her again. And her
own vow that she'd die rather than let them be separated.

Tenchi resumed his walk down the steps, then turned and waved at her.
"See you when I get back, Ryoko."

"I'll be waiting, Tenchi," she replied, starting back towards the house.

After a very short wait, the bus pulled to a stop in front of Tenchi. He
climbed aboard and took a seat, yawning frequently as he exchanged
morning pleasantries with his fellow students. The bus drove away, and
the familiar landscape around Tenchi's house shrank into the distance and
finally receded from view completely. As it did, he began to feel a tug
at his heart. He realized that perhaps Ryoko wasn't being quite as
unreasonable as he'd thought at first, because now the hours ahead
without her -- and without Aeka --  loomed like a barren landscape to be
crossed only at the price of great pain. He briefly wondered if his
father had felt like this about his mother, and if leaving every day
would be easier after a while.

He really hoped it would, because otherwise, he knew that it wouldn't be
long before he was utterly miserable.

Tenchi steeled himself for the Aeka-less and Ryoko-less day ahead and
tried to concentrate on what he'd do in class. After a few minutes of
such thoughts, he leaned against the window and passed into a semi-sleep
broken by the jolts of the bus as it passed over the occasional bump in
the road and the lurch of the frequent stops and starts.

Meanwhile, Aeka watched, incredulous, as the most amazing, unprecedented,
unexpected event in recent memory unfolded before her very eyes.

Ryoko was helping clear off the breakfast table.

Ryoko had *volunteered* to help clear off the breakfast table.

Ryoko was *cheerfully* helping clear off the breakfast table.

The galaxy's most-wanted space pirate floated through the air clad in a
pink dress -- a garment not half as clingy or revealing as anything she
usually wore -- as she ferried dishes over to the sink and deposited them
in the water. All the while, Ryoko hummed pleasantly to herself, not
grumbling or frowning for an instant.

Aeka pinched herself, and determined that, no, she *wasn't* dreaming.

"Thanks, Ryoko!" said Sasami, standing in front of the sink washing
dishes with Ryo-oh-ki perched atop her head, as Ryoko put the last of the
bowls into the water.

Aeka stared as impossibility heaped on impossibility: Ryoko started
drying the washed dishes that Sasami handed to her. Quickly realizing
that she wasn't doing any work herself, Aeka hurried into the kitchen and
lent her sister a hand. Once the work was done, Sasami headed outside to
play with the cabbit and the two older girls went to the living room to
watch TV. Aeka looked in puzzlement at Ryoko for a moment as they sat
down on the couch.

"Thank you for helping this morning," she said slowly.

Ryoko stretched. "Don't mention it," she replied, pouring each of them a
cup of tea.

Aeka picked up her cup and sipped, deciding that she could learn to
appreciate this new twist in Ryoko's behavior, if only she knew what had
prompted it.

"By the way, I noticed Tenchi was late for breakfast this morning,"
commented Ryoko, stretching luxuriously after a yawn. "Did you do what I
*think* you did?" she asked, managing to sound scandalized. Then she
folded her hands behind her head and lay back on the couch. "So,
princess, did you spit, or swallow?"

Aeka rolled her eyes. "I don't plan to relate to you everything I do with
him," she replied.

Ryoko grinned. "Should've figured *you'd* never work up the nerve," she
said.

"You already brought this subject up yesterday morning," Aeka said.

"And I'm bringing it up again," answered Ryoko.

"Why is it that you're so interested in convincing me to... do *that*,
anyway?" demanded Aeka.

Ryoko grinned. "Because you don't want to, and it bugs you when I ask."

"Then I'm sure you'll understand if I choose to ignore you," said Aeka,
demurely taking another sip of tea.

"You know, pretty soon Tenchi's going to... how can I say this
*tactfully*?" wondered Ryoko. "Notice something's *missing* when he's
with you. He'll start thinking to himself: 'That Aeka, she's boring,
she's squeamish, she just lies there like a dead fish. I wish Ryoko were
here, she much more fun, she always makes me feel so *good*!'"

Aeka glared at Ryoko for a moment, then laughed. "Perhaps you should ask
Ten-chan yourself. I'm sure he'll give quite a different account of
things. Or are you afraid to find out he's acquired a taste for the more
meaningful aspects of lovemaking?" she taunted.

Ryoko blinked. "Taste?" she asked, the faintest hint of nervous jealousy
visible in her face and audible in her voice. The two girls stared at
each other for a moment before Aeka realized the direction of Ryoko's
thoughts.

"Oh, so *that's* what you're concerned about," laughed Aeka.

"Well, did he, or didn't he?" demanded Ryoko, hoping desperately for a
negative answer. That was one "first" she definitely wanted for herself.

Aeka smiled. "As I told you, such things are between Ten-chan and myself.
I cherish them too much to flaunt them in public as *you* do."

"Then he didn't?" Ryoko asked.

"I didn't say that, either," replied Aeka innocently. She refilled her
teacup. "And now I see why *you* are so single-minded on the subject.
You're just doing it for him in the hope that he'll do it for you."

"Hey, that's not true!" retorted Ryoko.

"How typically mercenary of you," said Aeka sadly, shaking her head. "You
pretend it to be an act of love, yet you do it only for selfish reasons."

"I do it because he likes it!" snarled Ryoko, standing up. Then she got
past her anger over the insult, and smiled. "Listen at the door sometime,
princess. Then you can hear him say things like..." She squinted tightly
and started gasping, "...'Oh, god, that's good, Ryoko! Don't stop! Please
don't stop!'" She closed her eyes for a moment and smiled. "It's music to
my ears."

"He... truly says such things?" asked Aeka, wide-eyed for a moment. Then
she caught herself. "I would invite you to listen as well, Ryoko. But
unlike you, *I* do not treat such joyous moments as spectacles to be
shared with an audience."

"It's not like any audience would pay to witness one of *your*
performances," Ryoko shot back.

"So they've paid to see yours?" returned Aeka.

"No, but they would if they could," said Ryoko proudly, striking a pose
before starting to walk away.

Unable to think of a suitable comeback, Aeka resumed sipping her tea and
contented herself with Ryoko's departure.

Later that morning, sunlight streamed down onto the rapidly-warming
grounds of Tenchi's school amidst the sound of chirping cicadas.

His mouth begged to yawn, his eyes yearned to be rubbed, and his whole
body pleaded to be allowed to fall asleep as Tenchi stood in line with
his fellow students at the usual "tyourei" morning meeting. The
principal's endless speech, monotonous and -- ironically, given it's
supposed intent -- brain-numbing as always, dragged on and on.

"...so now, in the springtime, when the Earth is filled with the joy of
new life, let your minds be filled with the joy of new knowledge, let
your hearts be filled with the joy of new achievement, let your spirits
be filled with the joy of discovery, may your eyes..."

Tenchi dozed off for just a few seconds, then almost fell over when he
suddenly shook off sleep.

"...of health. In short..."

*Oh, no! Whenever he says 'in short' that means he's going to keep on
talking even longer than normal!*

As Tenchi fought to stay awake and upright, the principal's words seemed
to merge into a continuous stream of undifferentiated sound. Finally,
after nearly a century (or so it seemed), the speech was over. The
student body bowed in unison, and filed off towards their respective
first classes for the day.

When he reached his desk, Tenchi sat down with a sigh of relief. He
really needed to have a talk with Ryoko and Aeka, and impress upon them
that he was only one man, after all, while there were two of them. They
had him outnumbered.

*And THEY can sleep in if they want to* he reminded himself, feeling
rather jealous. He smiled slightly, thinking of how Ryoko looked when she
took one of her naps on the couch.

"Hey, Masaki, how'd the weekend go?" asked Amagasaki, sitting down a few
seats away. "Anything interesting happen? Go out with any girls, maybe?"

Tenchi thought for a moment, and didn't take long to realize that there
was no possible way he could explain what had happened to him over the
last few days without sounding like he was crazy.

What was he going to say?

"Well, you see, three months ago the crown princess of an alien empire
and the galaxy's most wanted space pirate started staying at my house.
And the pirate and the princess fell in love with me, and even though
they're both very beautiful and care so much about me they're willing to
kill and die for me, I didn't even kiss them until last Thursday. But
after that, well, I had more sex this weekend than probably all the other
guys in the class put together. And, oh, by the way, the princess is into
bondage and says that it's an ancient tradition on her planet, the pirate
has sex like she thinks she's going to die the moment she lets go of me,
and both of them would probably kill any other girl who even looks at me.
Did I tell you about the scientist, the greatest genius in the universe?
Yeah, she's staying at my house, too. I'm glad she stopped trying to get
that sperm sample out of me -- don't ask *how* she wanted to get it out
of me -- but I didn't like it when she made copies of me to use as sex
toys and they got loose and we had to chase them around Osaka yesterday.
Has anything like this ever happened to you?"

Absolutely no way in hell, Tenchi decided.

"Nah, just your average boring weekend," he yawned. Better to tell a
believable lie than the ludicrously unbelievable truth, he figured.

"Yeah, that's about what I expected," said Amagasaki.

Tenchi put his head on his desk and tried to catch a few last moments of
rest before class began. Unfortunately, the buzzing of the rest of the
students' conversations didn't quite let him doze off. After a minute or
so, he noticed that, somehow, two of the girls in the seats in front of
him were discussing *him* -- specifically, his possible future with Aeka.
At least that *seemed* to be what they were talking about. He pricked up
his ears and listened, wondering how in the world they'd found out, and
if it were all over school by now.

"Well, how would you *expect* Imperial relations to feel about having a
commoner marry into their family, Sayuri? Of *course* they'd be hostile."

"I suppose tradition does matter a lot to them. But I wouldn't expect
them to be so... I don't know, *cruel* about it."

"Don't be so naive."

"I'm not being naive. It just doesn't sound like what I'd expect from
them. They always seem so *nice*."

"That's just their public act. And anyway, people are people. When you've
been raised all your life to consider yourself better than those around
you, and then you suddenly find you're going to be related to one of
those 'lesser' folks, that someone whose supposed to be kissing your feet
is going marry into your family... well, naturally, you see them as an
invader. You gather your allies together, close ranks to defend yourself,
and then strike back. That's the way the human mind works."

"Still going to be a shrink, I see, Fuu."

"Maybe. And to think that, in a way, it started here in Okayama!"

"It really sounds weird, Empress Michiko having to see a psychiatrist.
What was that woman's name again?"

Tenchi slowly raised his head. He recognized the two girls as Sayuri and
Kumiko, the latter sometimes called "Fuu" by her friends due to her
passing resemblance to the Magic Knights Rayearth character of the same
name. He felt very relieved not to be the subject of their conversation,
and he realized that from now on he'd have to remind himself from time to
time that, away from home, the "Imperial Family" meant the one in Japan,
not the one on Jurai. But still, something about the discussion instilled
a vague feeling of dread inside him. He continued to listen while trying
not to appear to.

"Her name's Mieko Kamiya," replied Kumiko, showing her friend the cover
of a book entitled "The Holy Voice."

"And this is all true?" asked Sayuri. "I just can't believe the Imperial
Family would treat Empress Michiko like that."

"But she wasn't Empress then, remember," said Kumiko, flipping some
pages. "Anyway, listen to this. 'After the nervous breakdown, for two
months Michiko lived as a virtual recluse at a beachside imperial villa
in Hayama. She refused to see or speak to anyone, and communicated her
wishes only in writing, according to a palace source. At the time, the
head of the Imperial Household Agency described then-Princess Michiko's
health as a matter of gravest concern...'"

An image flashed in Tenchi's mind of the version of himself Aeka had
created in the lab the previous day: Tenchi as Emperor of Jurai. It was
all much too fantastic to consider seriously, but now that he thought
about it, it probably wouldn't be very pleasant becoming Jurai's
equivalent of Emperor Akihito. 

Or rather, Empress Michiko, if social status rather than gender was
considered. At least she'd been from the same country, the same *planet*,
as Japan's imperial family. And though Aeka had always been very polite
about it, he knew that to her, as with the rest of his extraterrestrial
guests, Earth was a primitive world in the middle of nowhere. What would
Aeka's father think of her being involved with someone from such a place,
to say nothing of marriage? What would the princess' mother think? For
that matter, hadn't Aeka been searching for a husband when Mihoshi's
signal had diverted her? What would happen with that?

For just a moment, Tenchi's mind reverted to his old view of Aeka,
innocent and pure, forbidden as an object of desire, not to be dragged
down from her high place in thought or deed. He didn't think of her that
way any longer, and Aeka didn't seem to want him to. But the more Tenchi
thought about it, the more he realized that if her family ever found out,
they'd see her as besmirched, and they'd look on *him* as the commoner
who'd defiled their Empress-to-be by his very touch.

Tenchi slumped in his seat as his heart sank. Realization of what his
true situation was felt absolutely horrible, and he had no idea what he
could do about it. Part of him said that he should regret his actions,
that he should at least *wish* that first kiss in the closet, and
everything that had followed after, had never happened. There was no way
he could force himself to. But still, he didn't like the idea of Aeka's
relatives seeing her as tainted and him as a stain on her, because they'd
see him as just a...

"No! Ten-chan, never *say* such a thing!" he remembered Aeka saying
urgently. "Never even *think* it!" 

Tenchi closed his eyes and sighed, smiling a little. *All right, Ae-chan.
I'll try. But it's hard. I sure hope nothing bad comes of all this.*

"Masaki! Are you deaf?" demanded a voice.

Tenchi snapped back to reality. "Sorry, sensei." He noticed that everyone
else had their books out, so he snuck a peek at the page his neighbor had
turned to and flipped his open to the same spot. With great regret he
banished his thoughts of Aeka from his mind and concentrated on the words
in front of him.

Back at home, Aeka sat on the couch, Tenchi occupying her thoughts much
as she had been the subject of his. Despite the brave front she'd put up
for his sake, and her admonitions to Ryoko not to try to dissuade Tenchi
from fulfilling his obligations, Aeka missed him greatly. It had taken
almost all of her discipline not to join Ryoko and plead for him to stay.

As the princess considered her feelings, her thoughts connected with ones
she'd had the previous night. If being separated from Tenchi for just the
day made her heart ache, could she ever hope to bear the pain if she were
forced to leave him and return to her duties to Jurai? Duties that she
had shirked for her own personal reasons, something she was never, never
supposed to allow herself to do. Aeka flinched involuntarily, imagining
her father's wrath when he found out and his anger washing over her...

"No, otou-sama. I cannot. Never!" vows Aeka, on her knees in her father's
audience chamber.

The Emperor of Jurai glowers down at her from his throne. "You *will*
obey me, daughter. Do not try my patience. I am displeased enough with
what you have done already."

"Please, otou-sama," pleads Aeka, tears starting to fill her eyes. "I
love him!"

"That's not what you should be thinking of! What of Jurai? What of her
people? *They* are what matters!"

Aeka begins to sob, but she chokes it back. "I beg you! Do not do this to
me!" Her voice becomes quiet, plaintive, barely a whisper in the huge
throne room of Jurai's imperial palace. "Why must I suffer this? Why must
I foreswear such a simple thing that any ordinary person could have?
Why?"

"Because you *aren't* an ordinary person. You are first princess of
Jurai. And your mother and I have explained this to you, many times."

"I only desire what would not be denied even the lowliest of Juraians.
Surely this is not too much to ask for, otou-sama?"

"Yes, it is! You have been given great power, and with that power come
the bonds of duty. But you would keep the power, and cast aside the duty,
and forget your people who depend on you. I will not permit that!"

Aeka raises her head to meet her father's wrathful gaze, her angry face
wet with tears. "I never asked for any of that! And even if I had been
given a choice, how could I make such a decision, not knowing what love
would feel like?"

"That is your fate," intones the Emperor.

"My *doom*, you mean!" snaps Aeka.

The Emperor sighs. "We have often reminded you of what it means to be
Jurai's future empress, Aeka."

"You never warned me that it would be like *this*! I love him!"

"The people of Jurai love you. They are your only concern."

"If they love me, why would they see my heart torn to pieces?!?!"

"I have had enough of your self-pity!" shouts the Emperor. "You said not
a word of this when you went to find a suitor. But I do remember an oath
you swore -- which you have broken! How *dare* you put your feelings
above the well-being of your world!"

"No one ever told me it would hurt so terribly," replies Aeka weakly,
hanging her head in shame.

"And you had a ship when you left," continues her father, pitilessly
ignoring the princess' words. "Jurai's power was lessened by its absence,
yet it went with you, for your task was important, and we trusted you to
fulfill your obligations and carry it out. Tell me, daughter -- what
happened to that ship? Where now is Ryuu-oh?"

Aeka looks down at the floor and does not answer.

"Broken, as your promises were broken. Destroyed, all because of your
feelings for this boy. Since the first day you met him, he has driven you
to harm Jurai. And now I find that your heart and body have been taken by
him." The Emperor rises up out of his throne, his face burning with
anger. "For what he has done, he will suffer!"

"No, father, please!" sobs Aeka. "Please! It was all my doing! Spare him,
I beg you!"

"Let the word go forth!" shouts the Emperor to one of his retainers. "My
daughter and my throne to the man who brings me the head of Tenchi
Masaki!"

With a violent shudder, Aeka threw off her daydream. After a few gasps
for breath, she began to try to reassure herself. Certainly her father
could not be so cruel to her, she hoped. At the least, even if she was
forced to give up Tenchi, her mother would be able to restrain her father
from any plans of vengeance. Tenchi would be safe. Aeka would never see
him again, but no harm would come to him. And when she lay with her
husband, whoever it might be, she would close her eyes and try to imagine
that it was Tenchi.

Thoughts entered Aeka's mind, thoughts of a pink-haired, arrogant fop,
his hands groping her in the darkness. It made her skin crawl, and for a
moment she felt that she was going to be sick. *That* one would never
touch her, she decided. If *he* was the one, on their wedding night she
would lash him until he died, for the offense of not being Tenchi.

But if she did that, it would certainly mean war. Was she that selfish,
to condemn thousands, perhaps millions of her people to death to save her
own pride?

Not wanting to think any further on the subject, Aeka turned on the TV
and changed the channel to a soap opera. As the pointless melodrama
played out in front of her, Aeka found herself wondering where Ryoko was.
The two of them usually watched this particular program together, and
Aeka almost... missed her? No, that wasn't it, she decided. But after the
thoughts she'd been having, a heated argument with Ryoko would have been
a cheerfully-welcomed distraction.