I don't own these characters or profit from them.
This takes place during Tenchi GXP while Seina has been kidnapped, but before he gets back and marries all eight women. Tenchi and the girls, for those who haven't seen Tenchi GXP, were invited to the wedding. I also highly recommend watching Tenchi Ryo-ohki, despite the fact that they once again failed to hook Tenchi up with his chosen girl. Of course if they did as a fan fic writer, I'd be out of a job.
Leaving
By, Clayton Overstreet
Ryoko smirked as on the screen Seina was treated to a quick lesson in eroticism by four women. They had kidnapped him and in a desperate move to ensure his cooperation and marry then when he was just about to marry four other girls, they were doing a very effective job of taking his virginity. On intergalactic television in front of most of the important people in the universe.
Washu chuckled. "I told them that the girls gave him good luck."
"He's getting lucky alright." She leaned over. "Tenchi does it give you any ideas?"
Before he could answer Aeka, still red faced, snapped, "Ryoko how dare you ask lord Tenchi that!" Ryoko was about to snap back, but Tenchi gave her a look and she just rolled her eyes. "Nothing to say?"
"Not to you," Ryoko muttered. She waved to a waiter, then recognized Seyrio. Her sharp ears heard him proposing the a buff but pretty blue haired woman. Grunting she turned away and waved at one of the pimply faced kids who was walking around. "Hey kid, we need some food over here!"
"Ryoko, shouldn't we wait until after the ceremony?"
Ryoko looked up at the screen. Seina was buried under four naked girls and his fiancés had just arrived on the ship. "I think they're going to be a while."
It in fact took three hours to get everyone back, clothed, and upright long enough for the ceremony. At Seto's command the four spies were included in the wedding. Seina's girls hadn't liked that, but Seto hadn't given them a choice. As the matriarch of the Masaki family there were very few people willing to disobey her and she had been training Seina for almost a whole year now. When she said jump he banged his head on the ceiling. Admittedly he banged his head a lot anyway, but the point was still valid.
"I heard Airi and Seto and Mitoto all had crushes on him too," Sasami said.
"Lucky escape," Noike said.
Mihoshi said, "My mother is still married to my dad."
"Like that stops Juraians," Washu said. "Besides, didn't she appear naked in the credits?"
"That was just because that guy from Excel Saga was involved!"
Ryoko tuned them all out. Her ears pricked up and she was watching Seina's group. The girls were arguing about how things were going to be. The original four who he was supposed to marry reluctantly agreed to allow the other four into the wedding, but for the wedding night they were going to have Seina all to themselves. Since the other girls had already had him they agreed, though extremely reluctantly. Ryoko guessed that if Seina hadn't had his body enhanced the girls would have quickly drained him of all his bodily fluids.
As it was they were trying to set up a schedule and while the blond, whose name Ryoko couldn't remember, was willing to share Kiriko wasn't even sure she could do it and the space pirate Ryoko Balta said she was up for anything. The former priestess Neju who despite looking young was older than all the others put together, was afraid to do it alone and wanted her friends there to help.
Ryoko sighed and looked around. There was Seto, laughing while the people at her table looked embarrassed. She was bragging about setting up the marriage and how she had plans for other people she knew. Glancing around the table she could guess who.
"That's it," Ryoko said and sank through the floor.
Tenchi watched her vanish. "What happened?" Everyone else shrugged and got back to their conversations. So they missed it a few minutes later when the note appeared in Tenchi's lap. He picked it up and read it.
Dear Tenchi,
I am leaving. If you want to say goodbye meet me in launch bay three.
Love, Ryoko
Tenchi folded up the note and set it on the table. Scooting free he said, "I'll be right back." He walked away from the table, waving to Seina who was looking harassed. Seina waved back and blushed. He was doing that whenever any of the guests had looked at him. And with good reason.
The landing bay was dark. The only light came from the window staring out into space. The light from outside the sip was lightning up a good portion of the dark side of the moon in flashing rainbow colors. He could see Ryoko's silhouette standing in front of it. When she turned to look at them he saw her eyes glowing red in the dark.
"Ryoko, what's going on?" Tenchi asked.
"Exactly what the note said Tenchi. I'm leaving."
"But why? I mean this is so sudden?"
Ryoko shook her shadowy head. "No Tenchi it really isn't. But the final decision… I just made it."
"Why?" He asked again.
"I guess it was seeing Seina and his new wives," she said. "Watching them schedule out sex with their new husband. It got me thinking."
"What are you talking about?"
"What am I always talking about?" Ryoko asked. "What is everything we do about Tenchi?" She sighed. "Look, I understand, I really do. I heard you talking to Seina that time he came over and used the baths. You like the attention everyone gives you. Being pursued by beautiful girls is every guy's fantasy, right?"
Tenchi blushed. "It's not like that."
"Then what is it like Tenchi?" Ryoko asked. "It's been two years. Every girl in the house has made their feelings about you perfectly clear." Tenchi remained silent. "Did you know Seyrio just got engaged?"
"Uh… good?"
"Right," Ryoko said. "It's just… Seina gets married and his sister and wife's brother get together, and now Seyrio… but that's nothing. The point is Seto will be looking our way soon and I think I should leave before she gets here.
"You see Tenchi you and Seina are a lot alike. You're a both great guys but a bit indecisive. Seina had his decision made for him. And pretty soon somebody is going to make yours for you too. And I can't be a part of that." She took a step towards him and then backed towards the window again. "The Juraian counsel currently has a few thousand spare pirate ships in storage thanks to Seina. I'll leave Ryo-ohki with you and just take one of them."
"Ryoko, I don't understand," Tenchi said.
"Tenchi, what can I offer you?" She asked. "My mother and Tsunami are more beautiful… heck, they're gods. Noike and Aeka are refined. Sasami can cook. Mihoshi… she was practically designed for sex. Willing and beautiful. And now we've got the ghost of Kagato's female side and Ryo-ohki can take on a humanoid form."
"So?" Tenchi asked.
"So they're all going to make you great wives," Ryoko said. She laughed a bit. "A dream come true for most guys. And you know they'll go for it. Aeka's whole family has multiple husbands."
Tenchi looked away. "I really haven't…"
"You have thought about it," Ryoko said.
"Well yeah, but… I never could understand why any of you would want me." He smiled nervously. "I still don't."
"I know," Ryoko said. "But they do… we do."
"So are you leaving because you don't like them?"
"No. They're my friends. I love all of them. It's a new feeling for me." She paused. "Did you know that Seto had a scar, roughly the size and shape of a large coin, at the top of her left thigh?"
"No," Tenchi said, confused.
"I know about it because I gave it to her…" Ryoko's glowing eyes glazed for a moment.
Seven hundred years before on Jurai. Ryoko stood over Seto as she madly crawled through the dirt and rubble of what had once been the royal palace. A lot of pieces of her ship were scattered around. It was a miracle her tree was still alive. Her eyes wer4e wide and she was mad with fear. Walking slowly behind her was Ryoko.
Seto stopped when she realized that she was crawling over her husband's body. She looked up to the sky and screamed, a sound of pain and remorse from her heart. And then Ryoko was there, holding an energy blade. Laughing the pirate brought it down and through her thigh, pinning her to the ground. And then Ryoko walked past her as she lay sobbing in the mud and blood, as if she wasn't even there.
"Ryoko, that wasn't you," Tenchi said.
"I know," Ryoko said. "That wasn't the point. The point was, that's what my life was like, until I met you Tenchi. And our friends." He waited expectantly. "The reason I'm leaving is because I care about them. They love you Tenchi. Together they can give you everything you could ever want. And they want to.
"I'm leaving because I don't want to fight any more. Not about that. I love you Tenchi. I love them. But the thing is, I'm not Juraian. I'm me. I'm the only one of me Washu ever made. There is nothing else like me in the universe. And one thing I am, is really selfish."
"You aren't selfish Ryoko," Tenchi said.
"Yes I am," she told him. "I can't share you Tenchi." She vanished for a second and then reappeared in front of him. Her hand touched his cheek. She was wearing a glove. "I can't take turns scheduling when I make love to you. I can't go on competing for you with everybody else I love and I sure as hell can't share you with Aeka, Sasami, Mihoshi, Noike, Tsunami, Ryo-ohki, and my freaking mother!" She floated back again. "They can all do that Tenchi, but I can't. If I can't have you to myself then I just want you to be happy.
'And don't try telling me you wouldn't be. We're talking about some of the most perfect people in the universe. Smart, sexy, willing, and able to be there for you."
Tenchi stood there silently for a moment. Then he reached into his pocket and brought out a key. "Ryoko, do you know what this is?"
"A key?"
"Well yeah. But do you know what it's the key too?" She shook her head. "This is the key to the cave you were in."
"No it isn't. The key is the sword…"
"I mean the gate leading inside." Tenchi smiled and looked down at the key. "I spent almost ten years trying to get this away from my grandfather. Back when I didn't know about the sword or even believe his stupid story about a warrior sealing up a demon. Let alone knew that my family was responsible for most Japanese culture.
"I tried beating grandpa, begging him, and even stealing the key. When I finally got it the first thing I did was head to the cave and go inside. I was so afraid grandpa would notice that the key was gone and stop me. Stop me before I could see if his story was true. And since then things have just gotten weirder by the day."
Ryoko nodded. "I'll say. You know I thought we would have more time. But then the very first night Aeka was there and then more people arrived all the time. The only one to leave was your dad and he still comes to visit."
"And now even Seina is a member of the family," Tenchi said.
"Good thing too," Ryoko said. "With our luck if he hadn't gotten them all of those girls would have ended up living with us. I'd blame you, but it seems Funaho was attracting Masakis thousands of years before you were even born."
"Right," he said. "But even since that day I've always kept this key in my pocket. When I take it out I remember the feeling I got when I opened the cave and all of the years I spent trying to get it." He looked up, his thumb rubbing the rusted metal of the key. "Ryoko, if Aeka hadn't shown up right away. If she had not come for a few months or a year maybe, where would we be do you think?"
Ryoko shook her head. "I'd like to think I would have already gotten you to marry me." She giggled. "Remember the look on your face when I showed up in your room and asked for your balls?"
"You meant the gems in the sword, right?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko shrugged and he grinned.
"You're still afraid of me, aren't you Tenchi?" Ryoko said. "Is that why you never gave them to me?"
"No. I never gave them to you because… well there were a lot of reasons. I mean you did try to kill me. But after a while that wasn't it. And then we kept getting kidnapped and mind controlled. So I thought you having them might be bad…"
"Point," Ryoko said.
"And then I guess I just thought… I thought that if you had them you might leave."
Ryoko laughed. "And how terrible would that have been? Nobody floating over your bed in the morning, popping in on you in the bath… no more fights with Aeka."
"I…" Tenchi looked up. "I don't want you to leave Ryoko."
"I have to Tenchi. I love you too much to keep this up. Wondering if the next time you accidentally get sucked into the girl's side of the bathroom is the day you decide to take Aeka in your arms. If Noike gives you a backrub and goes a bit further and you let her. If my mom will have you tied up in her lab and will decide to do something like those girls did to Seina.
"And you won't be able to stop Tenchi. You saw Seina up on the screen. There's only so long anybody could resist that sort of thing. Hell if I were there I probably would have gone with it after a while. And trying not to would just drive you crazy until you did. I'm surprised you've lasted this long."
"The constant attacks do help distract me," Tenchi admitted.
"I don't blame you Tenchi. Or them. It's natural."
"I don't want you to leave Ryoko," Tenchi said again.
"And I can't stay. Unless you're willing to marry me, I can't just hang around here until Seto sets us all up in some mass marriage where I have to share you and compete. I'll fight Aeka every day for the next millennium, but not about this, Not if there's even a chance I could lose you to her Tenchi. It hurts too much." She turned. "So I am going to leave now. Good bye Tenchi. Remember that I love you…" She started to fade.
Tenchi reached out and caught her hand. "Ryoko, please, don't go. I… I can't picture my life without you." His fingers began sinking through her hand. "Please stay."
"Make a choice Tenchi," Ryoko said.
Tenchi bit his lip and she started to fade again. "You! I pick you."
"Why?"
"Because I can't live without you Ryoko… and not just because it's always you 3who ends up saving me from the bad guys. Noike, Mihoshi, Aeka… they don't really need me. I love them and care for them, but they're all family. You're different Ryoko. You've always been there, even if it was just when you were a character in a story." He closed his eyes. "I can't stand the thought of you not being there."
"What about the others?" Ryoko asked, her hand suddenly firmly in his grasp.
Tenchi shook his head. "I…"
Ryoko decided to let him off the hook. "They have their own lives, right?" He nodded. "You're everything to me, you know that, right Tenchi?"
"I know Ryoko. And I'd sorry I didn't let you know how I felt."
Ryoko smiled, her teeth gleaming in the dark. "You've been under a lot of pressure. But you're sure about this? Some of our friends aren't going to be too happy. They might leave."
Tenchi thought about it. He was touching the gem in her wrist so Ryoko was treated to his thoughts. Images of their life together went through his mind. Only in each one it was slightly different. One of their friends was missing each time. Kagato attacked and Aeka wasn't there so she was not kidnapped. Or Sasami/Tsunami being there to ressurect him. The hot spring demon attack that Ryoko caused, withotu Mihoshi appearing. No Washu or Noike. They all happened.
Then he pictured like without Ryoko. No adventures. His days spent training under his grandfather and gardening. Eventually just taking over the shrine. Alone. Miserable. He would rather Kagato had killed him.
Tenchi let her go. "I have something for you." He held out the key and then there was a flash as he activated the Lighthawk Wings. Ryoko gasped and stepped back, but Tenchi could barely see through the blinding light. The key was compressed by power greater than a black hole. And then the light vanished. Shining in the light from outside he was now holding a ring.
Ryoko smiled. "What's that?"
"And engagement ring," Tenchi said. "It's a little heavy. But I figured it would have to be really strong."
Ryoko bit her lip. "Tenchi, there's something you should know."
"What?"
"I was totally bluffing." She snapped her fingers and the light came on.
"What?" Tenchi asked again, blinking. Ryoko was standing there in a wedding dress. Off to the side was the priest who had married Seina and the girls. There was also a camera.
"Well I figured as long as there was a priest here…" Ryoko said. She ripped the long white glove off of her hand and snatched the ring out of Tenchi's hand and put it on her finger. "Sucker! Like I was just going to run away." She turned to the priest. "Now!"
"I'm not sure…" He began. Ryoko held a laser sword to his neck. Much quicker he said, "I now pronounce you man and wife! You may kiss the bride!"
"Ryoko-" Tenchi began but suddenly Ryoko was kissing him.
At that exact moment the back wall exploded. Aerka's voice rang out, "There you are you hussy!" Tenchi looked over Ryoko's hair and saw Aeka and the other girls standing there. Aeka looked angry. The others were smiling and looked a little sad.
Ryoko let him go and sneered at her. "You're too late Aeka!"
"Not if he's a widower!" Aeka screamed, summoning her power.
"Over my dead body!" Ryoko frowned, realizing that was the wrong thing to say.
Aeka looked at Tenchi. "How could you?"
"Aeka I…"
"You saw," Ryoko said, motioning to the camera. "I had it broadcast."
"It tooks us a while to figure out where you were broadcasting from," Washu said. "Ryoko this was underhanded and sneaky. I'm impressed."
"Thanks mom. Now if you'll excuse me I have to beat this ol maid." She smirked at Aeka. "Do you mind if I call you granny? Grand-aunt is such a mouth full."
"Argh!" Aeka rushed her.
Seina was eating a capanee while his new wives talked among themselves. They hadn't been paying too much attention to the broadcast, which had cut off when Aeka broke into the room with Tenchi and Ryoko. Most of the girls with Seina were GP officers, spies, and one pirate queen. They had worked out a system that was fair and equal. Even going so far as to parcel out different jobs on their space ships. He knew they weren't going to stick to it, but for the moment they could pretend.
Seyrio stood up at the front of the room and taped a glass with a spoon. "Attention, I have an announcement."
Amane groaned. "Kill him now."
"First I would like to announce my engangement to…" The name of the girl was drowned out by cheers from Seina's table. Something along the lines of, "Free at last!" Mostly because I can't remember her name. Seyrio continued. "And the other announcement is that we are now abandoning this ship as Aeka and Ryoko are currently fighting in the lower decks." The whole ship suddenly shook and outside they could see the results of a huge explosion.
Panicking people ran for the exits, heading for their ships. Only Seina and his family left calmly along with Seyrio. Explosions were hardly news to them.
Author's note
You know, I waited eight years for them to finish Tenchu Muyo and hook him up with Ryoko. And they screwed it up. Still, like I said, if they did what would be the point of fan fics, huh? Email me and tell me what you think.