"We've come a long way, haven't we Aeka?"

"Ryoko..."

The pirate ran her fingers through here hair, letting the wind whip through her cloaks as she gazed down from upon high. "Why does the anniversary of our greatest tragedy always make me so melancholy?

Aeka stood beside Ryoko, looking a bit more regal, but definitely inferior to Ryoko's grace and luster. The two women stood side by side, gazing down from the highest watchpoint. "Isn't that the way it should be?"

Ryoko turned to gaze into Aeka's eyes, as she'd done so many times before. "His misfortune was our greatest luck. And yet, such a tragedy as well." The amber eyed girl allowed humor to flash in her eyes, lightening Aeka's spirits.

The princess' head lowered just a bit. She didn't want to feel so blissful about people dying, but this was the destiny that was chosen for her. She couldn't complain. She was truly happy. "Aye, we've come a long way..." Aeka stared out into nothing particular.

"What's got you down?" Ryoko stood, placing her hands on her hips. "Look out at our world, all our people smile."

And the lady Aeka did gaze out. It was amazing that this was what they called Earth so long ago. Such a flimsy, backwater planet with meager buildings and primative technology. They didn't even have docking pads for air ships. They didn't even have airships. Now buildings reached the old Moon. Murals and statues and paintings of their queens adorned the buildings. Silk tapestries flowed from the roofs to the base of buildings, lavishing it's cemented sides with Aeka standing so proudly. Her hand crossed over her chest, she smiled so smugly on the tapestry. Ryoko overlooked her from another building. The goddesses only stood to represent all they had created. Gods of their own empires. A new world, in which Jurai could not compare, though they allied in the warmest of graces. "They do smile, don't they?" Aeka smiled "Well, let's visit his grave nonetheless."

As the ladies descended from their point so high up in the sky, people in the streets cleared the way, bowing their heads in recognition of their queens. The two women, standing so proudly and boldly could only hide their pride with feigned grace as they headed towards the cemetery.

"Oye baka!" Ryoko shoved Aeka.

Aeka wheeled around and held her arm. "What did I do?!"

"YOU forgot to get flowers for the grave!" Ryoko pointed accusingly.
Aeka glared through her long eyelashes. "ME?! it's YOUR turn this year!"

The two women stared each other down.

"Excuse me, your majesty..." came a very faint voice.

Ryoko turned her deathglare from Aeka to a softened one. A child gazed up at her with fear. The florist's daughter who they had bought flowers from so many times before. With trembling hands, she held up a highly decorated bouquet wrapped in the finest of silk cloths, secured with a fancy ribbon. Ryoko bent over and ruffled the girl's messy hair. "You always look out for us, don't you Mai-chan? Thank you." The first lady of Earth took the flowers.

"Allow us to pay you for the flowers." Aeka took hold of her robes.

Mai's hands shot up defensively. "On this anniversary, there are no price on these flowers. They're for our king."

The two queens nodded softly and thanked Mai for her kind words.

At a grave in a cemetery so solemn, their Lord's body lay beneath the ground as if it were just another being of this planet. But that's what Tenchi was. He was an earthling and a rogue Jurai heir. He chose the path he wanted, leading these ladies down it with them. It would only be a short amount of time before they'd realize they never needed him in the first place. Every year since his death, his queens would visit his grave, praying amongst themselves and offering a meager bouquet of roses upon his crumbling tombstone. Some of the inhabitants of Earth felt that this burial site was unfit for even a dog, but his queens knew otherwise - this is where he belonged.

"Every year I visit this place and every year I hate it that much more." Aeka looked away from Tenchi's tombstone while shuddering. The dry wind swept through her elegant robes like sandpaper on an infant's delicate skin.

Ryoko's heartless gaze upon Tenchi's flimsy obelisk clearly showed her disinterest in her whereabouts. She was never one to live in the past. This was for the people who felt she should show she cared. They gave Tenchi all the credit for their hard work. Forever working in the back ranks, struggling and toiling, doing the dirty work, bleeding and paining over Tenchi's wrongs to make them right, only so he could sit back and take all the credit. She only did it for the people that never even noticed her before he died. Punching the ground, she sent a shockwave rippling underground and up through the stone, splitting it in two. "Do you hate it... or just him?"

Aeka lowered her head, tears brimming in her eyes. A soul filled with guilt. "I don't want to say. I don't want to speak ill of him."

"Then I will." Ryoko stood to her feet. "You lived, you died, we're over it. Tch..." The girl wiped her eyes. "I swore I'd never shed another tear for you, because I hated you, but here I am, less than happy. Why?" She fell back to her knees. "Why don't you just vanish from our memories??!!" She held her head.

Aeka wrapped her arms around Ryoko's neck. "Don't say that! Don't be haunted by the past. Grow from it. Look!" The princess held Ryoko's hands up. "Look at how strong you've become. Where are your jewels? The jewels Washu implanted into you when you were born? You don't need them because you're stronger! If you can survive without the jewels, you can survive with a few bad memories."

Ryoko stare horrified at Tenchi's cracked tomb. "How will we explain this to people?" She lightly rested her hand over Aeka's clasped hands, holding the first queen of Earth steady as she trembled in the second queen's arms. "What will we say happened to his tomb?"

"Vandals. Now let's go home." Aeka pulled Ryoko to her feet. "Forget about today."

"And forget about every other day..." The pirate faded away with Aeka's hand in hers.

In another part of the galaxy, the empress Tsunami shifted uncomfortably in her tree-carved throne. This day always made her feel most uneasy. She spent most of her time drifting off in meetings, her husband gently nudging her in the side, giving her a warm smile. She'd smile back, but it was a hollow, empty smile. She feigned interest in conversation as her husband chatted with all kinds of aristocrats. Her children dashed about in the lush gardens of Jurai's palace, but she couldn't find peace in seeing everyone smile on the day of Tenchi's death. There would always be an unease.

A secret between allies? A restless sleeper.

End of Ch 1.

A/N: Dynna Chae here! Woot! I killed Tenchi off! Hard to explain where I'm going with this, so you'll have to stick with it. *clasps her hands together* HONTO NI GOMEN NASAI! It'll all come together!