Her delicate fingers trailed over the soft silk of the gown her mother had just sent her from her home planet. Everytime she felt a bit homesick, her mother was right there with something to remind her of Jurai. Placing the fabric to her nose, she took in the scent of Jurai's fresh, clean scent. A scent Earth seemed to lack. It was the smell of rebirth. Of life anew and happier days to come. Letting the fabric pour through her fingers like water, Aeka lovingly gazed down at the gown that she'd hope to wear for a special someone one night.
Unbeknownst to her, two women stood outside her door, gazing in with a look of concern.
"I wonder, sometimes, if she really knows and she's just lying to herself." The first woman spoke.
"I don't know, she seems way too happy to be faking it." The bright-eyed blonde spoke as softly as the first woman.
"It's strange, ya know Mihoshi?" Kiyone turned to gaze at her partner.
"What is, Kiyone?" Mihoshi leaned against the wall to which she was standing beside.
"The fact that you haven't already bumbled into Aeka's room one of these days announcing that Tenchi and Ryoko have been secretly in love." The teal-haired detective shot Mihoshi a look of concern.
Mihoshi lowered her head. "I'm afraid that if I say anything, she'll leave and never come back...". The girl, far too emotional for her own good, let her eyes water. "I don't want her to leave."
Kiyone reached over and placed her hand on Mihoshi's shoulder. "You're a good person, Mihoshi. Your brain is damaged, but you have a very good heart."
"Kiyone! You're so sweet!" The blonde locked Kiyone in a bone-crushing embrace.
Aeka ignored the shuffling outside her room, assuming it was nothing more than someone walking by her door. She lowered her head a bit, allowing her bangs to fall in her face. Placing the silk gown in her lap, it caught a drop of moisture, a drop that wanted to desperately to fall. The princess buried her face in her hands and wept ever so quietly, trying not to let anyone know of her melancholy. Did she know that Tenchi and Ryoko were trying to be secretive of their love? She knew all too well...
The princess did well to hold herself high, bickering with Ryoko when it seemed like she could finally look the deamoness in the eyes just once more before her composure would come crashing down like a child swatting down a pile of blocks. She felt like someone was stabbing her through the heart everytime Tenchi smiled softly at Ryoko, Ryoko sharing the same warm smile with him. They tried to be secretive, but no one knows better of the change in a person in love with someone else, than the one who loves him more. She wanted to fight about it and sob and cry. She wanted to know just what Ryoko had that she didn't. She wished every secret of love could be revealed to her in an instant, and in the next she wish she never knew anything of love.
Dabbing her eyes gently, Aeka pulled herself together, hoping no one heard her few muffled sobs. She didn't know if she wanted to go home, but she didn't want to burden the family by making them feel guilty that she wanted to leave this wretched place where love didn't love her. She drew back her head and took a deep breath, trying to dry her eyes and clear any signs of misery from her face. Applying a soft amount of makeup to her face, she could hide her redness, but she couldn't hide her resentment. Her resentment for everything that once gave her comfort. The princess turned and gazed out of the corner of her eyes. She'd been homesick a lot since Tenchi and Ryoko fell in love. There were far too many boxes piled up in the room, so many that Sasami had to turn her futon just so that she could sleep without causing a wall of boxes to come crashing down on her head when she shuffled in her sleep.
The little princess knew nothing of Aeka's feelings. For that, Aeka was most proud. You could lie to the world, but you couldn't get a thing by Sasami. She treated every day as if it were the day before Tenchi confessed his love to Ryoko. Everyone found out in their own little ways. Even Mihoshi figured it out soon enough. Minagi procrastinated leaving, hoping Tenchi would make an announcement instead of hiding his love in the dark. She felt that Ryoko deserved a bit better than secret rendezvous and hidden letters to her that he scribbled in class before he came home. She wished for a bit more, but never said anything. Realizing that time may never come, she decided it would be best to leave that weekend, hoping the best for the three of them: Tenchi, Ryoko and Aeka.
That night, Tenchi had engrossed himself in his studies, pulling his hair out and chanting about how finals will be the death of him. Ryoko would wander around in circles, following Minagi like a lost puppy, but stealing glances at Tenchi who was stealing glances at her. Minagi would leave the room and Ryoko would be hot on her heels, Tenchi would angle his head to see what they were up to. Minagi would swat Ryoko away, telling her to go do something else, but the pirate playfully annoyed Minagi until they ended up brawling on the kitchen floor, much to Sasami's dismay.
When the two finally part. Tenchi had already thrown his books across the room and gone to sleep. Ryoko spent a good ten seconds debating whether she should go into Tenchi's room or if she should return to her perch before crawling beneath Tenchi's arm and settling into sleep. He'd never object, just worry like hell that it would be the night that Aeka walked in on them.
Minagi had moved from Washu's lab to the guest room, just beyond Tenchi and the princess' room. As she tried her best to creep by, the door to the room where Aeka and Sasami slept gently cracked open. She stopped her walking and levitated above the floor, cursing her stupidity for not thinking to do that sooner. Aeka stepped out of the darkened room.
"Minagi..." The princess' eyes were tear-soaked.
Immediately Minagi's heart went out to her. She didn't want to choose sides in this matter, she'd already done more than she should've to bring Ryoko and Tenchi together, she didn't want to go around rubbing salt into the wounds it created. She sighed slowly and lowered herself to the floor. Offering a sleeve to Aeka, she didn't know what else to do.
"I'm sorry, Aeka..." Minagi lowered her head once she got her sleeve back.
"There's nothing 'I'm sorry' can atone for, though it wasn't your fault. This is just the way things are meant to be, but I want to ask a favor of you." The princess stood regal, though she was falling apart in front of Minagi's eyes.
"What's that?" The girl felt a bit worried.
Aeka locked eyes with Minagi. A stare of seriousness, a stare of desperation. Minagi felt in a heartbeat that she wouldn't be saying no to this request. The princess sighed slowly and looked away. "When you leave this weekend, I wish to go with you. Could you possibly take me back to Jurai without anyone knowing?"
Minagi's jaw dropped. "How am I supposed to do that?! You hopping on my ship looks pretty obvious!" She raised her voice.
Aeka clamped her hand over Minagi's. "I will depart for your ship before anyone notices I'm gone. If they ask on the day you leave, simply say I went for a walk and should be back soon. Say we said our good-byes earlier, and that you're ready to go. I'd have already been packed and on your ship... I wish fo---"
The shocked pirate pulled Aeka's hand from her mouth. "This is insane, you can't just leave all this behind without saying something. You want to leave Sasami to worry about you?"
"She'll know when I get there."
"This is immature! I won't do it!" Minagi threw her hand out at her side as if to show that she won't budge.
Feeling that she was about to lose this battle, Aeka fell to her knees and held her head. "It's either this, or I'll have to find other means of escape, even if it costs me my life."
Wonderful! The death of the first princess of Jurai on her head! Minagi's brow twitched thinking about how badly she'd feel about being the reason why Aeka had to go and kill herself. For more reasons than one, she felt like she owed it to Aeka make right what she did wrong. After all, it was her that coaxed Tenchi and Ryoko to fall in love. She'd made her bed, now she'd have to lie in it. She'd have to take Aeka home, because she owed it to the princess to grant her freedom, but not on these terms.
"I'll do it on one condition. If, for any reason, you feel that this condition is unfair and you will not comply with it, if you show even the slightest hesitation in my condition, I will not take you and what you do will be all on your head. Not mine. Are we understood?" Minagi sounded monotone. She didn't want to go through with it, now she was dragging herself through the mud saying that there was something better to result from this.
Aeka looked up at Minagi. "This condition?"
"Tell Sasami that you are leaving. Swear her to secrecy if you'd like, but never lie to your sister, you'll never know how much she means to you until you don't have her anymore." The girl looked at Tenchi's room, thinking of Ryoko blissfully ignorant of everything going on just a few meters away from her.
"I will. In the morning I will privately tell her." Aeka lowered her head once more.
Minagi extended her hand to help the princess up. "Then I will take you home." Saying nothing more, she walked towards her room, guilt welling up inside her heart and overflowing.
Unbeknownst to her, two women stood outside her door, gazing in with a look of concern.
"I wonder, sometimes, if she really knows and she's just lying to herself." The first woman spoke.
"I don't know, she seems way too happy to be faking it." The bright-eyed blonde spoke as softly as the first woman.
"It's strange, ya know Mihoshi?" Kiyone turned to gaze at her partner.
"What is, Kiyone?" Mihoshi leaned against the wall to which she was standing beside.
"The fact that you haven't already bumbled into Aeka's room one of these days announcing that Tenchi and Ryoko have been secretly in love." The teal-haired detective shot Mihoshi a look of concern.
Mihoshi lowered her head. "I'm afraid that if I say anything, she'll leave and never come back...". The girl, far too emotional for her own good, let her eyes water. "I don't want her to leave."
Kiyone reached over and placed her hand on Mihoshi's shoulder. "You're a good person, Mihoshi. Your brain is damaged, but you have a very good heart."
"Kiyone! You're so sweet!" The blonde locked Kiyone in a bone-crushing embrace.
Aeka ignored the shuffling outside her room, assuming it was nothing more than someone walking by her door. She lowered her head a bit, allowing her bangs to fall in her face. Placing the silk gown in her lap, it caught a drop of moisture, a drop that wanted to desperately to fall. The princess buried her face in her hands and wept ever so quietly, trying not to let anyone know of her melancholy. Did she know that Tenchi and Ryoko were trying to be secretive of their love? She knew all too well...
The princess did well to hold herself high, bickering with Ryoko when it seemed like she could finally look the deamoness in the eyes just once more before her composure would come crashing down like a child swatting down a pile of blocks. She felt like someone was stabbing her through the heart everytime Tenchi smiled softly at Ryoko, Ryoko sharing the same warm smile with him. They tried to be secretive, but no one knows better of the change in a person in love with someone else, than the one who loves him more. She wanted to fight about it and sob and cry. She wanted to know just what Ryoko had that she didn't. She wished every secret of love could be revealed to her in an instant, and in the next she wish she never knew anything of love.
Dabbing her eyes gently, Aeka pulled herself together, hoping no one heard her few muffled sobs. She didn't know if she wanted to go home, but she didn't want to burden the family by making them feel guilty that she wanted to leave this wretched place where love didn't love her. She drew back her head and took a deep breath, trying to dry her eyes and clear any signs of misery from her face. Applying a soft amount of makeup to her face, she could hide her redness, but she couldn't hide her resentment. Her resentment for everything that once gave her comfort. The princess turned and gazed out of the corner of her eyes. She'd been homesick a lot since Tenchi and Ryoko fell in love. There were far too many boxes piled up in the room, so many that Sasami had to turn her futon just so that she could sleep without causing a wall of boxes to come crashing down on her head when she shuffled in her sleep.
The little princess knew nothing of Aeka's feelings. For that, Aeka was most proud. You could lie to the world, but you couldn't get a thing by Sasami. She treated every day as if it were the day before Tenchi confessed his love to Ryoko. Everyone found out in their own little ways. Even Mihoshi figured it out soon enough. Minagi procrastinated leaving, hoping Tenchi would make an announcement instead of hiding his love in the dark. She felt that Ryoko deserved a bit better than secret rendezvous and hidden letters to her that he scribbled in class before he came home. She wished for a bit more, but never said anything. Realizing that time may never come, she decided it would be best to leave that weekend, hoping the best for the three of them: Tenchi, Ryoko and Aeka.
That night, Tenchi had engrossed himself in his studies, pulling his hair out and chanting about how finals will be the death of him. Ryoko would wander around in circles, following Minagi like a lost puppy, but stealing glances at Tenchi who was stealing glances at her. Minagi would leave the room and Ryoko would be hot on her heels, Tenchi would angle his head to see what they were up to. Minagi would swat Ryoko away, telling her to go do something else, but the pirate playfully annoyed Minagi until they ended up brawling on the kitchen floor, much to Sasami's dismay.
When the two finally part. Tenchi had already thrown his books across the room and gone to sleep. Ryoko spent a good ten seconds debating whether she should go into Tenchi's room or if she should return to her perch before crawling beneath Tenchi's arm and settling into sleep. He'd never object, just worry like hell that it would be the night that Aeka walked in on them.
Minagi had moved from Washu's lab to the guest room, just beyond Tenchi and the princess' room. As she tried her best to creep by, the door to the room where Aeka and Sasami slept gently cracked open. She stopped her walking and levitated above the floor, cursing her stupidity for not thinking to do that sooner. Aeka stepped out of the darkened room.
"Minagi..." The princess' eyes were tear-soaked.
Immediately Minagi's heart went out to her. She didn't want to choose sides in this matter, she'd already done more than she should've to bring Ryoko and Tenchi together, she didn't want to go around rubbing salt into the wounds it created. She sighed slowly and lowered herself to the floor. Offering a sleeve to Aeka, she didn't know what else to do.
"I'm sorry, Aeka..." Minagi lowered her head once she got her sleeve back.
"There's nothing 'I'm sorry' can atone for, though it wasn't your fault. This is just the way things are meant to be, but I want to ask a favor of you." The princess stood regal, though she was falling apart in front of Minagi's eyes.
"What's that?" The girl felt a bit worried.
Aeka locked eyes with Minagi. A stare of seriousness, a stare of desperation. Minagi felt in a heartbeat that she wouldn't be saying no to this request. The princess sighed slowly and looked away. "When you leave this weekend, I wish to go with you. Could you possibly take me back to Jurai without anyone knowing?"
Minagi's jaw dropped. "How am I supposed to do that?! You hopping on my ship looks pretty obvious!" She raised her voice.
Aeka clamped her hand over Minagi's. "I will depart for your ship before anyone notices I'm gone. If they ask on the day you leave, simply say I went for a walk and should be back soon. Say we said our good-byes earlier, and that you're ready to go. I'd have already been packed and on your ship... I wish fo---"
The shocked pirate pulled Aeka's hand from her mouth. "This is insane, you can't just leave all this behind without saying something. You want to leave Sasami to worry about you?"
"She'll know when I get there."
"This is immature! I won't do it!" Minagi threw her hand out at her side as if to show that she won't budge.
Feeling that she was about to lose this battle, Aeka fell to her knees and held her head. "It's either this, or I'll have to find other means of escape, even if it costs me my life."
Wonderful! The death of the first princess of Jurai on her head! Minagi's brow twitched thinking about how badly she'd feel about being the reason why Aeka had to go and kill herself. For more reasons than one, she felt like she owed it to Aeka make right what she did wrong. After all, it was her that coaxed Tenchi and Ryoko to fall in love. She'd made her bed, now she'd have to lie in it. She'd have to take Aeka home, because she owed it to the princess to grant her freedom, but not on these terms.
"I'll do it on one condition. If, for any reason, you feel that this condition is unfair and you will not comply with it, if you show even the slightest hesitation in my condition, I will not take you and what you do will be all on your head. Not mine. Are we understood?" Minagi sounded monotone. She didn't want to go through with it, now she was dragging herself through the mud saying that there was something better to result from this.
Aeka looked up at Minagi. "This condition?"
"Tell Sasami that you are leaving. Swear her to secrecy if you'd like, but never lie to your sister, you'll never know how much she means to you until you don't have her anymore." The girl looked at Tenchi's room, thinking of Ryoko blissfully ignorant of everything going on just a few meters away from her.
"I will. In the morning I will privately tell her." Aeka lowered her head once more.
Minagi extended her hand to help the princess up. "Then I will take you home." Saying nothing more, she walked towards her room, guilt welling up inside her heart and overflowing.