Disclaimer:
I do not own Tenchi Muyo or surrounding characters. I don't get fame or fortune, so please don't sue me. Thanks you so very much!_______________________________________________________________
A/N: Hiya! Well, I'm back with another dose of Prophetic mumbling. There's not really much to say except 'Thanks to those who stuck by me on this.' (You know who you are!) And I hope you enjoy this chapter. It gets a little deep and dark, but it will soon pan its own self out! So have fun!
~DD
Prophecies ~ Sequel to Books of Heartstrings
Chapter Three
~ Bitter Return ~
*
Oh how weary, stale, flat and unprofitableSeem to me all the uses of this world.* Hamlet
*********************************************************
.... Isolation....
.... Spite....
.... Bitterness....
.... Deception....
.... Malicious....
.... Jealousy....
.... Hatred....
....... Ayeka.......
All these thoughts ran through Ryoko's mental process as she stood across from the Empress in the courtyard outside the palace gates. Her golden eyes were dangerous slits as she stared at Ayeka who coldly glared back.
"What is the meaning of this?" Ayeka demanded from her post.
Ryoko tilted her head. "What?! You ordered us here, you overgrown ogress. What the hell is up?"
The Empress covered her mouth and let out a laugh that could wake the dead. "Me? Call a piece of demon trash like you? Never. I would not stoop so low as to beg you to come here. Now leave before I have you arrested."
Ryoko growled at the woman. "Where are my husband and kids? What have you done with them?"
Ayeka looked dreadfully innocent. "Why... Whatever are you talking about? Stop playing games, Demon. You know very well that I haven't got them. No one does.... And it's all thanks to you. Why we let you live, I will never know. Now get out of my sight... You filthy murdering mongrel."
"Murdering? Just wait one damn minute. I was cleared of that. Besides, I had no control over what I did. It was all Kagato's fault. Why are you bringing that up again?! Can't you just let it all go?!" Ryoko shouted with anger.
The ex-pirate knew Ayeka was well aware of the facts. That Ryoko had been controlled by Kagato. That she had been forgiven for her acts. That she had been cleared of her crimes. That SHE HAD been given a pardon by Emperor Azusa himself before he stepped off the throne.
So why was Ayeka bringing it up now after so long?
Ayeka frowned. "Perhaps demon... But that was 10 years ago. What you have done was uncalled for and frankly, it was downright cruel and heartless. How dare you say that it wasn't your fault! You were the one who committed the murders. Not Kagato!"
Ryoko clenched her fists together. "I'll ask you one more time.... Where are my husband and kids."
"Why are you playing dumb, pirate. You know as well as I do that they're all dead."
"WHAT?!" Ryoko's head snapped up quickly as she leveled angered eyes on the Empress. "What's your game, Ayeka? My family is not dead. Now I demand that you tell me where they are before I start forcing it out of you."
Ayeka took a deep breath. "I'm telling the truth, Ryoko. How could you do something so heinous and then claim stupid and forgetful?! How could you be so cold and callous towards your own family?! HOW?! They're all DEAD! D.... E.... A.... D! DEAD! And you know why?!"
The Empress stopped there and shook her head in disgust. "Because you killed them." She finished in a dangerous whisper.
Ryoko's eyes widened with shock. "What?" She asked with confusion. "How can that be? They were all here. All of them. They were with me on the.... On the ship that you sent to pick us up! You lying murderous bitch! You killed them... It was your ship! You did IT!"
Ayeka looked as confused as Ryoko. "Have you been so blind to remember what you did? The way you murdered Lord Yosho while he slept?! And what of your children? Drowning them.... Because you claimed they were evil! What was your excuse Ryoko? There was no Kagato this time."
The cyan haired woman sunk to her knees as images flooded her mind. Images and memories of taking a knife to Yosho's throat. Images of laughing while she watched her daughter and son kicking and struggling for air as she held their heads under the water of the bathtub.
Ryoko clutched the sides of her head and started mumbling to herself. "No. They're all lies. None of them are dead. It's all a lie."
"Is it?" Ayeka asked cautiously. "Are the murders of Kiyone, Tenchi and Sasami all lies too? Was the death of Nobuyuki accidental or intentional? You tell me Ryoko. What were they?"
"No." Ryoko replied still shaking her head. "It's not real. This is just another nightmare. It's.... It's.... It can't be."
"Oh but it is, little one. It is."
This time a new voice wafted into Ryoko's mind as Ayeka's image slowly shimmered appearing another figure behind her. Without a moments notice, the figure behind the Empress quickly ran the woman through with an energy sword. Ayeka clasped her midsection as the sword revealed itself in her front.
The Empress looked down as blood trickled from her mouth. Uttering a gasp, she sunk to her knees as blood covered her once clean hands. In a silent scream, Ayeka slumped forward, her mouth frozen in an O of horror as her amethyst eyes stared lifelessly at the sky.
Ryoko choked back her sobs as she fought the urge to keep from throwing up at the scene. Tears spilled out of her eyes as she watched the figure kick Ayeka's body out of his way. His sword disappeared as he drew nearer to Ryoko, a malicious grin on his lips.
"Well now... My feisty little angel." The figure spoke softly defining a masculine voice with a tint of a high strung chord in his tone. His eyes were a bone chilling black. Roots of a once vibrant hair color now held a deathly looking gray hue as his ashen skin looked of melted metal.
Ryoko sized him up and down in fear as she quivered on her knees. For some reason, this man was a man to be feared. He was not someone she recognized, but she felt a power that made her power look like a simple static charge.
And it was this power that had manifested a twinge of fear deep in the recesses of Ryoko's mind.
The man sneered down at her in disgust. "And to think.... You were once a worthy and powerful warrior. Oh, how the mighty have fallen." He crouched beside her.
She pulled away as his breath hit her causing her to gag. Something white crawled onto his neck, it's thick body leaving a trail of clear slime. Ryoko shuddered as he said, "I have a present though that may cheer you up." His breath smelled of dirt and decay as he spoke close to her face.
He stood up and chuckled. "But... Not for long." He snapped his fingers and in an instant a bright light flared before her eyes; it quickly vanishing just as fast as it had appeared.
Ryoko gasped in horror at what greeted her. Replacing the light was a limp body hovering in the air next to the figure. The body wore a tattered and stained bodysuit the color of blood, the tight fit showing off the curves of a female person.
Her long bangs hung damply in her face. Her eyes were closed, her breath was ragged and her lips were two thin lines of pale white. Her skin was just as ashen as the man's as many deep purple and blue marks marred her form while small droplets of dried blood had encrusted on her face and neck.
Feeling her eyes water, Ryoko lurched forward and allowed convulsions to rack her frail body as she felt acid rise in her throat. Heaving and coughing, she emptied her stomach as her fingers dug into the dry soil underneath her.
'How? How was he able to defeat her? It's just not possible.' Ryoko thought over and over again as the image of the broken woman filtered in her mind. She finally brought her head up, the taste of bile still lingering on her tongue. "What have you done to her?!"
The man chuckled again; more slowly this time. "Only finishing what I had set out to do. She was weak.... And therefore.... Made a much better target for my revenge."
"You BASTARD!" Ryoko screamed through her parched lips and throat.
He grinned with malice. "I guess that, that would be your opinion, one in which I clearly did not ask for. But since you seem to be adamant on calling names and placing blame.... Why not go all the way, hmmm? All the deaths of your loved ones are on your hands... What's one more to the total?"
He raised the woman in his grasp into the air while his free hand formed an energy blade. "What's the most fun, slow and agonizing death anyone can ever perform with an energy blade....? Oh yes... How silly of me to forget. Perhaps I should refresh your memory as well."
He aimed the blade at the prone woman's arms. Laughing with an insanity Ryoko had never before seen, the man brought the sword down upon the woman's wrists slicing them clear to the bone. The once comatose woman's eyes fluttered in pain as she became alert and awake. Her dull green eyes bore into Ryoko's as she sent a silent plea to her. Her lips formed a voiceless word as she mouthed, "Release me."
Ryoko stared, terrified by what was happening. The man saw that his victim was conscious and once again brought his sword down into her chest. The blade made a sickening pop as it struck flesh, ribs and a lung on its detour through her body.
The woman screamed in pain this time, her shrill cry making Ryoko cringe and cover her ears. Tears slid down Ryoko's face as well as the woman's, except hers were in despair. The woman was in pain and once again she silently asked Ryoko to release her from her torture.
Clutching her head tightly, Ryoko forced herself to look away from the woman's agonizing stares and pleas of release. Finally she heard a familiar voice, one that once held love and compassion when spoken with.
The woman's green eyes dimmed as her life faded quickly. Something flickered in their dimness, something to which apparently only Ryoko saw for the man paid no attention. Ryoko watched as the flicker passed from the woman and into the small red gem on her left wrist.
Gasping for air, Ryoko's hands hit the ground with a hard force. Bringing her glassy golden eyes up, she saw the man toss the now lifeless woman's body behind him. He brushed his hands together as if trying to clean them of the murder he had just committed in cold blood.
His black irises made Ryoko's skin crawl and as he slowly began to fade away, she could hear his laugh on the winds as he daunted, "Seems that Washu's heart will be the downfall of her yet."
~*~*~
Ryoko woke up screaming, the sweat pouring down her chin soaking the neck of her shirt. Hiding her face in her hands, she hoped against hope that no one had heard her shouts of terror.
As if proving her wrong, the door swung open as Yosho rushed to the bedside, the worry etched in his kind eyes. "Ryoko. What is it? What's the matter?" He hurriedly pulled her into his arms as she latched onto his neck crying into his chest.
"It was horrible...." She whispered after some moments of silence. "It was so real... So horribly real.... Yosho...."
Yosho ran a hand through her hair. "Shhh. It's okay. You're safe now."
"But I am never safe inside my dreams. It's been so long since I've had a dream like this... I was standing outside the palace arguing with Ayeka one minute and the next, I was watching some shadowed figure murder in cold blood. You were all dead... There wasn't anyone alive.... It was..."
Sighing heavily, Yosho rubbed her back and whispered soothingly, "You're on the ship now, Ryoko. Nothing or no one is going to hurt you, I promise. We're all alive.... As are you. It's okay. There is nothing to worry about."
After some consoling and a few words of encouragement, Ryoko finally settled down into the pillow of the bed and stared at the ship's ceiling. She absently twirled a strand of the blanket covering her as Yosho sat in a nearby chair reading.
'It was so real.... And I know it wasn't just a dream caused by stress, lack of sleep or a horror movie. So why did it occur? Could it have been a warning of some kind?' She wondered as she scrutinized the dream closely in her mind.
Hours ticked by and Ryoko never did fall back asleep as she laid in the same position she had lied down in to begin with. Her mind was blank except of the dream as she continued to stare like some hollow shell at the ceiling above her.
Yosho had long since drifted off, the book lying bent and discarded on the floor. His steady breathing filled the room but all Ryoko could hear were the silent pleas of the woman asking to be released.
'What was she asking of me? Why me? How could I have possibly helped her when I couldn't even hold my own at the mere sight of blood? What does this have to do with us?' She asked herself as she felt her eyelids become lead-lids.
As her mind was going into overtime on trying to discover the truth and the message behind her dream, Ryoko slowly began to let sleep claim her. Within seconds, her eyelids had closed and her breathing had resumed its natural rhythm that beat in synch with her heart.
She seemed to have fallen into a void once she had nodded off, but she didn't remember the trip there. She desperately looked for a way out, for this was one place she had no desire to be. To her.... It was too soon. She searched for a weak point to the void as she felt herself becoming lost in it.
Screaming out Yosho's name only to find that she no longer had her voice, Ryoko panicked. She collapsed to the ground and hugged her knees to her chest as she rocked back and forth trying to shove the images from her dream into the farthest reaches of her mind.
Just as she felt that all hope of pushing the memories away had been lost, she heard a soft voice calling out to her begging her to return to her world.
"Ryoko."
Quickly examining the void, she saw a faint light appear just in front of her.
"Ryoko."
Standing up, she carefully shuffled towards the rift of light only to see a fuzzy outline of a person beckoning to her.
"Ryoko."
Cautious as a mouse, she stuck her hand into the rift and felt herself being pulled downward through a blinding white light. Ryoko saw her body on the bed as Yosho leaned over her gently shaking her shoulders while calling out her name.
"Ryoko? Come on wake up.... Wake up."
Shielding her eyes, Ryoko felt herself turn around as she was sucked into the image of her body. She visibly jerked as her soul re-entered her form and she quickly gasped for a breath of air. Her eyes fluttered open to see the worried face of her husband staring at her.
He embraced her tightly and whispered, "Oh thank God."
She hugged him back to the best of her ability and tried her best not to cry. She felt Yosho push back as he stared angrily into her golden eyes. "Don't you ever do that to me again! You scared the hell out of me. You know I hate it when you do that.... I should have Washu put a lock on you for that."
Ryoko couldn't help but smile. It had dawned on her during her lecture, that she hadn't left her body because she was dying, but more because she was searching for answers. Just as Washu was able to lose her self in her mind while doing a little soul searching, so was Ryoko.
And her dream must have troubled her greatly for she had never realized what she was doing. Completely oblivious to her actions, Ryoko had let herself slip into the deepest parts of mind. The parts that her past under Kagato was kept locked up, the parts where all her dark memories were kept hidden.
She was trying to lock away the images into that region of her mind, but had no idea she was putting forth an effort to the task.
Taking a deep breath she replied, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"And I'm sorry for not realizing that this dream affected you so much that you would have let yourself slip like that. Especially since all the other times you do that, you have to have Washu help you. You can't do it on your own, Re. You can get lost in there and eventually die." Yosho reprimanded.
Ryoko sighed. "I know. And I'm sorry. Like I said, I didn't realize I had done it until it was over with. But I'm fine... See? I'm here and alive and well. Nothing to worry about.... Besides, you always did worry too much." She planted a kiss on his cheek and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
"So.... What did you want?" She asked sincerely.
He tilted his head which rewarded him with a soft chuckle. "What do you mean, what did I want?" He questioned with puzzlement.
Eyeing him closely, Ryoko pointed an index finger in the air. "Well.... You obviously wanted something, but given the current situation and how thin the walls are, I'd have to say.... You're just gonna have to wait."
Yosho blushed. "Ryoko. That's not what was on my mind at all. Don't you ever think about something other than sex?"
Ryoko licked her lips. "O'.... Course.... Sake, gummy-bears, warm baths, luxurious massages and of course my favorite.... My chest." She smiled at him with a look of victory as she pointed to her so called favorite attribute.
Yosho blushed even harder and it took every ounce of will power he had to not kiss her or get a nosebleed, one. Instead he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Be serious, Ryoko."
His wife gave him a look that could wilt flowers and he quickly cleared his throat. "Ah, yes well.... Any way. I was just going to tell you that we're docking. See? Nothing intimate on my mind at all." Yosho pointed out.
Giggling, Ryoko pointed to him. "That's not what your nose says."
Yosho deftly lifted a hand and brushed it across his nose to find a spot of blood. "Oh man." He mumbled as he grabbed a tissue.
Ryoko giggled harder until she was all out laughing with hysteria at her husband. She rose to her feet and tried calming herself down. Looking back at her husband, she hid a swell of laughter as he had plugged his nose up with tiny bunches of tissue shoved into each nostril.
She turned around to keep from laughing and asked seriously, "Where are Thing 1 and Thing 2 hiding?"
A smile crept to Yosho's face at the pet names of their children. "With Washu and Kiyone on the bridge. We're all waiting for you."
Giving a curt nod, Ryoko phased from the room leaving Yosho alone. The former prince brushed a hand under his nose swiping away the tissue. He threw the faint red paper away and followed his wife out to the bridge where the others stood waiting and chatting.
A young guard saluted him as he walked by. "Good Evening, Lord Yosho."
"Evening."
Yosho stopped behind the group as all eyes turned to him. Ryoko stared at him with coloring rising in her cheeks and giggles threatening to erupt as Kiyone and Washu burst into laughter at the sight. Two small children had stopped running around the Commander of the ship who was also staring.
Finally Ryu walked calmly up to his father and nonchalantly announced, "Daddy... You have a white booger hanging from your nose."
Yosho turned scarlet as he fished a missed piece of tissue from his nose. Quickly recomposing himself, he asked, "How goes the docking, Commander Nida?"
Taking a deep breath, Nida nodded. "Very well, M' Lord. We have successfully docked and are awaiting confirmation from HQ for lock down."
"Very well. Carry on." Yosho exclaimed with a wave of his hand.
Nida turned back to the controls and entered a few codes until a screen before him appeared and turned dark blue. Kiyone appeared beside him and took in all the controls with awe.
"Wow. You sure have a lot of controls to memorize." She breathed.
The Commander cut a quick gaze to her and then looked away. "Yes... Well, its standard in any Jurain starship Miss."
"Yeah, I bet." Kiyone smirked. "Even my Yugami didn't have these many controls. And some I don't even recognize." She skimmed the panel until her cerulean eyes came to fall on a particular one. "But this one I do recognize. Landing gear.... Didn't think ships of today would still use Landing Gear."
She carefully ran a smooth finger over the button. As she did, the button turned a vibrant white and then blue. Suddenly she heard, "No... You nincompoop, don't TOUCH THAT.... ITS THE ENGAGE SWITCH FOR....-"
He was cut off as the ship lurched forward. Nida hit the control screen headfirst as Kiyone fell to her knees. Ryoko managed to keep steady feet as she hovered in the air with Ryu and Meiru in her grasp. Washu stumbled into a wall striking something hard that left a purple welt on her arm.
And poor Yosho was tossed backwards onto his backside as he skid into a nearby control panel.
Nida stood up and finished his sentence. "The main engine thruster."
Kiyone made a nervous chuckled as she dusted herself off. "Whoops. Sorry. Same button... Two different functions."
"Yes. Two different functions. This is a Jurain starship.... Not some wannabe Royal Galaxy Cruiser that turns out to be a hunk of junk!" Nida chided as he reset the controls and contacted HQ.
Kiyone fumed. "Yeah, well.... It looks just like the same button and I was only trying to help. You over egotistical pain in the ass."
Nida stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "Madam.... How any person in this universe can stand to be around you, I pity them. And I despise any Corporation that would hire you under presumptions of being a good influence to their culture."
"What are you saying? That I don't deserve the chance to show morons like you up?!" Kiyone asked with incredibility.
The man smirked. "No indeed. My impliment is this. How anyone can think that a woman can do a man's job, is beyond me. You should be in the kitchen making biscuits and gravy! Along with those two!" He pointed behind him at Ryoko and Washu.
He entered a code and the hatch to the ship opened. Spinning full on his heels, started for the door.
From behind the group, Ryoko muttered, "Oh no he just didn't." She set her kids down and walked behind him. "You know, Nida. My mother has a great recipe for chauvinist pig."
Nida stopped and swung around. "Chauvinist?! I'll show you Chauvinist, woman. I don't think you should be here. I don't think Jurai should be run by a woman who is so weak! Let alone incompetent."
"Hey now... That's my sister you're talking about." Yosho argued jumping into the dispute.
Kiyone crossed her arms and cornered Nida. "Yeah. And our friend. You got something to say against the Empress of Jurai, swine?"
"I do." Ryoko snorted.
Nida backed off and walked to the loading bay. "As a matter of fact, yes I do. That Ayeka can't even tell a diplomat from a peasant if one came up and bit her on the ass!"
"Eww... Why you, I oughta pop you a good one time and see if you have those same feelings and thoughts." Yosho countered following him with Kiyone and Ryoko close behind.
Nida rolled his eyes. "I don't even know why we're having this little argument. It's futile and childish."
"Well you started it!" Kiyone protested. "If you hadn't said that woman were lowly creatures, none of this would have taken place."
"On the contrary." Nida corrected. He stopped halfway on the ramp that led into the docking bay on Jurai. "If YOU...." He pointed at Kiyone. "Hadn't of touched something when you weren't told to, then NONE of THIS...." He gestured to the damage done in the docking bay. "Would have happened!"
Kiyone turned red. "ME?!? I was only trying to help."
"Yeah. By turning us into pancakes." Ryoko grumbled.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
Ryoko glared at Kiyone. "It means that Mihoshi has apparently rubbed off on you."
Kiyone narrowed her eyes. "Yeah.... Well at least I don't think my sister in law is trying to steal my husband just because she's some royal bitch."
"Ayeka's not a bitch!" Yosho pointed out. "I thought we were all friends here."
That opened the flood gates as Nida, Kiyone and Ryoko all started arguing at the same time.
"I never wanted to come here in the first place."
"If Miss Touchy-Feely over here hadn't of pressed the switch...."
"Shut the hell up! I'm a damn good pilot and better than any man will ever be."
"That's no way to talk about family or friends. We're suppose to stick together."
"Yeah?" Ryoko asked. "Well BITE MY ASS AND SHU-
A loud shout cut off Ryoko's words. "QUIET! All of you."
The four would be adults turned to see Washu standing behind them, arms crossed, eyes narrowed and a frown on her lips.
"You are all acting like a bunch of children. Now if we could please regain adulthood and civil composure.... I'd like to point out that one of our members has gone off exploring." Washu announced in a firm tone.
Ryoko didn't have to look to see who it was her mother was talking about. "Ahh..." She hung her head. "Dammit."
~*~*~
"NESUMI!"
"NESUMI! YOU PESKY CAT! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"
~*~*~
Ryushi trudged along the sidewalk until he came to a fountain filled with beautiful white, black and gold fish. Clutching Loki close to his side, he peered over the edge of the fountain at the fish and swirling waters.
From the distance he heard a loud call. "NESUMI!"
Seconds later a little buff colored kitten raced across the yard. Ryu quickly captured the cat and held her in his arms as he scratched the kitten's chin.
"Nesumi! There you ARE!"
A small girl soon appeared gasping for breath. Her large eyes were a violet-blue color as her shoulder length violet hair was pulled into a half ponytail. She smiled at Ryu and held her arms out for her kitten. Ryu handed the ball of tawny fluff to the girl and wrinkled his nose.
"Thank you." The girl replied.
Ryu smiled. "Don't mention it." He looked around. "You, uh... Live here?"
The girl chuckled. "Of course I do, silly. What about you?"
"No. We're here visiting."
The girl nodded. "I see. What is your name?"
"Ryushi."
Giggling, the girl replied, "Ryushi, huh? Cute name. I'm Aina." The girl shook Ryu's hand and looked back to the palace. "I live there with my mother and father."
"Wow. That place sure is big. You live alone with your parents?" Ryu questioned with awe.
"No. Many servants and guards live there. My grandfather and grandmothers live with us though." Aina told him matter of factly. "Would you like to go see it inside? We can go play in the playroom."
Ryu hesitated before answering. "Sure. Why not."
Aina nodded and led him away from the fountain with the kitten sitting on her shoulder.
~*~*~
"AINA! WHERE ARE YOU? COME BACK HERE!"
~*~*~
"RYU? THIS ISN'T FUNNY. YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO GO OFF BY YOURSELF!" Ryoko shouted. Sighing she mumbled, "Boy is he gonna get it when I find him."
~*~*
Aina and Ryu walked along the path leading from the gardens to the palace, both chatting about their parents and where they live. At once they both heard,
"AINA!"
"RYU!"
Both children stopped at the shouts of their names.
A young woman with long violet hair stood to their left, her amethyst eyes trained on someone standing across from her.
The other woman narrowed her golden eyes at the figure and growled, "Ayeka."
The first woman replied in the same manner. "Ryoko."
Taking a deep breath, Ryoko strode towards her son and picked him up. "Come on, Ryu. We're leaving."
"But mom-" Ryoko gave him a look and Ryu quickly quieted down.
"Wait! Where you going?!" Ayeka shouted as she stood beside Aina.
Ryoko looked at her sideways. Sneering, she walked off. Little did she know that Ayeka was following her. Ryoko soon saw Yosho, Kiyone and Washu standing waiting for her.
"YOSHO!"
Ryoko spun around as a purple blur shot past her and hugged the man.
"Ayeka." Yosho hugged her in return and kissed her cheek.
"Oh, brother! I'm so glad you came." Ayeka chirped. "And Kiyone. It's so good to see you." She hugged the woman. "And you too, Washu. I'm so glad to see you well and here." She hugged the scientist but got no hug in return.
Stepping back, Ayeka spotted Meiru. She scooped her up and spun her around. "And Meiru! My how you've grown! And looking more like your father every day."
Meiru blushed as she just hung there. She barely knew who this woman was, but she remembered her from past stories. She knew she was an aunt, and one who didn't visit so often.
"Daddy says I look more like mom than I do him." Meiru protested as she was set back down.
Ayeka chuckled. "And your father doesn't know what he's talking about."
"Can the sentimental values, Ayeka. Tell us what the hell you want so that we can go home."
Ayeka spun around and grinned smugly. "And as always.... Its good to see you too, Demon."
"Cut the crap." Ryoko snorted. "What do you want?"
The Empress smiled. She walked past Ryoko and stood beside Aina. When she turned around, she frowned. "Perhaps, we should talk inside. Away from prying ears and eyes, hmmm?"
Ryoko didn't need to be a genius to figure out that what Ayeka had to say, couldn't be said in front of the kids. Sighing deeply, she nodded. "Fine."
Ayeka bowed humbly and then led her visitors to the palace. Her face was grim and pale as she readied herself to explain, just what kind of pickle Jurai had gotten itself into.
_________________________________________________________________
To Be Continue….
A/N: Tadaima! Well, here's Chapter 3. Hope it got you sitting on the edge of your seat. Sorry it took a few days to post…. But I had a lot of things going on. But Chapter 4 is underway, and should be posted soon. So, please read and review and if you have any comments or suggestions, let me know!
~Dragon Demon
