(author's note: While still basically following the OAV series
(and adding Chibishi to it), I have made one additional
alteration to the storyline.)



Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki+1
Episode 3

Chapter
"Fireside Chat"

Ayeka quietly removed her outer garments and hung them near the
fire Tenchi had made. As they slowly dried, she sat there,
quietly, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

All at once, something leapt onto her. It was small and furry and
landed on her delicate breasts. She felt a moment of
embarrassment, then shock took over. She leapt out of her seat,
screaming. Whatever it had been was knocked off of her. 

"Lady Ayeka," Tenchi asked her in concern as he rushed in, "are
you okay?"

Forgetting to get dressed. Ayeka flung herself 
into his arms.

"Lord Tenchi," she cried out, "something... something lunged at
me!"

Tenchi looked in the direction of the cabin. A small, familiar,
furry form poked its nose, uncertainly, out at them.

"Oh," he smiled, "its okay. It's only Ryo-ohki."

"Such a naughty little thing." Ayeka sighed.  Something in the
back of her mind added, "speaking of naughty."

"Oh!" She gasped, realizing she was hugging this shirtless boy
clad only in her undergarments. That would simply not do. 

"Oh, um..." Tenchi hedged. "I guess I'll go back outside."

"Outside?" Ayeka heard herself asking. 

"Yeah." Tenchi nodded.

"Outside it must be cold."

Tenchi nodded. "Yeah."  He replied.

***

At the house, Ryoko was peeking around in Ayeka's room when she
felt a tap on her shoulder.

"I thought you might be in here." Chibishi sighed.

"Look, the sword belongs to Tenchi and the gems are mine," Ryoko
told him. "So neither of them are hers and she has no right to
keep them."

"If you're so sure of your position, why are you trying to steal
them."  Chibishi asked, just as Sasami walked in.

"Ryoko?" Sasami sounded disappointed. "What are...?"

"Sasami," Ryoko told her, "I'm sorry. I would never hurt you. But
your sister's only reason for holding the sword is to hurt me."

"My sister wouldn't do anything like that." Sasami tried to
reason.

"Yes, she would." Ryoko replied, in a voice that was not unkind.
"I know she would, because I would do the same thing if I were
her. Someday, you'll understand."

Sasami tried to work this out in her young mind. "Do you think
she's trying to hurt you because Yosho went after you?"

Ryoko nodded. "She blames me for Yosho's leaving her. And that is
true. But not in the way she thinks."

"I...I don't understand." Sasami sounded confused.

Ryoko sat on Ayeka's bed and motioned for Sasami to join her.

Sasami did.

Ryoko looked at her.  "She was so pretty," she said. "Her hair
was dark like her father's, though a different shade.." Ryoko
paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I'll never forget how
happy she made me during those few short months."

"Ryoko?" Sasami asked. "Is this a joke, like Ryo-ohki?"

"No, Sasami." Ryoko brushed a tear away. "And please don't tell
anyone. If Ayeka ever found out... well... I'm afraid she might
bring it up during fights to hurt and upset me." She reached into
a pocket she didn't have and pulled out a small picture.

Sasami took the picture and looked at it. It was of Ryoko and
Yosho. It was seven hundred years old and had been painted by a
local artist. Ryoko was holding a small child in her arms. The
baby bore most of its resemblance to Yosho. However, the blue
tones of Ryoko's own hair had given the child's hair a greenish
cast to it. The baby's eyes were closed and she seemed peaceful.

"Wow!" Sasami gasped. "You and Yosho had a baby?"

Ryoko nodded. "Yes. I didn't go into the cave immediately after
my gems were taken from me. When Yosho broke Kagato's hold over
me, I felt remorse for what I had done. I offered to help rebuild
his vessel. But he said no. He told me he couldn't bear the way
he was being treated on Jurai and said he'd rather stay on the
world his mother was from. He then added that since he didn't
know anyone on this planet, he wanted us to be friends."

"Yosho always did try to make peace with those he vanquished."
Sasami smiled, thoughtfully.

"Yeah." Ryoko nodded. "He didn't kill if he didn't have to.
Anyhow, as I had no gems and no ship at the moment, I figured it
would be good for a laugh.  I didn't expect to fall in love with
him."

"What happened?" Sasami asked.

"Well," Ryoko replied, "when she was only five months old, a man
with a beard came to see us."

"Father?" Sasami asked.

"No." Ryoko replied. "His name was Commander Kuramitsu. He was a
member of the Galaxy Police. He had a granddaughter who was the
same age as my little girl."

"What did he want?"

"He told us that the King of Jurai had learned of the birth of
our daughter." Ryoko turned away, not wanting Sasami to see her
cry. "He told us that the King had declared us unfit parents and
had signed over all the rights to our daughter to him. He had all
the papers. We had no choice."

"Ryoko, that's terrible!" Sasami exclaimed.

"After that, I stopped doing much of anything. I couldn't eat or
sleep... Yosho found me in the cave after coming home from the
temple one day. I was dying. He planted the sword there to
protect me and keep me alive, then barred the cave so no one
could harm my body, just in case I decided to come back to him
one day."

"Oh..." Sasami sounded awestruck.

Ryoko went over to the window and looked out at the sky.

"My little Kiyone." She whispered.