Author's Note: For those who did not know, Ryouko *was* the blue haired girl... I've seen her green haired and blue haired, and I like blue better.

Continuity Note: After Tenchi TV series

      Tenchi blinked as light assaulted his eyes. Blurry images flashed through his mind as he tried to recall what had happened before his period of unconsciousness. His memory attempted to dredge up any hint as to why he was waking up in his house, on the couch, at seven fifteen in the evening.

      He sat up and glanced around, finding nothing unusual about his surroundings. Shakily, he stood up, only to find he had no trouble balancing himself. Normally, when one awoke from any sort of sleep he had trouble with just leaping up onto his feet.

      "Tenchi, are you ready?"

      Tenchi looked up from the floor to find his father, dressed in black, standing in the doorway. "Huh, dad?" he asked, then froze. His father's face had a look on it that was frightfully dim. Depression would have been to cheery a term to use to describe it. There was only one time Tenchi had seen that look on his dad's face.

      "Your mother's funeral is in ten minutes, Tenchi... everyone is waiting for us at the shrine." his father said in a light tone. Then, he came into the room and wrapped his arms around Tenchi. "I know it's hard, but you need to be strong... she would have wanted it that way."

      "Wha...?" was all Tenchi could say. How could his father just come up to him like this? He looked like he was eighteen... when his mother died he had been only six.

     "Tenchi."

     He turned from his father, to find his mother standing behind him.

- PM Productions Presents -

      Tenchi blinked, his arms falling limply to his sides. He felt his father remove his arms from around him. "Mother?" She couldn't be real, could she?

      "Yes, Tenchi, I'm real... as real as you want me to be." she answered, with a voice Tenchi hadn't heard in over a decade. A voice he had missed so terribly much. He began to feel the tears well up in his eyes.

      "But for now you have to go back... you are needed by those who love you." She walked up to Tenchi and enclosed him in a hug. "My Tenchi, do not worry... we will see each other again soon."

      His mother's last statement cut through Tenchi's calm. "Soon? You mean I'm...?"

      Achika smiled, the most beautiful thing Tenchi had ever seen.

      "No... you are not going to die."

      "Then how...?" he asked, confused.

      "You'll see," she replied enigmatically.

- A Phillip Masters Fanfic -

      Tenchi awoke, to find a pair of yellow, slitted eyes staring down at him. They were almost a golden sheen, and filled with worry and concern. For some reason, the cat-like appearance didn't bother him.  Then, he realized why... he knew who the eyes belonged to. "Ryouko," he muttered, unable to speak very well yet.

      The eyes instantly became happier. "Oh, Tenchi, you're alright! I was so worried." She said the last part in a sultry voice and pressed her cheek against his.

      He felt a familiar sensation run through him. It made him both excited and uncomfortable at the same time. "Um, Ryouko? Could you let me get up?"

      She seemed disappointed, but complied by rising off of him. "When you passed out on the stairs I wasn't sure what had happened," she explained. "So, I took you home... your father isn't back from work yet it seems."

      Tenchi scratched his head for a moment, as if to remove the cobwebs. "How long was I out? What time is it?"

      "Uh..." Ryouko began, looking around for a clock. She found what she was hunting for and read the time. "Six fifty-five in the evening."

      "Oh," he replied, glad he hadn't been under that long. Then, something important dawned on him. "Oh, shit!" he exclaimed, jumpin up from the couch and nearly knocking Ryouko down.

      "What?!" she cried indignantly. "What's the matter?"

      "They're coming!"

- Home Again: A Continuation -

      "Huh? Who?" Ryouko asked.

      Tenchi looked around frantically. "My friends! They'll be here in a few minutes!"

      Ryouko relaxed, sitting down on the couch. "Is that all? You had me upset, Tenchi...."

      "No! You don't understand!" he protested, still acting as though he expected to find a place to vanish into for the next hour or so, until the smoke cleared.

      A knock came from the front door, startling Tenchi. He gulped and headed toward it, resigned to his fate. He stopped just short of it and turned back to Ryouko. "I want you to behave yourself, understand?"

      Ryouko had the decency to look injured. "Tenchiiii," she pleaded, "Do you think that lowly of me?"

      Tenchi sighed and went back to opening the door. "No... no I don't." He turned the knob and swung the door open.

      Outside stood Akano, Satoru, Akemi, and Takeshi.

- Chapter Two: No Need for Storytelling -

      Tenchi did a double take. "Takeshi! What are you doing here?"

      The larger boy grinned. "Hey, they aren't the only ones who want to know what happened to you."

      "I tried to stop him," Akemi said, "but as usual he wouldn't listen."

      "Yeah," Asano added, "she even kicked him in the shin... but he stayed steadfast and determined."

      "Even while limping," Sotaru threw in. He received a dirty look from Takeshi for his trouble.

      Tenchi nodded. "Alright everyone... come in. I'd like to introduce you to someone." He stood aside while everyone came in and removed their shoes.

      "So, who's the mystery person?" Asano inquired while slipping a house slipper on. He stood up again to find Sotaru staring at something in the room with a look of what Asano could only describe as "lust".

      His curiousity piqued, Asano followed his friend's gaze. It came to rest on what was easily the most... feminine... specimen of womanhood he had ever laid eyes on. Except, there was something wrong with the eyes that he couldn't put his finger on. Perhaps when he got closer...?

      Akemi almost instantly gravitated toward Tenchi. "Oh, dear... who is this person?" she asked in as sweet a tone as she could muster.

      Tenchi gulped quietly, and he walked over to Ryouko. "This is Ryouko... she's a very good friend of mine."

      "Tenchi," Ryouko began.

      He ignored her as best he could and continued. "Ryouko... these are my friends... Yoshihito Asano, Koriyama Satoru, Takeshi Muro, and Takeshi Akemi." He pointed out each one as he said their name.

      "Tenchi," Ryouko repeated, a little more urgently this time.

      "Oh my God!" Asano suddenly cried, "Her eyes are like a cat's!"

      The other three recent arrivals all gasped in astonishment as they realized what Asano had said was true. Most of the group took a tentative step backward.

      Satoru rushed forward. "Oh, that is so cool!" he exclaimed as he studied Ryouko's face close up. "Are you an alien?" he asked.

      "Yes," Ryouko answered, then turned to Tenchi and took him up by his shirt collar. "Tenchi... why did that woman," she pointed to Akemi, "call you "dear"?!"

      As Tenchi laughed nervously, Satoru continued on. "You are?!  here are you from?"

      Unfortunately for him, Ryouko was only focused on one thing.  "Why?" Her voice was beginning to sound dangerous.

      "Because he's my boyfriend!" Akemi screamed, "Now will you kindly put him down!" She rushed up and grabbed Ryouko's arm.

      The space pirate afforded Akemi a glance, then put Tenchi down.  She then proceeded to knock Akemi across the room with a backhand.

      "Don't ever touch me again!" she spat.

      Before Tenchi himself could raise a protest, Takeshi was in

      Ryouko's face. "You hit my sister, you bitch!" he yelled, then decked her in the gut.

      Ryouko buckled like a belt. After a few moments of coughing, she stood up again slowly. "So, it seems you have some strength...." she complimented. "Let's see how you do against this!" She brought her hand into a fist and her energy blade leapt into existance.

      Takeshi was undaunted. He fell back into a defensive position.  "Don't think I'll let you get away with laying a hand on my family... no matter what sort of alien freak you are."

      Tenchi ran away from the fight to make sure Akemi was alright. She was carefully pulling herself upright with the help of a nearby chair.

      Tenchi assisted her the rest of the way and asked if she was okay. She could just nod in response, not having caught her breath entirely.

      The fight was going surprisingly well. Ryouko had assumed Takeshi would drop quickly and had sorely underestimated her opponent. Every time she swung at him he simply wasn't there anymore. The Earthling was seriously beginning to raise her ire.

      "I do not generally take to fighting women, but in your case I may make an exception." Takeshi commented as he dodged around Ryouko. "You seem perfectly capable of handling yourself in a fight... even if your swordsmanship is a bit sloppy." He evaded yet another swipe and span around behind his adversary.

      A perfectly executed roundhouse gave Ryouko a chance to follow Akemi's earlier lesson in F=MA.  At first, Takeshi prepared to bow, but was surprised to find Ryouko still able to stand. Not only that, but seemingly just more pissed off for his efforts. It was then he realized exactly what he was dealing with.

      Sotaru had taken up a position next to Asano against the wall opposite everyone else to enjoy the show. They both looked rather disappointed as Tenchi announced that the fighting would stop.

      "Aw... Tenchi," Ryouko said, her sword powering down, "but I was just warming up."

      Tenchi shot her an unforgiving look that made her cringe slightly.

      "You will stop now!" he bellowed. "You will not lay another finger on my friends ever again... am I fully understood!?"

      Ryouko's eyes brimmed with tears, and she nodded slowly. "I understand perfectly," she whispered and vanished with a pop of inrushing air.

      Tenchi closed his eyes and sighed. He hated hurting her like that... but she really needed to learn control. He looked at Takeshi, "Are you okay?"

      "Fit as ever!" he announced, puffing out his chest. "That was the best workout I've had since our Martial Arts Team was in the championship finals against Furinkan!"

      Tenchi nodded and turned back to Akemi. "I'm sorry she hit you.  Are you sure you're alright?"

      Akemi nodded weakly then looked up into Tenchi's eyes. "Is she in love with you?"

      Asano sat down on the couch. "Maybe you should just start at the beginning, Tenchi?"

      Tenchi glanced at Asano, then back at Akemi. He helped her over to the couch and sat them both down next to his friend. Satoru plopped down on the table in front of Tenchi, not wanting to miss one juicy detail. Takeshi took the chair.

      "Well... it all started about a month and a half ago... when Ryouko crashed into the valley floor outside the shrine..." Tenchi began. He proceeded to tell the story of his adventures.

      "Okay, let me get this straight," Asano broke in, about a quarter of the way in, "You are an alien too?"

      "Partly, it seems. My grandfather isn't really my grandfather...he's more like my great-to the seventh power grandfather. He was a great warrior of the Jurai empire you see... he's been alive for at least a thousand years, most likely longer."

      Takeshi laughed suddenly, getting everyone's attention. "Geez! If I hadn't seen Ryouko and her rather... unique... weaponry, I wouldn't have believed this crap for a second!"

      Asano nodded in assent. "True... it does seem rather far fetched."

      He blinked as he noticed Satoru, a bit of drool glistening on his chin.

      "Yo, Sato!" He waved a hand in front of his dazed friend's face.

      Tenchi chuckled. "I expected him to react like this... an otaku through and through." He inhaled and renewed his tale telling.

     This time he made it almost to the end before Takeshi broke in.  "Sorry to interrupt... but I've been holding back for too long as it is.  Mind if I see this sword you keep mentioning? Tenchi-ken?"

      "Sure," Tenchi replied and rose from the couch. He retrieved his school satchel and opened it. He pulled the wooden hilt from the bag and to the curious looks he explained, "For protection." He handed the hilt to Takeshi.

      Takeshi felt the weight for a moment, then gripped it. "Well, it's perfectly balanced for something without a blade... but I suppose the blade this thing has doesn't weigh anything, right?"

     Tenchi nodded, then Sotaru piped up in a tone usually one heard when purely awe inspiring events were involved. "Could you show us?"

      Tenchi shrugged and took the sword back from Takeshi. With a moment of concentration the azure blade appeared in a flash of illumination. Waves of energy seemed to flake off the iridescent sword.

       He waved it around a few times, leaving the smell of o-zone in its wake.

      Satoru looked at it as if Kami had just appeared in the room and patted him on the shoulder.

      "Well, Satoru's lost it completely this time," Asano announced, passing a hand once more in front of the smaller boy's face.

      "What powers it?" Takeshi asked.

      "I don't know... I've just heard it refered to as the Jurai Power," Tenchi answered.

      "Perhaps I could be of some assistance?"

      All eyes in the room turned toward the new speaker. There, standing in front of the open door of the closet set into the base of the staircase, was a short red haired woman.

      "Um," Tenchi said, "this is Washu... the, um, greatest scientist in the Galaxy."

      "Universe," Washu ammended quickly. "So... you want to know about the Jurai Power, do you?"

END Chapter Two

Well, another down on this one. I'm not entirely sure about this one especially, so please send comments to this address.

Thanks for reading,

PMasters (11-15-98)

"I'm only holding back the rain. So many raindrops, so many pains. I want to find my train someday. As seasons go past the station." - Tokyo Babylon OVA 1 / E-mail at: PhilMasters@webtv.net / Web page pending use of a computer! "...has anyone ever used something alive for a coat of arms?" - The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea (Mishima Yukio, 1965) /  "You see, what you call a cat, we use as armor." - Rune (El-Hazard, 1994)