Never thought
This day would come so soon.
We had no time to say goodbye.
How can the world just carry on?
I feel so lost when you are not at my side.
But there's nothing but silence now
Around the one I loved.
Is this our farewell?
~*~
November ended and December dawned, making its presence known with a rare and fresh blanket of crystal white snow. Everyone had returned from the alter-dimension safely, but from there, they quickly fell apart.
Washuu had once again locked herself up in her lab, doing God only knows what. Tenchi began his own school again, and spent most of his day either there or at the shrine. Kiyone and Mihoshi seemed to separate themselves from the rest, and they spent their time in space. Sasami didn't know what to make of what all happened. She tried to be chipper, but, for the most part, it failed. Not because no one appreciated her attempts at perking them up, but because she just didn't know what to do. Aeka even seemed to be wrapped up in her own world. She was constantly lost in thought and heard mumbling angrily at herself. Many times, she was caught glaring up the stairs at the door to her foe's bedroom.
But it was Ryoko who seemed to take it the hardest. She had barely come out of her room since the day they came back. Who could blame her? She had lived a large part of her life thinking she'd killed her best friend. Then, when one night she comes back, everything seemed so right. But all that ended in a single moment of sacrifice and pain. Everything came to a complete halt when Kyoko plunged her bright blue sword deep into her own chest, just to save Ryoko. The pirate felt as though her life was wasted.
Now at the end of the first day of the month, Ryoko sat on her windowsill, watching the sunset, concealed in her own world by the Spartan red curtains that hung in front of the glass. Her eyes stung from the tears she had shed, and the fire they had held had long before grown weary and flickered out. Not even embers remained. It was all ashes; the ashes of her dying spirit. No more dreams, no more wishes, no more. How her heart ached for her friend to return to her, for her life to return to happiness.
So many times she lie in bed, praying to fall asleep and awaken to Tenchi's soft whisper in her ears, his gentle caress along her skin, his deep and passionate kiss. She wanted that peacefulness to be shattered by Kyoko's loud and eager laugh, echoing up from the kitchen where she could be found sneaking samples of that morning's breakfast. She wanted to return to the past.
But once again, it had been Kagato who had taken away the demoness's joys. Though he hadn't managed to complete his original task, he had still won the war. He had trampled on Ryoko's life when she had finally managed to begin piecing it back together again.
"God damn you, Kagato," she growled in a husky voice. "God fucking damn you!" And she cried. Grasped her head in her hands and wept, nothing but dry tears to and a longing to slip into the final void inside.
Sliding away from the window, the pirate dropped to the flaming silken sheets of her bed. She pulled from under her pillow a tiny black book and settled back on the mattress. With a heavy heart, she opened Kyoko's diary to the last entry and read. She had read the book thousands of times before, and could easily recite it by memory. But reading it gave her a sense that Kyoko was there.
A knock on her door brought her away from the page three sentences in. She heard it quietly open, but did not turn to face the opener. She didn't feel much like talking to anyone right at that moment, nor had she for days. She just wanted to be left alone, and the prospect of being disturbed brought a flicker of anger to her senses.
"Ryoko-chan?" Tenchi's timid voice reached Ryoko's ears. She remained unresponsive. "Dinner's ready, if you want it."
The girl scowled. Inside she was screaming for his help, but she couldn't seem to express this. Regardless of what she wanted, she wouldn't let herself have it.
"I'm not hungry," she spat.
Tenchi flinched as the words clawed at his heart. Ryoko had been so cold towards him and the others since Kyoko's death. He had constantly heard the sounds of her muffled cries when he passed her room, but when he tried to consult her, she got angry with him. It scared him.
"Ryoko, I'm worried about you."
The demoness didn't answer. She didn't know how to. Her heart told her to run to him and cry into his shoulder. It told her to let go of her friend. Her mind, on the other hand, screamed at her to burst out in anger, to let everything out on him, to show him again just what bottled up stress and emotion does to her. It kept a hold of Kyoko with an everlasting grip.
Like her hands on the diary. Her mind was obviously winning.
"Please come down to din."
"No," Ryoko sneered venomously. "I'm not hungry."
Tenchi nodded sadly. He wasn't going to win. Cursing the gods, he shut her door and leaned against it helplessly.
Ryoko-chan, he thought, I need your help. Please come back. The realization that Ryoko hadn't even so much as looked at him only hurt more. Sulking, he shuffled down the stairs, emitting an embarrassed "Oops" when he stumbled into Aeka halfway along.
"I'm sorry, Aeka," he mumbled, eyes fixed at his feet.
"It's all right, Tenchi," she replied.
He started to step around her, but was stopped by her hand on his face. Gently, she raised his face to look into his eyes. He was hurt, and this angered her deeply. She was fed up with Ryoko. Giving Tenchi an uplifting smile, she dropped her hand and continued her ascent, the heaviness in her footfalls increasing.
All right, Ryoko, I have had as much as I can take, she thought angrily, finding herself outside the pirate's door. She slid it open with a bang, watching as Ryoko jumped with a start. Forgetting all she had been taught about politeness and manners, she stormed into the room and stood haughtily above the bed.
Ryoko stared up at her, noticing Aeka looked angrier than usual. Her eyes glared down at the cyan beauty as her hand clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Ryoko attempted to speak, but the princess wasn't about to let her have her say.
"Shut up!" she snarled, stiffening for emphasis. "Just shut up! I am sick and tired of watching a family fall apart over this! We are going to talk, whether you like it or not, and I will NOT leave this room unless you are with me!"
"A-Aeka, what are you.?" Ryoko stammered, completely taken by surprise at the outburst. She scooted away from the fuming woman until her back came in contact with the wall. She noticed the diary lying forgotten among the folds of the sheets and picked it up, holding it protectively to her chest.
Aeka's tone did a complete one-eighty, going from vicious to desperate. "Ryoko, you have aided in my rescue more than once, you have died so I could have one more chance at living, and you were there for me when I thought there was no hope for my heart! I know that no matter how hard I try, I could never fully repay you for all you have given me, but I pray that this will be a start."
Ryoko's face became downcast as she felt the tears brimming in her eyes. "How can you help me?" she mumbled, turning away to hide her face. "No one can. I feel so worthless, Princess!"
"Why?" Aeka insisted.
"Because of me, Kyoko is dead! I should have been the one to take her sword!"
The heiress snorted. She sat heavily on the futon, causing it to sag under her weight. "So you could have died instead? Listen, Ryoko, when Kyoko faced her decision, your wish meant nothing to her! You wanted to die to save the rest of us, but she died to save you. Deep in her mind, she knew that you had truly meant something to her. Not even Kagato could erase the feelings she held for you! They were too strong! But along with seeing your importance, she also knew that as long as she lived, you would die. She died for you because she loved you."
"But I still feel worthless, like I lived for nothing," Ryoko said, shaking her head in disagreement.
"You know what? I once felt like that, too." The oni peered out of the corner of her eye at Aeka, who herself looked on the verge of tears. Aeka returned the gaze and gave her rival a half-hearted smile. It hurt to talk about the time she felt useless to the world. The knowledge of the fact that she had lost the one most precious to her resurfaced, bringing tears to her crimson eyes.
"When I found out that I had lost my grasp on Tenchi's heart, I just knew that a part of me had died. I thought no one could see and help ease the torment I felt. That's where I was wrong. You became like my guardian angel, my beacon of hope and light in darkness. Now it's my turn.
"There was once a very wise Earthling who said, 'Why is death remembered and life forgotten?' Until now I never really understood what that meant. But my eyes were opened when I saw what I always thought of as the strongest family fall apart at the hands of death, because that's all they remembered!"
"What do you mean?" Ryoko asked, suddenly aware of the slight sense of relief she felt at Aeka's presence. She slid forward to the monarch's side, keeping the journal safe in her arms.
Aeka sighed heavily, and gently laid her hand on the book's blackened cover. She gave a small tug. The demon resisted, pulling it closer to her with a whimper.
"Ryoko," Aeka kindly scolded, pulling unsuccessfully again against Ryoko's guard. Bringing her other hand in for back up, she tried once more. The pirate surrendered the diary against her will. The woman looked fondly down at her capture and ran her fingers along the surface of its cover. She traced the vine pattern that ran up its spine with a soft touch, taking in its twists and curls.
"It's amazing that all we remember is Kyoko's death," she whispered. "We don't even bother to think of her childish personality, or of her odd sense of humor. We don't even think of how we came to her with our problems in full confidence that she would have a solution. All we know of her now is that damn blue sword."
A single tear slid gracefully along Ryoko's cheek. "Do you know what it's like, Aeka," she said sadly, wiping her face, "what it's like to lose your best friend?"
Aeka agreed. "I lost my very best of friends recently. Though we never got along that well, she was still one of the most important people in my life. I always turned to her for help, and she accepted me with open arms, despite some of the feuds we had and some of the insults we exchanged." She leaned against Ryoko's side, placing her arm around her waist and lying her head on her shoulder. "You mean so much to me Ryoko, and I miss you so much. I miss your spirit, your carefree attitude, everything. Most of all I miss the Space Pirate Ryoko who came to me when I needed her most. And as much as I want things to return to how they were, I know they can't. But that doesn't stop life from going on, and that shouldn't stop you from going on with it.
"I'm not by any stretch of the imagination trying to tell you to forget Kyoko. I wouldn't do that. I'm trying to say that even though she is physically gone, she still lives on in our hearts and minds. Though we can't see her walk this Earth now, we can still share memories. I know you will see her again one day, somehow, but.Kyoko would never want you to dwell on her. She'd want you to let her go and live your life to the fullest. And that day you do see her again, do not remember that she has died, remember that she has been reborn."
Ryoko's tears had begun to fall freely. Aeka's words lingered in her ears like a smack in the face as reality began to set in. The princess was right; she had wasted days crying over her friend's death when she should have been celebrating Kyoko's life. It was what she needed to hear.
As though reading the other's mind, the two stood up in unison, ready to face the world together. They walking silently from the room, side by side.
"Wait here," Aeka ordered. She glided down the hallway to the very last room and stepped inside.
Looking around, she took in the blue and silver walls and bed, the furniture such a light shade of oak it would have looked disgraceful anywhere else; the room was a perfect reflection of the pirate's personality. Wild yet calm, like an ocean of mysteries. She smiled as a sudden sense of peace settled around her. Kyoko was there, she could feel it.
A soft voice reached her ears, so quiet it almost wasn't there.
"Thank you," it whispered.
Aeka nodded as she deposited the diary in a nearby desk drawer. The peacefulness disappeared, leaving the room still and quiet once more.
Ryoko was nervous, despite the fact that Aeka walked confidently by her side. She had treated the family like shit lately, blocking them out and yelling at them when they tried to help her. As she finished her descent down the steps, she worried about how they would accept her now.
Suddenly, she stopped moving, realizing she couldn't face them. It scared her to think she'd be turned away. It felt even worse to know she would deserve it.
"Aeka, I."
"Aeka!! Where are you? Dinner's getting cold!" Sasami called, cutting Ryoko off.
Aeka looked to the nervous girl. She took Ryoko's hand and quickly gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't be scared," she said, smiling.
"Aeka, this is no time to dwaddle! Dinner's ready!!" Sasami scolded, storming in on the scene. She abruptly stopped when she caught sight of Ryoko. "Ryoko oneechan?"
Okay, Ryoko, this is it, you can do it, the pirate thought to herself. She took a deep breath and prepared to speak. But nothing came. Instead, she was tackled playfully to the ground and embraced in a powerful hug by the bouncy little chef.
"You're back! You're back!" Sasami squealed happily.
Ryoko laughed as innocence rejoiced. She returned the hug, relieved to be accepted again.
Attracted by the giggles of the girls, Tenchi and Washuu ran to the stairs, closely followed by Kiyone, Nobuyuki, and lastly Mihoshi. Sasami noticed them and backed off Ryoko, who stood uneasily on her feet, soon to be knocked over yet again by the bubbly blonde GP.
"Ryoko! You're okay! I've been so worried! I've heard you up in your room but I never saw you and it scared me soooooooo much, but now you're okay and everything's fine and our family's back together and Ryoko, you're not breathing!" Mihoshi babbled, unaware that she was the reason the demon wasn't breathing.
Ryoko tried motioning for Kiyone to get her partner off, but Mihoshi just squeezed her tighter.
"Ba.ka! I.ca-can't breathe! Leg.go!" she gasped. Seeing her troubles, Tenchi reached down and pried the ditz off his girlfriend.
As air filled her lungs once again, Ryoko decided it was best if she stayed sitting down for a minute, in case there were any more spontaneous attacks. She looked humbly at the floor and prepared to say what had to be said.
"Everyone," she began, color rising in her cheeks, "I'm really sorry about how I've acted lately. I've been, for lack of better terms, a bitch, and I know that an apology isn't going to erase what I did, but I just wanted."
Tenchi cut her off by kneeling down and taking hold of her chin. He raised her face and peered into her saddened eyes. How he could lose himself in those golden pools of light. Together they leaned in and met in a tender, loving kiss that sent Mihoshi into tears, Washuu giggling madly, and Nobuyuki whooping like a perverted fraternity boy.
"I'm glad you're back, Ryoko-chan," the successor said when they had broken off. He caressed her cheek as he brought her into his arms, and she trembled at the lightness of his touch.
Aeka watched with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Little did the oni know, but with a flicker of red hair and the flash of a violet eye, the sadness of Kyoko's death left Ryoko's mind entirely.
"Aeka told me that I wasn't remembering Kyoko's life, I was only remembering her damn blue.sword." Ryoko said, a sudden thought crossing her mind. She stood up and looked at the princess, a wide grin plastered on her face.
Aeka's expression was impassive, though she knew exactly what was coming. And Ryoko spoke.
"Unbelievable. Aeka, the First Crown Princess, Miss Prim and Proper, actually said 'damn'. In fact," Ryoko paused, pretending to think back, "this isn't the first time. You haven't been a very good girl lately."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Aeka lied, turning her nose up.
"Oh, I think you have every idea what I'm talking about."
"I refuse to say anything on the matter."
Tenchi laughed, glad to see his Ryoko back to normal. He took her by the hand and held his arm out for Aeka. Flustered at his offer, the older child of the Jurai royal family slipped her arm in his. Together, the entire family walked into the kitchen to enjoy the now stone cold dinner, leaving behind the past and heading towards the future.
~*~
That night, Ryoko had another dream. Not a nightmare this time. It was a strange dream, really. It seemed to take place in the future.
It began with a little girl, who appeared to be only four years old. She had long and straight cyan hair with jet-black tips. Her eyes were deep pools of violet with flecks of gold here and there, and her skin was lightly tan. But the thing that made her such a unique little girl was the mark on the left side of her neck and face. It was black, and it looked like flames. She was wearing a royal blue cat suit with a black dress that split at the sides and had big puffy shoulders. She loved the outfit. She looked vaguely like her mother in it.
At the beginning of the dream she was standing in a very grassy yard in front of a large, rectangular shaped marble stone. It was pearly white, and large, green vines with red and black roses grew up along its sides. On the front, deep crevices graced its otherwise smooth surface.
Writing.
The little girl was staring at it, but it was in a language she did not understand. She had begun to learn to speak Japanese and English, but this was clearly not either.
There was a gentle breeze, and it tossed her hair into her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to keep it out, it just kept blowing back.
"Kyoko!" A voice drifted across the yard to the little girl's ears. She turned around to see two people standing on the opposite side of the yard. One was a woman with cyan, spiked and wild hair, golden yellow eyes, and milky white skin. The other was a man with long, black hair that was kept back in a ponytail, chocolate brown eyes, and a tan splashed perfectly on his skin. The little girl recognized them both at once.
"Mamma! Papa!" Kyoko ran as fast as her feet would carry her and she jumped into the man's arms.
"Hey, Chibi-chan!" Tenchi said as he embraced the small girl. Kyoko giggled childishly, but her laughter soon turned into a scowl.
Ryoko, who had been off to the side, noticed her daughter's face.
"What's wrong, Kyoko?" she asked.
"My hair," the little girl said simply, pointing to the blue and black strands in her eyes.
"Come here," Ryoko gently ordered as the successor put the child down.
Kyoko hobbled over to her mother, and she motioned for her to turn around. Within a matter of minutes, Kyoko had a long blue braid swinging behind her head.
"Better?" The little girl smiled and nodded vigorously.
"So, little one, what have you been up to?" Tenchi asked.
"I was looking at that big stone over there," she replied innocently, pointing to what had earlier held her attention.
The demon princess looked at what her daughter was showing her, and her face fell. She walked over and stood in front of it, her eyes full of sadness. After a moment, she felt a tug on the sleeve of her dress. She looked down into her daughter's curious face and smiled.
"What is it?" Kyoko asked.
Ryoko looked up at her husband, who had followed Kyoko over, and he nodded.
"It's called a headstone. Do you want to know who it belongs to?" the summoner said, looking back at the one hanging off her arm.
"Who?" Kyoko asked sweetly.
Ryoko knelt down in front of her and took hold of both her daughter's tiny hands in her own. Though the size of their fingers contrasted greatly, Ryoko felt the girl grip her hands as best as she could. "It belongs to my best friend. She had long hair like yours; only, hers was red with black at the end. Her eyes were a dark purple, like yours, and her skin was a little lighter than yours. And, she had a mark exactly like this one," she said as she traced along Kyoko's mark with her finger, causing the child to swat at her mother's hand, laughing. "And guess what?"
"What?" Kyoko said, interested.
"Her name was Kyoko!"
"Like me!" the little one squeaked.
Tenchi couldn't help it. He chuckled silently at his little girl, his very flesh and blood. Then, he spoke up.
"She was a space pirate, too."
"She was." Ryoko nodded in agreement.
Kyoko's face turned from overjoyed to confused. "But I thought you were a space pirate!" she said, poking her mother in the chest, right below the blood colored gem.
"I am," the summoner responded, taking hold of her daughter's hand again. Kyoko looked absolutely lost.
"Never mind that," Ryoko said, seeing the girl's confusion.
"So where is she?" Kyoko asked, turning around to face the headstone, as if expecting a red hared girl to pop out of it.
"She...she died," her mother said.
"Oh. How?"
Ryoko looked sadly the black dress that covered Kyoko's back and replied, "You wouldn't understand."
Kyoko looked back at her mother. "Tell me!" she persisted, her face formed into the puppy dog plead; a skill she had mastered, compliments of her grandmother, Washuu.
Ryoko shook her head. The little girl tried to win her over by pouting and sticking out her bottom lip, but no prevail. Instead, her mother made a promise.
"All right. I'll tell you when you grow up, I promise."
It wasn't what Kyoko wanted, but she gave in.
"What does it say?" she asked.
The three looked back at the stone while Ryoko read it.
"It says:
'In memory of Kyoko,
Bearer of the Scar of Fire.
Though the flame has died,
The light will live on...
...Forever.'"
~Notes from Minagi~
Post story author's rant:
And I'm.done! Whoopee!!
I really have nothing to say except I've really enjoyed writing this and getting feedback. Thanks all for sticking by me (and not blasting me on my first fanfic)! It's been fun, and I have every intention of continuing my writing. When I finish "On Wings of Silver Moonlight", I'll be back with the sequel to this (if I get enough positive feedback. You people gotta tell me if you want me to post it!).
Oh! There's one more thing. The part at the very beginning is the second verse of a song called "Our Farewell", by Within Temptation. Meaning, I unfortunately don't own it, even though I really would like to. It is by far one of the greatest songs out there, as is its band. But, no, it's property of Within Temptation and their record company, and my psychiatrist is trying to help me see past this. He he he.
Well, I guess that's about all. I love you people!
Always and Forever,
Minagi
Ps. I do suppose I could give you a vague over view of the sequel. It's going to be called "The Awakening", and it'll take place years after this story. Tenchi and Ryoko are married with one child and Aeka's become kind of an ambassador. She comes home from a check up with the royal family with news of neumorous massacres on Jurai. No one has been able to see who's causing them and lived to tell about it. All that it known is it's a guy and a girl, and the girl bears the sign of the fourth goddess.
Wow, really shitty summary, sorry.
This day would come so soon.
We had no time to say goodbye.
How can the world just carry on?
I feel so lost when you are not at my side.
But there's nothing but silence now
Around the one I loved.
Is this our farewell?
~*~
November ended and December dawned, making its presence known with a rare and fresh blanket of crystal white snow. Everyone had returned from the alter-dimension safely, but from there, they quickly fell apart.
Washuu had once again locked herself up in her lab, doing God only knows what. Tenchi began his own school again, and spent most of his day either there or at the shrine. Kiyone and Mihoshi seemed to separate themselves from the rest, and they spent their time in space. Sasami didn't know what to make of what all happened. She tried to be chipper, but, for the most part, it failed. Not because no one appreciated her attempts at perking them up, but because she just didn't know what to do. Aeka even seemed to be wrapped up in her own world. She was constantly lost in thought and heard mumbling angrily at herself. Many times, she was caught glaring up the stairs at the door to her foe's bedroom.
But it was Ryoko who seemed to take it the hardest. She had barely come out of her room since the day they came back. Who could blame her? She had lived a large part of her life thinking she'd killed her best friend. Then, when one night she comes back, everything seemed so right. But all that ended in a single moment of sacrifice and pain. Everything came to a complete halt when Kyoko plunged her bright blue sword deep into her own chest, just to save Ryoko. The pirate felt as though her life was wasted.
Now at the end of the first day of the month, Ryoko sat on her windowsill, watching the sunset, concealed in her own world by the Spartan red curtains that hung in front of the glass. Her eyes stung from the tears she had shed, and the fire they had held had long before grown weary and flickered out. Not even embers remained. It was all ashes; the ashes of her dying spirit. No more dreams, no more wishes, no more. How her heart ached for her friend to return to her, for her life to return to happiness.
So many times she lie in bed, praying to fall asleep and awaken to Tenchi's soft whisper in her ears, his gentle caress along her skin, his deep and passionate kiss. She wanted that peacefulness to be shattered by Kyoko's loud and eager laugh, echoing up from the kitchen where she could be found sneaking samples of that morning's breakfast. She wanted to return to the past.
But once again, it had been Kagato who had taken away the demoness's joys. Though he hadn't managed to complete his original task, he had still won the war. He had trampled on Ryoko's life when she had finally managed to begin piecing it back together again.
"God damn you, Kagato," she growled in a husky voice. "God fucking damn you!" And she cried. Grasped her head in her hands and wept, nothing but dry tears to and a longing to slip into the final void inside.
Sliding away from the window, the pirate dropped to the flaming silken sheets of her bed. She pulled from under her pillow a tiny black book and settled back on the mattress. With a heavy heart, she opened Kyoko's diary to the last entry and read. She had read the book thousands of times before, and could easily recite it by memory. But reading it gave her a sense that Kyoko was there.
A knock on her door brought her away from the page three sentences in. She heard it quietly open, but did not turn to face the opener. She didn't feel much like talking to anyone right at that moment, nor had she for days. She just wanted to be left alone, and the prospect of being disturbed brought a flicker of anger to her senses.
"Ryoko-chan?" Tenchi's timid voice reached Ryoko's ears. She remained unresponsive. "Dinner's ready, if you want it."
The girl scowled. Inside she was screaming for his help, but she couldn't seem to express this. Regardless of what she wanted, she wouldn't let herself have it.
"I'm not hungry," she spat.
Tenchi flinched as the words clawed at his heart. Ryoko had been so cold towards him and the others since Kyoko's death. He had constantly heard the sounds of her muffled cries when he passed her room, but when he tried to consult her, she got angry with him. It scared him.
"Ryoko, I'm worried about you."
The demoness didn't answer. She didn't know how to. Her heart told her to run to him and cry into his shoulder. It told her to let go of her friend. Her mind, on the other hand, screamed at her to burst out in anger, to let everything out on him, to show him again just what bottled up stress and emotion does to her. It kept a hold of Kyoko with an everlasting grip.
Like her hands on the diary. Her mind was obviously winning.
"Please come down to din."
"No," Ryoko sneered venomously. "I'm not hungry."
Tenchi nodded sadly. He wasn't going to win. Cursing the gods, he shut her door and leaned against it helplessly.
Ryoko-chan, he thought, I need your help. Please come back. The realization that Ryoko hadn't even so much as looked at him only hurt more. Sulking, he shuffled down the stairs, emitting an embarrassed "Oops" when he stumbled into Aeka halfway along.
"I'm sorry, Aeka," he mumbled, eyes fixed at his feet.
"It's all right, Tenchi," she replied.
He started to step around her, but was stopped by her hand on his face. Gently, she raised his face to look into his eyes. He was hurt, and this angered her deeply. She was fed up with Ryoko. Giving Tenchi an uplifting smile, she dropped her hand and continued her ascent, the heaviness in her footfalls increasing.
All right, Ryoko, I have had as much as I can take, she thought angrily, finding herself outside the pirate's door. She slid it open with a bang, watching as Ryoko jumped with a start. Forgetting all she had been taught about politeness and manners, she stormed into the room and stood haughtily above the bed.
Ryoko stared up at her, noticing Aeka looked angrier than usual. Her eyes glared down at the cyan beauty as her hand clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Ryoko attempted to speak, but the princess wasn't about to let her have her say.
"Shut up!" she snarled, stiffening for emphasis. "Just shut up! I am sick and tired of watching a family fall apart over this! We are going to talk, whether you like it or not, and I will NOT leave this room unless you are with me!"
"A-Aeka, what are you.?" Ryoko stammered, completely taken by surprise at the outburst. She scooted away from the fuming woman until her back came in contact with the wall. She noticed the diary lying forgotten among the folds of the sheets and picked it up, holding it protectively to her chest.
Aeka's tone did a complete one-eighty, going from vicious to desperate. "Ryoko, you have aided in my rescue more than once, you have died so I could have one more chance at living, and you were there for me when I thought there was no hope for my heart! I know that no matter how hard I try, I could never fully repay you for all you have given me, but I pray that this will be a start."
Ryoko's face became downcast as she felt the tears brimming in her eyes. "How can you help me?" she mumbled, turning away to hide her face. "No one can. I feel so worthless, Princess!"
"Why?" Aeka insisted.
"Because of me, Kyoko is dead! I should have been the one to take her sword!"
The heiress snorted. She sat heavily on the futon, causing it to sag under her weight. "So you could have died instead? Listen, Ryoko, when Kyoko faced her decision, your wish meant nothing to her! You wanted to die to save the rest of us, but she died to save you. Deep in her mind, she knew that you had truly meant something to her. Not even Kagato could erase the feelings she held for you! They were too strong! But along with seeing your importance, she also knew that as long as she lived, you would die. She died for you because she loved you."
"But I still feel worthless, like I lived for nothing," Ryoko said, shaking her head in disagreement.
"You know what? I once felt like that, too." The oni peered out of the corner of her eye at Aeka, who herself looked on the verge of tears. Aeka returned the gaze and gave her rival a half-hearted smile. It hurt to talk about the time she felt useless to the world. The knowledge of the fact that she had lost the one most precious to her resurfaced, bringing tears to her crimson eyes.
"When I found out that I had lost my grasp on Tenchi's heart, I just knew that a part of me had died. I thought no one could see and help ease the torment I felt. That's where I was wrong. You became like my guardian angel, my beacon of hope and light in darkness. Now it's my turn.
"There was once a very wise Earthling who said, 'Why is death remembered and life forgotten?' Until now I never really understood what that meant. But my eyes were opened when I saw what I always thought of as the strongest family fall apart at the hands of death, because that's all they remembered!"
"What do you mean?" Ryoko asked, suddenly aware of the slight sense of relief she felt at Aeka's presence. She slid forward to the monarch's side, keeping the journal safe in her arms.
Aeka sighed heavily, and gently laid her hand on the book's blackened cover. She gave a small tug. The demon resisted, pulling it closer to her with a whimper.
"Ryoko," Aeka kindly scolded, pulling unsuccessfully again against Ryoko's guard. Bringing her other hand in for back up, she tried once more. The pirate surrendered the diary against her will. The woman looked fondly down at her capture and ran her fingers along the surface of its cover. She traced the vine pattern that ran up its spine with a soft touch, taking in its twists and curls.
"It's amazing that all we remember is Kyoko's death," she whispered. "We don't even bother to think of her childish personality, or of her odd sense of humor. We don't even think of how we came to her with our problems in full confidence that she would have a solution. All we know of her now is that damn blue sword."
A single tear slid gracefully along Ryoko's cheek. "Do you know what it's like, Aeka," she said sadly, wiping her face, "what it's like to lose your best friend?"
Aeka agreed. "I lost my very best of friends recently. Though we never got along that well, she was still one of the most important people in my life. I always turned to her for help, and she accepted me with open arms, despite some of the feuds we had and some of the insults we exchanged." She leaned against Ryoko's side, placing her arm around her waist and lying her head on her shoulder. "You mean so much to me Ryoko, and I miss you so much. I miss your spirit, your carefree attitude, everything. Most of all I miss the Space Pirate Ryoko who came to me when I needed her most. And as much as I want things to return to how they were, I know they can't. But that doesn't stop life from going on, and that shouldn't stop you from going on with it.
"I'm not by any stretch of the imagination trying to tell you to forget Kyoko. I wouldn't do that. I'm trying to say that even though she is physically gone, she still lives on in our hearts and minds. Though we can't see her walk this Earth now, we can still share memories. I know you will see her again one day, somehow, but.Kyoko would never want you to dwell on her. She'd want you to let her go and live your life to the fullest. And that day you do see her again, do not remember that she has died, remember that she has been reborn."
Ryoko's tears had begun to fall freely. Aeka's words lingered in her ears like a smack in the face as reality began to set in. The princess was right; she had wasted days crying over her friend's death when she should have been celebrating Kyoko's life. It was what she needed to hear.
As though reading the other's mind, the two stood up in unison, ready to face the world together. They walking silently from the room, side by side.
"Wait here," Aeka ordered. She glided down the hallway to the very last room and stepped inside.
Looking around, she took in the blue and silver walls and bed, the furniture such a light shade of oak it would have looked disgraceful anywhere else; the room was a perfect reflection of the pirate's personality. Wild yet calm, like an ocean of mysteries. She smiled as a sudden sense of peace settled around her. Kyoko was there, she could feel it.
A soft voice reached her ears, so quiet it almost wasn't there.
"Thank you," it whispered.
Aeka nodded as she deposited the diary in a nearby desk drawer. The peacefulness disappeared, leaving the room still and quiet once more.
Ryoko was nervous, despite the fact that Aeka walked confidently by her side. She had treated the family like shit lately, blocking them out and yelling at them when they tried to help her. As she finished her descent down the steps, she worried about how they would accept her now.
Suddenly, she stopped moving, realizing she couldn't face them. It scared her to think she'd be turned away. It felt even worse to know she would deserve it.
"Aeka, I."
"Aeka!! Where are you? Dinner's getting cold!" Sasami called, cutting Ryoko off.
Aeka looked to the nervous girl. She took Ryoko's hand and quickly gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't be scared," she said, smiling.
"Aeka, this is no time to dwaddle! Dinner's ready!!" Sasami scolded, storming in on the scene. She abruptly stopped when she caught sight of Ryoko. "Ryoko oneechan?"
Okay, Ryoko, this is it, you can do it, the pirate thought to herself. She took a deep breath and prepared to speak. But nothing came. Instead, she was tackled playfully to the ground and embraced in a powerful hug by the bouncy little chef.
"You're back! You're back!" Sasami squealed happily.
Ryoko laughed as innocence rejoiced. She returned the hug, relieved to be accepted again.
Attracted by the giggles of the girls, Tenchi and Washuu ran to the stairs, closely followed by Kiyone, Nobuyuki, and lastly Mihoshi. Sasami noticed them and backed off Ryoko, who stood uneasily on her feet, soon to be knocked over yet again by the bubbly blonde GP.
"Ryoko! You're okay! I've been so worried! I've heard you up in your room but I never saw you and it scared me soooooooo much, but now you're okay and everything's fine and our family's back together and Ryoko, you're not breathing!" Mihoshi babbled, unaware that she was the reason the demon wasn't breathing.
Ryoko tried motioning for Kiyone to get her partner off, but Mihoshi just squeezed her tighter.
"Ba.ka! I.ca-can't breathe! Leg.go!" she gasped. Seeing her troubles, Tenchi reached down and pried the ditz off his girlfriend.
As air filled her lungs once again, Ryoko decided it was best if she stayed sitting down for a minute, in case there were any more spontaneous attacks. She looked humbly at the floor and prepared to say what had to be said.
"Everyone," she began, color rising in her cheeks, "I'm really sorry about how I've acted lately. I've been, for lack of better terms, a bitch, and I know that an apology isn't going to erase what I did, but I just wanted."
Tenchi cut her off by kneeling down and taking hold of her chin. He raised her face and peered into her saddened eyes. How he could lose himself in those golden pools of light. Together they leaned in and met in a tender, loving kiss that sent Mihoshi into tears, Washuu giggling madly, and Nobuyuki whooping like a perverted fraternity boy.
"I'm glad you're back, Ryoko-chan," the successor said when they had broken off. He caressed her cheek as he brought her into his arms, and she trembled at the lightness of his touch.
Aeka watched with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Little did the oni know, but with a flicker of red hair and the flash of a violet eye, the sadness of Kyoko's death left Ryoko's mind entirely.
"Aeka told me that I wasn't remembering Kyoko's life, I was only remembering her damn blue.sword." Ryoko said, a sudden thought crossing her mind. She stood up and looked at the princess, a wide grin plastered on her face.
Aeka's expression was impassive, though she knew exactly what was coming. And Ryoko spoke.
"Unbelievable. Aeka, the First Crown Princess, Miss Prim and Proper, actually said 'damn'. In fact," Ryoko paused, pretending to think back, "this isn't the first time. You haven't been a very good girl lately."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Aeka lied, turning her nose up.
"Oh, I think you have every idea what I'm talking about."
"I refuse to say anything on the matter."
Tenchi laughed, glad to see his Ryoko back to normal. He took her by the hand and held his arm out for Aeka. Flustered at his offer, the older child of the Jurai royal family slipped her arm in his. Together, the entire family walked into the kitchen to enjoy the now stone cold dinner, leaving behind the past and heading towards the future.
~*~
That night, Ryoko had another dream. Not a nightmare this time. It was a strange dream, really. It seemed to take place in the future.
It began with a little girl, who appeared to be only four years old. She had long and straight cyan hair with jet-black tips. Her eyes were deep pools of violet with flecks of gold here and there, and her skin was lightly tan. But the thing that made her such a unique little girl was the mark on the left side of her neck and face. It was black, and it looked like flames. She was wearing a royal blue cat suit with a black dress that split at the sides and had big puffy shoulders. She loved the outfit. She looked vaguely like her mother in it.
At the beginning of the dream she was standing in a very grassy yard in front of a large, rectangular shaped marble stone. It was pearly white, and large, green vines with red and black roses grew up along its sides. On the front, deep crevices graced its otherwise smooth surface.
Writing.
The little girl was staring at it, but it was in a language she did not understand. She had begun to learn to speak Japanese and English, but this was clearly not either.
There was a gentle breeze, and it tossed her hair into her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to keep it out, it just kept blowing back.
"Kyoko!" A voice drifted across the yard to the little girl's ears. She turned around to see two people standing on the opposite side of the yard. One was a woman with cyan, spiked and wild hair, golden yellow eyes, and milky white skin. The other was a man with long, black hair that was kept back in a ponytail, chocolate brown eyes, and a tan splashed perfectly on his skin. The little girl recognized them both at once.
"Mamma! Papa!" Kyoko ran as fast as her feet would carry her and she jumped into the man's arms.
"Hey, Chibi-chan!" Tenchi said as he embraced the small girl. Kyoko giggled childishly, but her laughter soon turned into a scowl.
Ryoko, who had been off to the side, noticed her daughter's face.
"What's wrong, Kyoko?" she asked.
"My hair," the little girl said simply, pointing to the blue and black strands in her eyes.
"Come here," Ryoko gently ordered as the successor put the child down.
Kyoko hobbled over to her mother, and she motioned for her to turn around. Within a matter of minutes, Kyoko had a long blue braid swinging behind her head.
"Better?" The little girl smiled and nodded vigorously.
"So, little one, what have you been up to?" Tenchi asked.
"I was looking at that big stone over there," she replied innocently, pointing to what had earlier held her attention.
The demon princess looked at what her daughter was showing her, and her face fell. She walked over and stood in front of it, her eyes full of sadness. After a moment, she felt a tug on the sleeve of her dress. She looked down into her daughter's curious face and smiled.
"What is it?" Kyoko asked.
Ryoko looked up at her husband, who had followed Kyoko over, and he nodded.
"It's called a headstone. Do you want to know who it belongs to?" the summoner said, looking back at the one hanging off her arm.
"Who?" Kyoko asked sweetly.
Ryoko knelt down in front of her and took hold of both her daughter's tiny hands in her own. Though the size of their fingers contrasted greatly, Ryoko felt the girl grip her hands as best as she could. "It belongs to my best friend. She had long hair like yours; only, hers was red with black at the end. Her eyes were a dark purple, like yours, and her skin was a little lighter than yours. And, she had a mark exactly like this one," she said as she traced along Kyoko's mark with her finger, causing the child to swat at her mother's hand, laughing. "And guess what?"
"What?" Kyoko said, interested.
"Her name was Kyoko!"
"Like me!" the little one squeaked.
Tenchi couldn't help it. He chuckled silently at his little girl, his very flesh and blood. Then, he spoke up.
"She was a space pirate, too."
"She was." Ryoko nodded in agreement.
Kyoko's face turned from overjoyed to confused. "But I thought you were a space pirate!" she said, poking her mother in the chest, right below the blood colored gem.
"I am," the summoner responded, taking hold of her daughter's hand again. Kyoko looked absolutely lost.
"Never mind that," Ryoko said, seeing the girl's confusion.
"So where is she?" Kyoko asked, turning around to face the headstone, as if expecting a red hared girl to pop out of it.
"She...she died," her mother said.
"Oh. How?"
Ryoko looked sadly the black dress that covered Kyoko's back and replied, "You wouldn't understand."
Kyoko looked back at her mother. "Tell me!" she persisted, her face formed into the puppy dog plead; a skill she had mastered, compliments of her grandmother, Washuu.
Ryoko shook her head. The little girl tried to win her over by pouting and sticking out her bottom lip, but no prevail. Instead, her mother made a promise.
"All right. I'll tell you when you grow up, I promise."
It wasn't what Kyoko wanted, but she gave in.
"What does it say?" she asked.
The three looked back at the stone while Ryoko read it.
"It says:
'In memory of Kyoko,
Bearer of the Scar of Fire.
Though the flame has died,
The light will live on...
...Forever.'"
~Notes from Minagi~
Post story author's rant:
And I'm.done! Whoopee!!
I really have nothing to say except I've really enjoyed writing this and getting feedback. Thanks all for sticking by me (and not blasting me on my first fanfic)! It's been fun, and I have every intention of continuing my writing. When I finish "On Wings of Silver Moonlight", I'll be back with the sequel to this (if I get enough positive feedback. You people gotta tell me if you want me to post it!).
Oh! There's one more thing. The part at the very beginning is the second verse of a song called "Our Farewell", by Within Temptation. Meaning, I unfortunately don't own it, even though I really would like to. It is by far one of the greatest songs out there, as is its band. But, no, it's property of Within Temptation and their record company, and my psychiatrist is trying to help me see past this. He he he.
Well, I guess that's about all. I love you people!
Always and Forever,
Minagi
Ps. I do suppose I could give you a vague over view of the sequel. It's going to be called "The Awakening", and it'll take place years after this story. Tenchi and Ryoko are married with one child and Aeka's become kind of an ambassador. She comes home from a check up with the royal family with news of neumorous massacres on Jurai. No one has been able to see who's causing them and lived to tell about it. All that it known is it's a guy and a girl, and the girl bears the sign of the fourth goddess.
Wow, really shitty summary, sorry.