All "Tenchi Muyo" references are copyrighted by AIC, Pioneer LD and Funimation. This is an amateur, non-commercial story, which is not produced, approved of, or in any way sponsored by the holders of the trademarks/copyrights from which this work is derived, nor is it intended to infringe on the rights of these holders. And so it goes.

NOBLESSE OBLIGE

a Tenchi Muyo tale by Jeff Morris

“Oh yes, this will do quite nicely,” Princess Ayeka commented as eyed her new dress critically in the mirror. The Royal tailor bowed and smiled proudly at her as she moved back and forth, the better to examine the clothing from all angles. “I especially like the coloring, and the fit is excellent. My compliments on your magnificent work.”

“As always, my Princess flatters me,” the tailor said as he bowed in acknowledgement of the compliment. “It is not the garment that flatters the wearer; it is, rather, the beauty of the wearer that brings out the finest elements of the dress.”

“I can’t get over how styles changed so much in seven hundred years,” Ayeka commented as she motioned for her servants to help her out of the outfit. “I don’t know how I could have shown my face in public were it not for all your help, Master Shorin. I am more grateful than you know.”

“All Jurai rejoices at your return, Princess. You and Princess Sasami were missed.”

“Yes, well…” Ayeka sighed as she allowed her handmaidens to slip her everyday robes on. “While this isn’t quite the way I’d hoped things would go, it is still good to be home again. Everyone has been most kind.”

“I assure you, Princess,” Shorin said with a smile, “all eyes will be on you at the ball tonight. No young man will be able to resist you.”

“Oh, I can think of one who could…but no matter. That’s over and done with.” Ayeka heard a polite tap on the door and turned. “Yes, Mitra?”

“My Princess, you have a call on the comm-unit. It’s…from Earth, my lady.”

Ayeka hesitated for just a heartbeat, and smiled slightly. “Really? Well, then. I shouldn’t keep the other party waiting, should I?” She nodded to Master Shorin. “Again, my thanks for your craftsmanship. If you will excuse me, I have been waiting a good while for this call.”

* * * * *

“Ryoko? Is that you?”

The haggard, exhausted woman on the screen bore little resemblance to the beaming, beautiful bride Ayeka had wished well such a short time past. Her yellow eyes were bloodshot. Her usually-wild cyan hair lay flat and lifeless. The expression ‘ridden hard and put away wet’ came immediately to mind. “Ayeka!” she cried in a harsh, hoarse voice. “Thank God you answered! I was worried you wouldn’t, after everything…”

“Don’t be ridiculous, dear. I told you at the time I held no ill will. Tenchi chose you, and that’s all there is to say. All’s fair and such. But…whatever has happened to you? You look…”

“Ayeka, you gotta help me. You have got to come back here as soon as possible and help me. I’m begging you, please!”

The princess tilted her head slightly, pretending puzzlement. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s Tenchi…”

“Has something happened to Tenchi?”

Ryoko groaned. “Oh yeah, you could say that. Ayeka…he’s become a sex maniac. Morning, noon, night…doesn’t matter when, where or how. He wants it all the time, and I can’t take this any more!”

Ayeka struggled to keep from smiling. “But…I thought that was what you wanted, Dear. You told me on many occasions that once you won his heart, you two would make love like…What was the phrase? Oh yes. ‘Crazed weasels in heat’.”

“Yeah, but I thought he’d slow down after the honeymoon!” Ryoko looked almost ready to burst into tears. “I wake up in the morning and there he and ‘Little Tenchi’ are, ready and waiting. I go to take a bath and there they are. I try to hide on the roof and he finds me. Geez, he even found me the cave, for God’s sake!” Ryoko sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “I’m so sore I have to float around all the time now. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in…in…I DON’T KNOW WHEN! AYEKA, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET BACK HERE AND HELP ME!”

Ayeka shook her head. “Dear, you could just tell him ‘no’…”

“No, I can’t! That’s just it! He gets within three feet of me, and the next thing I know I’m horny as hell and I’m all but ripping his clothes off! I can’t help myself!” Ryoko began sobbing. “I love him, it’s not that, but for God’s sake, I need a break! Please!”

It was becoming very difficult to maintain a compassionate and clueless expression. “But what about Mihoshi…or Washu? I mean, if what you seek is a temporary substitute, surely they could provide some assistance.”

Ryoko’s shoulders slumped. “Mihoshi tried one night. The next day she suddenly had a long-term ‘emergency mission’ and hasn’t been back since. And Washu took him into her lab for some ‘experiments’ one afternoon, and two days later she threw him out and I haven’t seen her since. And just between you and me, I think he’s been eying Ryo-ohki.” Her eyes teared up. “Ayeka, please. I’m begging you. Name your price. Anything you want, you’ve got it. Just get back here as soon as you can!”

Ayeka pretended to consider. “Anything I want?”

“You heard me.”

“Even..sharing? Co-wives?”

“God, yes! I’ll share! I’ll be happy to share! Misery loves company! If he’s humping you, I can get some sleep! Hell yes, I’ll share! You win! Okay?” There was a noise behind Ryoko; she trembled violently. “Oh God. He’s trying to get in here. Hurry, Ayeka. Get your ass back here as soon as you can!”

The viewscreen went black; Ayeka leaned back in her cheer and smiled. “Oh, indeed I will, Ryoko,” she purred. “Indeed I will.”

* * * * *

“You mean, she didn’t know?” Sasami asked her big sister. They stood on the bridge of Ryo-oh’s new ship; the second-generation tree had groused a bit about it not being nearly as nice as Mikagami’s craft, but overall she seemed pretty pleased with its sleek appearance, speed capabilities and most importantly, its firepower. “You never told her about how Jurai power manifests in boys, Ayeka?”

“Must have slipped my mind in all the confusion,” Ayeka demurred. “And I don’t know what you’d know about it, Sasami. You’re far too young for such matters.”

“I heard our mothers talking about it one night,” Sasami said, giggling. “Mother Funaho said that when Father’s power started awakening, Grandmother was having a fit because none of the servants could get any work done. She finally had to train Father to control his power herself.”

Ayeka paled slightly. “You…certainly wouldn’t know anything about what exactly that training entails, correct, Sasami?”

“Gosh no, Ayeka,” her little sister said with wide eyes and a far-too-innocent tone of voice. “I’m just a little kid, after all.”

“Well, at any rate,” Ayeka said briskly, “Lord Tenchi’s power has most certainly fully awakened, and he must be trained in its use and its restraint. Otherwise the birth rate in Kurashiki will triple, and we can’t have that.”

“Nope,” Sasami said, and then snickered.

“What?”

“Well, it was just something Mother said to Mother Funaho. Something about Sister Airi waking up Brother Yosho’s power, and him getting stuck on Earth, and that’s why there are so many Masakis in that area.”

“No doubt,” muttered Ayeka.

“So you really think Ryoko’s going to share Tenchi with you?” Sasami asked. “I mean, she was pretty firm about the subject back when he decided. And you know she’s pretty tricky, big sister. What if she changes her mind?”

“She won’t,” Ayeka assured her. “And believe me, if she wasn’t quite ready to share him when she called, I’m quite confident she is now.”

“Oh. Is that why you waited two weeks before leaving?”

Ayeka smiled.

* * * * *

“Where in the hell have you been?” Ryoko demanded. She looked even more haggard in person than she had on the comm unit. “I called you over three weeks ago, and you told me you’d come! Three weeks!”

“Now, now, dear,” Ayeka said, putting a consoling arm around her rival’s shoulders. “A princess of Jurai can’t just up and leave on a whim.”

“Not more than once,” Sasami giggled.

Ryoko gasped at the sight of the younger princess. “You brought her down here? What the hell were you thinking, Ayeka? Right now, Tenchi’ll screw anything that moves, and you know about Japanese guys and that lolicon thing!”

“Relax,” Ayeka assured her. “Sasami is simply here to gather you and Ryo-ohki up. You are going to spend two weeks aboard my ship, where you can rest and be pampered by several of my best handmaidens, not to mention enjoy my little sister’s meals. And before you ask,” Ayeka added, raising a hand for silence, though it wasn’t needed, “I’ve also taken the liberty of procuring several bottles of my grandmother’s sake.”

“God, I can’t thank you enough, Ayeka,” Ryoko groaned. “Well, let’s get going, Sasami. I’ll summon Ryo-ohki and…”

“One moment.” Ayeka held up an electronic notepad. “Please read and sign. Once that’s out of the way, you may go and I shall take care of Tenchi.”

Ryoko tilted her head slightly. “What’s that?”

“The equivalent of a pre-nuptial agreement. It specifies very specifically that in exchange for my assistance, you agree to share Tenchi till death do us all part. It gives me full spousal privileges.” Ayeka smiled.

Ryoko frowned. “So what’s to stop me from signing this and cutting you out later?”

Ayeka’s smiled widened. “The fact that such an action will make both my mother and grandmother…unhappy. I’m sure you do not wish to make either of them…unhappy.”

There was a moment of hesitation, true, but only a moment, which surprised Ayeka slightly. “Fine, fine,” Ryoko muttered as she gave the document her blessing. “Truth to tell, it was getting kind of dull around here without you around.”

“Thank you,” Ayeka nodded. “Now then, Sasami, please escort my sister-wife to my ship and see to it that she’s made comfortable. I’m sure Ryo-ohki will follow.”

“Good luck, Ayeka!” Sasami called, waving as the teleportation beam took them away.

“Well, that’s that,” Ayeka said to herself, and suddenly a very pleasant warmth wrapped itself around her. She closed her eyes and sighed, enjoying the sensation and what it did to her. “Hello, Lord Tenchi,” she breathed happily.

“Ayeka.” His voice was gentle and tender, just as she remembered. She sighed as he drew closer, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “I’ve missed you so much,” he told her, his lips dancing just above the nape of her neck. “So very much.”

“Oh…and I have missed you, my prince,” she replied. “And I see your power has awakened…and it hungers…oh, how it hungers…”

“Ayeka, you’re so beautiful…please don’t go…I need you…”

“Of course I’ll stay,” Ayeka whispered. “Forever with you. But Tenchi…there is something you must know first…something very…ahhh…important…”

“Can’t it wait?” he teased.

“No,” she struggled to reply. “You see…my prince…there is a power greater than yours.”

“There is?”

“Oh yes.” Ayeka gathered her own Jurai power up and let it wash over him. Tenchi gasped and shuddered as it hit him like a tidal wave, causing him to climax without warning. He staggered a step back and sank to his knees, eyes wide as he stared up at her in sheer awe.

“The only thing more powerful than a horny Juraian prince’s power,” she informed him, caressing his cheek, “is the power of a horny Juraian princess.”

* * * * *

Alarms wailed. Warning lights flashed bright amber. Washu raced over to the home security console and glanced at the readings. “Holy cow,” she breathed. “That’s a helluva lot of Jurai power getting tossed around there. Tenchi stroking his Light Hawk Wings again…?” She called up the internal scanners and checked each room in turn until she reached his bedroom.

Washu blinked. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the screen again. “Whoa,” she said, shaking her head. “Nimble little minx, that’s for sure. Our little princess has had quite the erotic education…never figured her for a top, that’s for sure, but look at her go…”

She typed in a few commands to make sure the system was recording all this, and after a few more minutes she closed the screen. “Have to remember that one the next time Yume comes over for a visit,” she muttered as she returned to work.

* * * * *

Ryoko was extremely reluctant to open her eyes, even if it meant finding one of Sasami’s incredible meals waiting for her. The last three weeks had been utter bliss: massages, long baths, manicures, an entire new wardrobe, all the sake she could ask for, and best of all, no oversexed Juraian princes trying to jump her.

She felt a little guilty about that. She desperately loved Tenchi and would do anything to make him happy, but sheesh, too much of anything was…dammit, she was getting tired of that persistent nudging. Ryoko’s eyes snapped open, ready to give the miscreant an earful about letting demons sleep.

“Hi,” Tenchi said, that endearing little smile on his lips and the look that never failed to melt her heart in his eyes.

Despite her best effort, Ryoko flinched ever so slightly. Tenchi didn’t miss it, and his face fell slightly. “I’m really sorry about all this,” he said quietly. “Ayeka explained to me about how Juraian noblemen get…that way…when their power first manifests. Usually someone is there to, uh, teach them how to control it, but I guess…” He shook his head. “I’m really sorry, Ryoko, and I hope you can forgive me.”

“Oh, Tenchi…” She held out her arms and drew him close to her. This was her Tenchi, the one she held most dear above all others. “Of course I can forgive you, I love you so much and…wait a minute.”

“Huh?”

“Ayeka told you that Juraian men get super-frisky when their power manifests? She knew that this would happen?”

“Well,” Tenchi stammered, “I would assume she knew. I mean, she told me, and, well…” He grinned sheepishly. “I have to admit she knew what she was doing when she taught me how to control it.”

“She knew. That damned bitch, she knew and she never told me! She knew all along what would happen, and she let me….”

“Good morning!” Ayeka came threw the door bearing a tray of tea and breakfast snacks. “Greetings, sister-wife. I trust my servants have been treating you well? Hello, Tenchi.”

“Good morning, Ayeka,” he said with a slight blush. But by then Ryoko had teleported out of his arms and was floating right in front of the princess’s face. “Ryoko…”

“You knew this would happen,” Ryoko hissed. “You were counting on it, weren’t you?”

Ayeka pretended to consider. “Well, I knew it was certainly a possibility…”

“I’m going to kill you.”

Ayeka held up a certain electronic notepad. “Signed, sealed, and delivered to the High Courts of Jurai. Which means my entire family has seen it. In fact, I can just about guarantee it, because Tenchi has just come from a long talk with my father about the wedding.”

“…wedding?” Ryoko said, blinking.

“Well, of course, dear,” Ayeka laughed. “Surely you don’t think the First Princess of Jurai is going to live with a noble prince and share his bed without benefit of marriage, do you? Oh, don’t worry about a thing. You’re officially marrying him too, and it’s all set. Grandmother is planning the ceremony and festivities even as we speak.”

“Ceremony?”

“It’ll be fine. Now sit down and eat, Ryoko. We have to be measured our robes later on so that they’ll be ready when we reach Jurai.”

Ryoko slowly sank down to the bed, utterly lost. “We’re going to Jurai?” she squeaked.

Ayeka nodded. “Have been for the last day or so.” A naughty smile crossed her lips. “Although, you know…here we are, and we can afford to take our time with things…”

Ryoko felt a familiar, yet not quite familiar warmth spread across her body. “Oh no. No, no, no. Tenchi, you stop it this minute!”

“But Ryoko, it’s not me. My power’s like this…” A second wave, this one instantly recognizable, danced all through her body, and Ryoko found herself slowly sinking into the pillows, unable to resist the four hands undressing her, caressing her, teasing and pleasing her…

“Oh God,” she groaned. “Now it’s both of them…I’m doomed…”

And then she gave in.