Aeka Jurai sat in the confines of her room in the Masaki house hold, sitting patientely on her knees, her legs stretched out beneath her back end, she gazed angrily and regrettfully at the computer screen her father had just been on, informing her she needed to be packed and ready to leave in the next week, as she would be departing for Jurai, her home planet.
"Father, why?" She pleaded for some answer that might comfort her, as opposed to the one he had given her, "Why must I leave this wonderful place? Tenchi dueled with Seiryo Tennan, he won, you gave me permission to stay here with this family!" She protested.
Azusa closed his eyes and sighed, "Quit throwing this tantrum, Aeka! I've told you why! Your Mothers and I, we must leave Jurai for another galaxy for a short while, only a year! A year is like a singl e day, in our years, don't you understand that? We need some one to step in and rule effectively, responsibley, and kindly. We need our daughters to step up to this challenge for us."
Aeka closed her eyes, daring to let a tear escape down her fair cheek in front of her father. "Father.." She whispered, her voice breaking. Azusa growled low, beneath his breath. That was when Funaho entered the picture, sighing, "Aeka… We promise to let you return in a year's time, if that is still what you want by then, and will never ask you to return for such an amount of time. But I'm afraid Misaki and I can not get you and Sasami out of this one. Your father is right, with out the three of us around, we need royal blood to step up to the plate while we are gone. I think you know asking Yosho is out of the question, and I beg of you kindly, please if you will not do this for your father, do it for Your mothers. We will not force you to do this, I refuse to have you come here against your will, but I do stress to you how important it is for your people, your planet, and to us."
Aeka had given in the moment she had seen the expression on Mother Funaho's face when she had stepped into the picture, and she could tell it was the right thing to do by the look in the Great Lady's eyes, but it tore her apart as she agreed.
After having wrapped the conversation up, Aeka sighed, staring at the floor. Her lilac colored bangs cast a shadow over her face as they hung there, covering her crown. "Tenchi…" She finally whispered, her voice cracking for the final time as she began to weep, covering her soft visage with her hands.
Sasami cooked dinner, going about her normal routine as she had no idea the news Aeka was about to drop on the Masaki family at dinner. She spiced the food as the final step, before calling out "Dinner!" Her sweet voice rang through the house, reaching every hungry ear.
As the various, eclectic members of the family gathered at their eating table in the living area, Sasami delivered the food to the table, piece-by-piece. It was then she noticed that her sister was taking the longest. Looking around the room, she looked at Tenchi, who was sitting at his usual spot as head of the table, across from his grand father. Mihoshi sat on one end, Kiyone set next to her, Sasami usually sat at the opposite side of Katsuhito, who'd be between Kiyone and Sasami; Ayeka always sat on the side opposite of Tenchi, and Washu sat at the end opposite Mihoshi. Everyone was in place, so where was her sister?
"Tenchi, have you seen Aeka recently?" She asked, a simple befuddled look crossing her face. Tenchi realized it too, looking around, "Uh… no, I haven't Sasami, would you like me to go get her?" He asked, smiling at the shorter princess. Sasami nodded, "That'd be great, thanks!" She exclaimed as she continued setting up the table for meal time.
Ryoko protested to this idea, "Don't worry about it Tenchi, I'll go get Aeka!" She said, throwing herself upon him in the process. "After all, you've been working so hard today, you're probably worn out!" She giggled, trying to plant a kiss on Tenchi's cheek. Tenchi pushed Ryoko off of him and straightened his jacket, "Well, fine then Ryoko, but don't take too long and be nice, you hear? No fighting!" He grumbled in the space pirate's direction, as she crossed her arms and floated directly through the ceiling.
Ryoko landed herself in the upstairs hall way before approaching the princess' room first, she had barely gotten the sliding door open when she saw the princess wiping her puffy red eyes. Cocking her head to the side in curiousity, Ryoko slid the door all the way open, revealing her prescence to the lilac-haired princess. "Hey princess, they food is ready. What's taking you so long, didn't you hear Sasami?" She growled. Aeka stood, straightening the bottom of her kimono as she did so.
"Sorry.. Yes, I heard her. I'm coming." She responded quietly, not quite in the mood to fight at the moment, she simply passed Ryoko and made her way down the stairs. A stunned expression crossed Ryoko's face as the princess gave her nothing to argue for, and she blinked. "Geez, what's got her so down?" Turning her head to look at Aeka, she shrugged her shoulders and floated through the floor, back down to the dinner table.
"She's coming.." She stated, as she took her normal seat next to Tenchi. The family went about their normal routine once Aeka arrived and took her seat next to Tenchi on his other side. Talking and laughing, Aeka put on a smile for the rest of them.
"Miss Washu, you're being awfully quiet over there." Tenchi noted in a playful tone, smiling at the red-haired genius. "Something wrong?" He asked. Washu sat at the table, eating slowly and concentrating very hard on her food, her emerald eyes glimmering with thought. "No, I'm alright. Just worn out from all of this Mayuka business," She said, in reference to the gem Mayuka had left behind and the project Washu was under going to bring the child back as an infant.
Sasami blinked, looking at Washu sympathetically, "Well maybe you should get some rest, Miss Washu.." She smiled. Washu chortled, "What? There's no time for that! You think somethin' like this could tire the greatest scientific genius in the universe?" She exclaimed, putting on her normal façade to avoid troubling the rest of the house. Following this, she finished her meal and excused herself from the table, "Gotta go! Thanks Sasami, that was great!"
And then she was gone.
Aeka dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin and sighed, "Tenchi, Mihoshi, Kiyone, grandfather, …Sasami.." She glared at Ryoko, who was currently nigh squeezing the life out of Tenchi, who was squirming under the cyan-haired woman's grasp. "Ryoko!" She growled, "Will you quit with your childish behavior?" She stood, clenching her fists. Ryoko let go of Tenchi, standing to face Aeka, "What's the matter princess? Jealous?" She laughed arrogantly. Aeka, "I'm trying to tell everyone something that may very well benefit you so I'd suggest you sit down and shut up, you dim-witted monster!" She yelled. Ryoko growled, but her ears perked at Aeka mentioning something to her own benefit, and so she sat herself back down, itching to hear the news.
Tenchi looked startled, "Miss Aeka, what is it?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned for her currently troubled nature. Sasami seemed concerned as well, even more so than Tenchi, in fact. The feeling of dread pitting in everyone's stomach was undeniably there and coming over all of them—even Ryoko, who had a feeling this had something to do with the scene she saw in Aeka's room—and they could not shake it.
Aeka spoke, "I've spoken with our Father and our Mothers, " She began, hesitating. "They are leaving—for a year—for a conference in another galaxy, and they need Sasami and I to come back and rule for them for that year. They have promised us they will bring us back here when that year is up. I have agreed to this."
Sasami stood abruptly, "But why?" She squeaked, "Why? They told us we could stay after the dual with Seiryo! Why are they doing this?" She asked as tears spewed down her small face, her pink eyes glimmering with tears.
Aeka's heart shattered to see her sister so upset, but there was nothing more she could do for the situation, and so she stayed strong and tried to be an emblem of hope for her baby sister. "We will return Sasami, don't you worry!"
Tenchi tried to comfort the two, but he was at a loss for words. A year with out Aeka and Sasami? What would this family do? He prayed for them in his head, before trying to comfort Sasami. "Hey now, don't you two worry about a thing, okay? We will all still be here when you get back! It is only a day in your life time, right? A year isn't so bad." He smiled, scratching the back of his head. Aeka saw his intent and it put a gentle, genuine smile across her face since the first time since she had heard what her Father and Mother Funaho had told her.
"Yes, Sasami, he is right. It will only be a short amount of time compared to the years you and I have left. " She hugged her blue-haired younger sibling, rubbing the back of her head consolingly. Sasami quieted down, nodding, "Right.." She took comfort in their words, "Only a year." She breathed before looking at Aeka, "So, when do we leave?"
Aeka sighed, "One week from today…" She mumbled. The family was stunned, but tried to keep their strong appearances for the child. After some board games, laughing, and quality time the family all retired to their separate corners of the house, resting up for a day of family fun the next day.