In Space

Conversations II

Chapter 4

Somewhere in Space

*****

They were between destinations.  All of them had thoroughly enjoyed every place they had visited on their honeymoon.  There had been a few problems if Ryoko was recognized or remembered, but Ayeka had managed to use her royal influence to smooth them over.  Tenchi had found enough time for each of them to be alone with him and there had been no major conflict between the girls.  They even managed to find enough time to spend by themselves or with each other while he rested in one of Ryo-ohki's small cabins.  It seemed that Tenchi didn't take well to long space flights.  The constantly shifting gravity variants of FTL travel made him slightly space-sick.  Like now…

*****

Ryoko sat in the command chair and Ayeka sat next to her on one of Washu's floating cushions.  Both watched the red-shifted stars pass by through the overhead dome as the cabbit-ship flew faster than light itself, twisting space and rewriting some laws of physics.  A couple more brief stops and they would be heading home to Earth, to see the places on Tenchi's homeworld, and theirs now as well, that he wanted to show them.

"Of all the stuff I missed trapped in that damned cave, it was quiet times like this, surrounded by the stars, that I think I missed the most."  Ryoko sighed heavily.

"Yes, it is beautiful.  You've shown us many wonderful things on this vacation.  I've enjoyed myself very much."

"I'll bet you have, princess!  So have I." Ryoko grinned from ear-to-ear.

Ayeka blushed.  "I didn't mean like that, although that has been wonderful as well.  Tenchi is very gentle, isn't he?  I understand that it didn't take you long to get over that fear that we discussed."

"No, about ten seconds.  And I told you he wouldn't be bothered by your revelation too, didn't I?"  Ryoko came back.

"Yes, Ryoko.  You were right.  He understood and told me it didn't matter to him."

"I know, he told me the same thing about mine.  But I just like saying 'I told you so'."

They sat in silence for a while, just looking at the stars pass by and enjoying each other's company.

Ayeka broke the silence.  "We don't have to give this up forever you know.  We have Ryo-ohki and soon Ryu-oh will be regenerated as well.  We can leave Earth whenever we wish and travel the stars.  I think Tenchi will probably want to stay at the shrine for a while though, and help brother Yosho before moving to Jurai.  That will give us all enough time to take vacations like this whenever we want, and as members of the Royal Family, funds will not be a problem."

"Yeah, I've thought of that too.  And I do miss this freedom.  I know we don't need money anymore, but Tenchi'll feel like he needs to get a job anyway.  The shrine would be perfect for him, but his sense of duty probably won't let him just take off whenever he wants.  Besides, he really doesn't travel well, does he?  Maybe we could plan to do this a couple a times a year though.  I really do miss it, but I want to be with Tenchi more.  I'll gladly give this up if he asks me to."

"Ryoko, we've been gone nearly two Earth months. Do you think that anyone misses us yet?"

"Oh, I'm sure Sasami does at least, but with all those goddesses around I guess they probably know exactly where we've been and where we're going.  And probably everything we've been doing as well."

Ayeka smiled.  "Hopefully not everything we've been doing." 

It was Ryoko's turn to blush.

*****

As the two girls sat side-by-side in Ryo-ohki's command room, Ryoko was surprised to realize that she could sense some of Ayeka's thoughts within her own mind.  Could we be forming our own link? she asked herself.  She decided to try an experiment.  I love you, Ayeka, she projected at the princess.

"I love you to, Ryoko," Ayeka said absently, not taking her eyes off the passing stars.

Ryoko turned to look at the princess.  She heard me, but she doesn't realize that I didn't speak it out loud.   She decided to try something else.  With a little effort, she began to probe Ayeka's thoughts.  I shouldn't be doing this, but I need to know how far our link goes.   She sensed the other girl's love for Tenchi, and the homesickness for the little house on Earth.  I miss the place too and I'll be glad to get back there myself.  This has all been fun, but that's home now, my family's there.   Digging deeper, she found the small kernel of resentment that Ayeka felt toward her father, and feeding off that resentment was… something else.  She wrapped her perception around whatever it was and began to analyze it.  The taste in her mind wasn't unfamiliar.  Where had she felt this before?  Oh yes, when she had followed Yosho to Urd's home and had confronted Mara for the first time.  She had tasted Mara's mental power, her resentment of the goddesses' interference…  Oh no!  It couldn't be, could it? 

"Ayeka," Ryoko asked aloud, "could you take off your headpiece for a second?  I want to check something."

Ayeka reached up and touched her tiara.  "This is Ryu-oh's key.  I haven't removed it since it was given to me.  What do you need it for?"

"No silly, I don't want the piece itself.  I want to see your forehead.  Something's been bothering me lately.  I've had this strange feeling ever since…  Well, anyway, can I please see your forehead?"

Ayeka looked at her friend and saw the pleading in Ryoko's golden eyes.  She nodded and unclipped the headband.  Ryoko leaned over to her and gently brushed the purple hair away from Ayeka's face.  She let out a small sigh and kissed Ayeka lightly in the middle of her forehead.  Yup, there they are.  Just as I thought.

"Ok, you can put it back on now if you want.  I saw what I needed to see."

"And what was that?" Ayeka asked as she reclipped the headpiece in place.

"Two marks on your head that look like small scars, probably just from wearing the headpiece for so long.  But Ayeka, I think they're more than that."

"What do you mean?"

Ryoko thought for a second.  "Well, it's never been explained to you, but Urd tried to explain it to me once.  Let's see if I can get this right.  You know the symbols that Bell, Urd and Skuld have?"

Ayeka nodded.

"And you probably noticed that Tsunami, Washu and Tokimi have something similar, although Washu hides hers?"

She nodded again.

"And do you remember how Mara's symbol differed from the others?"

"Yes, Ryoko.  What does all this have to do with me?"

"Well, those markings show their godhood, or in Mara's case, her demonhood.  We never told you, it wasn't important at the time, but Mara's not a goddess like the others.  She's a true demon, with the attitude to match.  Here, I have to show you something.  Watch, Ayeka."  Ryoko manifested her power and channeled it through Ayeka's headpiece.  A triangular shaped symbol faintly appeared on her forehead as the headpiece glowed. 

Ayeka gasped.  "Are you trying to tell me you're a goddess?"

"No, not quite.  My symbol's only there when I focus all my power, theirs are always visible remember?  Wait, let's try an experiment.  Take your headpiece off again and hand it to me."

Ayeka did as she was asked.

"Thanks.  Ok, now focus all your power into the headpiece, like I just did.  Don't worry, you won't hurt me."

Ayeka did this and as Ryoko watched, a faint symbol appeared on the princess's forehead.  It matched the small marks exactly, just as she suspected it would.

"Well pirate, do I have a symbol too?" Ayeka growled good-naturedly at her.

"Yes, Ayeka.  You do."  Ryoko's response was quiet.

Ayeka sensed Ryoko's unease.  "Well, what does it look like?  Tsunami's?  I noticed that yours resembled Washu's."

"No, not Tsunami's."  Ryoko replied, frowning.

"Well, whose then?  What does mine look like?"

"Two small marks, extending from just over your nose to just above your eyebrows.  Your symbol looks kinda like Mara's, except smaller.  The sign of a demon."

"WHAT?  What do you mean?  You're lying!  It's not true, you're supposed to be the demon!"  Ayeka was getting angry and upset.

"Ayeka!  Calm down!  It's really nothing to get upset about."

"Why not?  Why is it that you're the proto-goddess and I'm the demon?  It's not fair.  I'm not an evil person!  I'm not!"  Ayeka began sobbing.

Ryoko reached out and drew the princess to her.  She held her tight and gently stroked her hair.  "No, you're not.  The marks don't exactly mean that anyway."

"What do they mean then?" Ayeka asked, mumbling into Ryoko's shoulder, which was becoming soaked with her tears.

Ryoko hugged Ayeka tighter.  "I tried to get Mom to explain it to me before we left.  She said the marks just identify the source of our power, not how we use it.  Remember, Kagato used the jewels' power and mine for evil purposes.  Gods can be evil as well, and demons can be a force for good.  When we get back to Earth, ask Urd or Bell about their uncle, Loki.  In fact, Urd's half-demon herself and she's certainly not a bad person.  And Belldandy mentioned a demon she knows of who does good deeds.  We'll probably never meet him though; he's in a dimension so far from ours that we don't even have counterparts in it.  I think she said his name was Jello or Xylophone or something."

Ayeka stopped sobbing and giggled at this.

"Anyway, you decide how to use the power.  But you have to be strong, Ayeka.  The nature of your power can overwhelm you and change you into something you'd rather not be.  Trust me, I know from personal experience."

"But what about Tenchi?  What will he think, married to a real demon?"

"You mean instead of a pretend one, like me?  It won't matter to him.  We both love you for who you are, whatever you are.  Hey!  I've got an idea; pretend that this is like 'Star Wars'.  My power comes from the light side and yours is from the dark side."

Ayeka sniffed, "And I suppose that makes you Luke Skywalker and I'm Darth Vader."

Ryoko thought for a moment before replying.  "Um, no, I'm probably more like Mara Jade from the novels and you're like Anakin Skywalker before he became Darth Vader.  We just can't let you turn to 'the Dark Side'."

"I haven't read the books, pirate, so I don't know who you're talking about.  Unlike you, I was always busy doing my chores."

"Yeah!  Now that's the Ayeka we know and love!  Do you feel any better, princess?"

Ayeka attempted to disentangle herself from Ryoko's embrace but was unsuccessful.  "Yes, thank you.  Now could you let me go please?"

"What?  Don't you love me anymore?" Ryoko asked in a mocking tone.

"You know I do, but you're squeezing me so tight I'm having trouble breathing.  You're worse than my mother, Misaki.  And you're beginning to sound like Washu."

"Gee, thanks.  At least I get it honestly."

Ayeka opened her mouth with a perfect comeback, and then closed it without saying a word.

Ryoko laughed, knowing exactly what the princess had been about to say.  Then she thought of something.  "Ayeka, there's one more thing to consider.  I just realized it myself.  Do you remember what Tenchi's symbol looks like?"

"Yes, it's a triangle with a smaller mark on each side."

"Exactly.  It's like a combination of my symbol and yours.  It's what Urd meant when she told me that Tenchi was the balance between us.  See, he never really had a choice to make at all.  He had to be with both of us and we both had to be with him.  And with each other," she said softly.  Then she did something she had been forcefully keeping herself from doing for several weeks now, she bent down and kissed Ayeka on the lips.  There was no passion, no lust in the kiss, but there was a lot of real affection.

Ryoko handed the headpiece back to Ayeka.  "Now, go get some rest, your eyes are so red from crying that you really do look like a demon.  Later, we both need to talk to Tenchi about this.  And I need some time alone to collect my thoughts and then I have to talk to you both about something I've been noticing between us three and maybe Ryo-ohki as well lately."

Ayeka's mind was still in too much turmoil to say anything about Ryoko's kiss, but she did realize that her friend had been acting a bit differently than she normally did.  "Ryoko, this is all so out of character for you.  You wouldn't usually let an opportunity like this slip past.  What's going on?"

"I think it's called growing up, Ayeka," Ryoko said with a huge sigh, and then she gave Ayeka a wide grin and patted her on the head, hard.  "But I'll try to act more like the old Ryoko if it makes ya feel better."

Ayeka winced at the sudden pain.  "Ouch.  Stop.  Just be who you are Ryoko.  And I'll try to be who I am as well."

"You do that, princess.  It's all any of us can do.  Now go try to take a nap."  Ryoko growled, showing one small fang.

Ayeka went.

*****

To be continued