Conversations II
Chapter 9
In the Afternoon
*****
Princess Ayeka Masaki sat on the living room couch watching the two cabbits play on the wooden deck outside and thought about all the changes in her life over the past five or six months. She thought about her relationship with Ryoko, how it had changed from mutual disgust, to tolerance, then to friendship and finally to something akin to love, if not love itself. She chuckled as she remembered the first, and so far only, time Ay-ohki and Ryo-ohki had tried to consummate their relationship. Washu had been right; she and Ryoko had almost consummated theirs as well. As luck would have it, it had happened late at night when all of them were in bed and Tenchi had been there to "deal" with the problem. Ayeka knew that it was only a matter of time though before she and the ex-pirate were caught alone by the cabbits' emotions.
She considered the effect that her bonding with Ay-ohki had had on the rest of the family. Washu had been very upset at first, but soon got over it, as tracing the origins of the three new cabbits, two of whom were still in cold sleep, became her prime research effort. Washu had even built a machine, with Skuld's help of course, that would allow her to view events in alternate realities, although she still said that she wouldn't attempt to travel to them. Yeah, right! Ayeka thought at this point. And she had found some very interesting ones too, but not the origin of the cabbits. Not yet.
Ryoko, on the other hand, was thrilled that Ayeka now knew how it felt to be mentally bonded to another creature. There had been many discussions between the two girls about the pluses and minuses of such a bond, not that either would ever regret it, and it had actually brought them closer together as friends. And Ayeka had found that it had strengthened her mental link to Ryoko and she was beginning to hear Ryo-ohki as well, much to the joy of the small brown cabbit.
Tenchi appeared ambivalent toward the bond, but Ayeka knew he was happy about it. It gave her and Ryoko something in common besides him, giving him some much needed breathing space. She knew he was happy that their bickering had become more argumentative and playful rather than destructive, as in the past.
Her sister Sasami was overjoyed that Ryo-ohki had a new friend, and although Ay-ohki hadn't taken to Sasami as much as Ryo-ohki had, the three of them still spent many happy hours together, in the kitchen and playing in the woods.
And as for Mihoshi, well anything cute was fair game for her. She loved to play with both cabbits when her patrol schedule permitted and it was not unusual to find the three of them curled up in a sunny spot together, all sound asleep.
Then her thoughts turned in another direction. She was still uneasy about the fact that her inner power didn't come from the same source as the Jurai power she had always been accustomed to using. It was from a much darker source, as the marks on her forehead attested. She had always called Ryoko a demon and it was a shock to find out that she was in fact the one with demonic power. Looking back, she could see times when the power she had been using had not been Juraian at all, but indeed something else. Especially when she was in a bad mood or let Ryoko get too deep under her skin. Luckily those types of moods had all but disappeared since she and Ryoko had married Tenchi, but she found herself being very careful about using her powers, as she was still unsure exactly how to differentiate between the Juraian power that was her birthright and the demonic power that she had grown into.
Tenchi, Ryoko, Washu, and even Lady Tokimi were working with her, not to suppress the power, but to guide it in the right direction. The two goddesses had told her that there was nothing they could do to stop the change, but she needn't let it rule her life. Tsunami had been strangely silent on the subject, only saying that it had to do with that mysterious Destiny of Jurai that she refused to talk about. Lady Tokimi had mentioned another person that might be able to help her come to terms with her change, but that person had yet to put in an appearance and she wasn't going to hold her breath waiting for him.
*****
Ryoko phasing down into the room from upstairs startled Ayeka out of her contemplation. She floated up behind the princess and put her arms around her.
"What's up Ayeka? Wanna go take a walk or something? Tenchi won't be home for a few hours yet."
"No thank you Ryoko. But you may join me in a cup of tea if you wish. I've just been sitting here thinking about all of the changes that have occurred since that morning you and I settled our differences."
"Nah, it's too nice a day to stay inside. Maybe I'll go up and see if your brother wants to spar a bit." She waved her hand in the general direction of the shrine. Ryoko still hadn't told anyone of Yosho's deception, but felt that Washu at least already knew about it. "Hey! I'm gonna try to talk Tenchi into taking a bath with me after dinner. Why don't you join us?"
Ayeka smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you, I think I will."
"Great. I'll bring the goodies. It'll be kinda like old times, you know, like before we were married. See ya at dinner." With a wave Ryoko teleported out of the room.
Old Times, Ayeka thought with a chuckle. She didn't know what the ex-pirate had planned, but it probably wasn't anything like Old Times, not with the three of them alone in the onsen anyway. She glanced outside to see the two cabbits now napping in the sun, Ay-ohki sprawled out on his belly and Ryo-ohki on her back, all four paws gently waving in the air. She wondered where Mihoshi was, since she was never one to pass up a good nap.
Mihoshi. Now there was someone that she felt sorry for. Washu still hadn't told her that they were related. It wasn't that she didn't want Mihoshi to know, but she wasn't sure how the GP would handle it. Besides, there were political repercussions as well. The GP and the Juraian Empire had always been careful not to appear to close to each other. The GP was supposed to be an independent body within the galaxy, but if Ryoko was Mihoshi's great to the nth power aunt, and Ryoko was now a Juraian princess through marriage, other galactic governments might think that there was now a political connection between Jurai and the GP and force Mihoshi's grandfather to step down as Marshal.
Ayeka thought about what Washu had allowed them to read about Mihoshi in the GP official records. Fifty-three commendations for bravery. No, fifty-four now, after the passenger liner incident and the Juraian Star of Bravery on top of that. Then there was the fact that the Mihoshi before the accident was efficient, calculating and somewhat cold-blooded and ruthless in pursuit of her duties. So much so that she also had several reprimands for excessive use of force. Not that the scum didn't deserve it, Ayeka thought, her demon markings briefly flaring unseen under her headpiece. Still, she preferred Mihoshi now to the "pre-zap" Mihoshi that the official record described. She didn't think that she would've liked that woman at all.
Next she considered Mihoshi's ex-partner, Detective-Captain Kiyone Makibi, who had left the week before, shortly after Washu had finished repairs on her ship. Ayeka had liked the woman. The captain had impressed her with her dedication to duty and her feelings for her ex-partner. She wished her the best and hoped their paths would cross again someday.
*****
"Ayeka? Would you like some more tea?"
Her thoughts were again interrupted, this time by her little sister. "Yes Sasami, thank you. Won't you join me for a while?"
"Well… Ok. But just for a while, I have to start dinner soon you know." Sasami seated herself next to Ayeka. "So, big sister, whatcha been doing out here all by yourself all afternoon. I saw you talking to Ryoko for a minute earlier."
"Yes, she invited me to join her in the bath after dinner."
This drew a wide grin from the little princess.
"Ooh! It's not like that you little imp." Ayeka shook her finger at Sasami. "You've been reading Father Noboyuki's books again haven't you?"
Sasami giggled.
"Why is it that everyone seems to think that since we're both married to Tenchi, Ryoko and I… Anyway, just to clear things up, we're not and we haven't and if we did it wouldn't be anyone's business but Tenchi's and ours. So there."
Sasami bowed her head. "I'm sorry sister. I didn't mean to offend you."
Ayeka laughed. "You didn't. I was just making it clear that Ryoko and myself don't have that kind of relationship." She didn't add the unspoken "yet"; she knew it was just a matter of time and cabbit opportunity. "I've been sitting here watching those two play," she pointed to the two snoozing cabbits, "and thinking about all the ways life has changed around here recently."
"Has Washu said if Ay-ohki will have a humanoid form like Ryo-ohki?" Sasami wondered, her eyes lighting up.
"Well, I know she's working on it, but she hasn't been able to get the Mass to combine like it did for Ryo-ohki. She say's that it should be soon though." Ayeka answered.
"Do you know what she has planned for the other two yet?"
"I think she wants to give one to Auntie Funaho, and the other to brother Yosho maybe. I don't know for sure, but I believe that's what Ryoko said." Ayeka replied.
"Oh." Sasami said disappointedly, as she really wanted a cabbit of her own. "Well, I'd better go start dinner. We're having something called 'Yankee Pot Roast' that I saw on a cooking show. I hope everyone likes it." She got up and headed into the kitchen.
Ayeka smiled after her little sister. She wasn't a bad cook herself, which had surprised Tenchi. But she didn't enjoy doing it like Sasami did. In fact, on the honeymoon she had begun teaching Ryoko some simple dishes and Ryoko had become a passable cook, as long as it wasn't anything too fancy.
She considered the changes that her sister would face. She could tell that Tsunami was exerting more and more influence over her sister as she matured. True, Sasami was afraid of the assimilation, but it was already happening in a slow process, and she didn't even realize it. Sasami wouldn't lose her unique identity, of that Ayeka was sure. A goddess and a demon in the same family. Ayeka smiled at the thought. Although the same could be said of Ryoko and myself as well.
Her thoughts turned back to Ryoko. She's changed the most of all of us. She's much calmer and more mature. Being able to talk about her past was a big step in her healing process. Now I understand why Brother Yosho chose not to kill her 700 years ago, Ryoko is not an evil person and she has the biggest heart of any of us except Sasami. She really appreciated all of the support Ryoko had given her over the past few weeks, and all the patience her friend had shown with her mood swings as she accepted what she was becoming.
She poured herself another small cup of tea.
Brother Yosho, she thought, he still thinks to help me by maintaining his disguise. Ever since she had come into her power she had been able to see past Katsuhito's deception. She had understood long ago that he had never loved her the same way she had thought she loved him and she could see now that her love for him had been nothing more than a young girl's infatuation with an idol. She didn't blame him for what he'd done and someday she'd let him know that she knew. She chuckled quietly. For now though, let him go on thinking he was tricking her. When she sprung it on him, the moment would be that much more enjoyable. That's my demon side again, I guess.
She heard Tenchi enter the house through the kitchen and greet Sasami. Is it that late already?
Her husband came into the room and gave her a kiss. "Hi Ayeka. Have you had a good day?"
"Yes my love. I've been babysitting Ay-ohki and Ryo-ohki all afternoon," she replied.
He smiled, remembering the events of a few nights before, thinking that a chaperone would be more appropriate for those two, rather than a babysitter. "Sasami said dinner will be ready soon so I've got to go get cleaned up. I'll see you then." He gave her another quick kiss and headed upstairs to change clothes.
Ayeka heard Ryoko outside yelling at Mihoshi. Something about practicing her landing technique. She heard the door slam and watched as a thoroughly soaked Ryoko stalked upstairs to join her husband changing clothes. Funny, she hadn't even heard Mihoshi land this time. It must have been on the far side of the lake. And Ryoko actually using a door… She must be mad at the blonde if she forgot to teleport. But she'd get over it quickly, especially when she ran into Tenchi in the bedroom.
She looked out the window and saw that the cabbits were gone, probably into the kitchen to mooch carrots from Sasami. Tenchi and Ryoko came back downstairs, talking quietly. Tenchi was agreeing with something Ryoko was saying. Maybe about the bath later. Mihoshi waved cheerfully at her as she passed through the room and she nodded and smiled back. She felt, rather than heard Washu's lab door open and the small scientist/goddess and Lady Tokimi entered the house through the portal.
"Ayeka! Dinner!" She heard Tenchi call from the dinning room. Mihoshi and Ryoko started arguing over something while Sasami tried to calm them both down. She stood up, and with a huge smile went to join her family for dinner.
*****
Author's Notes
This chapter ties up the Conversations II series; I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I liked writing it. I plan on adding more to the storyline, but will probably change the name from "Conversations." This all started as an exploration into how the characters might react to certain situations and consisted mainly of dialog, hence the name; but it's gone way beyond that now and seems to have taken on a life of it's own. I'm not sure what I'll call it or when it'll get started; but keep an eye out for it, it should be soon.
For those who are wondering how it all fits together, here's the timeline:
Conversations, Chapters 1-8
Conversations, Side Story 1
Conversations II, Chapters 1-8
Partners Reunited, Side Story
Conversations II, Chapter 9
BobR.
