Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

The Princess Files

Ayeka

*****

Young Ayeka, First Princess of the Juraian Empire, guided her unfinished ship, Ryu-oh, towards the point where the demon had penetrated the planetary defenses.  Ryu-oh was the only ship in position to intercept the demon when she took off from the surface and Ayeka knew her duty well.  At just over fifteen years old, she was inexperienced in the art of war and Ryu-oh was unprepared for battle as well, her shield generators and main weaponry having not yet been installed.  But yet, for all that, Ryu-oh was a second-generation Royal Tree, able to form Light Hawk Wings and not totally without other abilities.  But both the princess and the ship felt inadequate for the task before them.

As she neared the location of the devil's attack, Ayeka gaped, eyes wide in horror, at the burned and broken hulks of the Planetary Defense Fleet.  The ships, both mechanical and Tree has been torn to shreds by a powerful force.  She began to know real fear as she realized that one, just one, ship had created this carnage.  And she was preparing to face that ship alone with her own untried abilities.  She reached the point above where the demon had landed and then she prepared to wait. 

Ayeka didn't have long to wait.  Ryu-oh had no sooner assumed a defensive position over the palace than a dark, crystalline shape came screaming up from the surface.  The princess moved her ship until it was directly in the path of the other.  The dark ship swerved and she maneuvered Ryu-oh into its path again.  She ordered her ship to open fire and energy beams reached out, to bounce ineffectively off the shields of the other vessel.  Another swerve and another block.  To save power Ayeka ceased her ineffectual firing on the demon's ship.  Her main screen lit up and for the first time she saw the devil's visage.

"Get outta the way little princess," the cyan haired demon scowled.  "If you don't, I'll be forced to do something that you'll regret."

Ayeka glared back at the red-eyed woman in the image.  "Give it your best shot, monster," she said as a quiet calm settled over her.  She knew she faced her death but she also knew her duty.  "You will not pass while I'm in a position to stop you."

"You, stop me?" the other snorted in derision.  "That'll be the day.  Ryo-ohki, get that flying brush-pile outta our way."  The demon ship fired, burning off a piece of Ryu-oh's hull, but the damage was purely cosmetic. 

The devil-woman was startled that so little damage had be done, after all, she'd taken out the whole fleet earlier.  Maybe this little girl was better than she seemed.  She decided try to bluff her way through.  "That was just a warning shot, Princess.  Now move it or lose it."

Ayeka did indeed move her ship, but to block again, not flee.  Otherwise she refused to respond.

Now the demon was getting a little upset.  "All right, you were warned.  Kill her, Ryo-ohki."

The dark vessel fired again, this time damaging Ryu-oh's maneuvering thrusters and breaching her wooden hull in several places.  Unless she used her main drive, Ayeka was dead in space and leaking air.  She watched helplessly as Ryo-ohki swept effortlessly past her.

"You stupid cabbit, I told you to get rid of her," the demon admonished her vessel, more to relieve tension than out of any real anger at the beast.

Miyaawr," came the reply.

"Waddya mean 'Something wouldn't let you'?"

"Rowwrr, mirrowr."

"Do it myself? All right."  She attempted to teleport over to the other ship but nothing happened.   "I…I can't.  It…it won't let me either."  The demon turned back to the screen and smiled, small fangs glistening in the subdued lighting of her ship's control room.  She felt something akin to admiration for the young princess' perseverance.  "I like you princess, you showed courage so I'm letting you go.  If we ever meet again you may not be so lucky."

Ayeka glared her hatred at the other girl.  "Oh, we'll meet again monster, this I know.  And it's you that won't be as lucky."  She cut the connection and watched as the other ship sped off.  After the flash of light that announced Ryo-ohki's entering hyperspace she ordered Ryu-oh to transport her to the surface.  She had to find her brother and make sure her little sister Sasami was all right.

As Ryo-ohki sped through hyperspace and toward her and her pilot's destiny, Ryoko had a moment to think.  And they weren't pleasant thoughts.  Damn, Master's not gonna like this.  No Tree, no loot and I couldn't even kill that stupid princess.  No, he's not gonna be pleased at all.  And what was with that girl?  What kept me from killing her?

*****

The princess found her little sister badly shaken up but apparently unharmed by the attack.  She couldn't put her finger on it yet, but there seemed to be something different about Sasami too.  One of the palace retainers pointed out to her where her brother Yosho had gone.  Ayeka was told he preparing to chase down the demon in his ship Funaho.  She caught up with him as he was about to board.

"Ayeka, I must go after her," Prince Yosho told his younger sister when she tried to stop him.  "I can't let what happened here happen to other worlds."

"But brother…" Ayeka pleaded.

"No, I must do this and you know it as well."  The young prince held up a hand to forestall any further argument.  "Father has already given his permission.  I must go while Funaho is still receiving tracking data from the early-warning satellites."

Ayeka hung her head so her brother wouldn't see her tears.  "Oh Yosho.  Promise me you'll return."

He tucked the Master Key, capable of controlling any Tree Ship and maybe, just maybe, according to the goddess Tsunami, Ryoko as well, into his sash as he replied.  "I promise, Ayeka my love.  Once Ryoko is dealt with properly I shall return to Jurai."

"Then go my love, and may Tsunami guide you."

"She will Ayeka," he told her, kissing her lightly on the forehead.  More than you can possibly know, She guides me.    Yosho felt a twinge of pain at the memory of the vision the goddess had given him.  Ayeka would need all of her strength, upbringing and bullheadedness in the future.  His sister would go through trying times until she found happiness.  Happiness with the very woman he was chasing, and one other; but the goddess hadn't granted him a vision of that person yet.

*****

The Juraian military said they lost contact with Yosho and Funaho just as he was closing in on Ryoko.  No word on his fate ever made it to Ayeka's ears.  For almost a year she tried to cajole her father into letting her go after him.  For almost a year he refused, citing Ryu-oh's damage as the reason, even as he used his influence to delay repairs to his daughter's ship.   And then he finally relaxed; it seemed that his oldest daughter had given up on the idea altogether, until…

"Father!  Why can't I go after Yosho?  He's been gone more than a year so something must have happened."

Ayeka stood in her father Azusa's audience room.  No one was present except the two of them because the princess had refused to speak until they were alone.  Azusa had been dreading this moment for weeks.  His daughter had been dropping not-so-subtle hints that she was going to start pressuring him again ever since the final repairs on Ryu-oh had been completed.

"Now Ayeka…" the Emperor began.

"Don't you 'Now Ayeka' me father," the princess waggled a delicate forefinger in her father's face, making his eyes cross.  "If you know where my brother is then I suggest you tell me or I'll…"

Azusa forcibly uncrossed his eyes and stared into his daughter's angry red pupils.  "You'll what?  Run off to look for him without my permission?  You've been planning to do that anyway."  Azusa took a deep breath; this next part was going to be difficult.  "We have no idea where he is," the Emperor lied.  "And I absolutely forbid you to go after him."

"Father…"

"And if you insist on following this path, I'll order Ryu-oh's engines locked down.  You won't be going anywhere, do I make myself clear, daughter?"

Ayeka hung her head in submission.  "Perfectly, Your Highness.  Perfectly."

Azusa sat back knowing he'd won this battle.  But the war was still on, so time for a strategic move on his part.  "All right, Ayeka.  I know how you feel so I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll send out some more ships to look for him and call in the GP.  If we get new word of his whereabouts, then you can go to him."

Ayeka's eyes widened in wonder at her father's sudden change of heart. "Really?  You will?  Is that a promise?"

Azusa puffed out his chest.  "I'm the Emperor, my word is law.  If we hear anything new about your brother's location, you can go look for him."

Satisfied for the moment, Ayeka left the room feeling she'd won a minor victory.

"I hope your son knows what he's doing," the Emperor said to the apparently empty room.

"Our son," said Queen Funaho, stepping out of the curtained off alcove she'd been listening from.  "He says he's only following Tsunami's wishes."

The Emperor sighed.  "I wish I knew what those were.  He should have just killed that demon and been done with it.  Instead, he's stuck on that backwater world, watching over her until Tsunami knows when."

The First Queen clucked her tongue in amusement.  "Watch your words husband, I'm from that 'backwater world' as you put it," she said in a mock-angry tone.

"Sorry my dear, no offense meant."

Funaho smiled benignly.  "None taken, dear."

Azusa harrumphed.  "I still wonder what he's up too, and now that he's cut off all communication, 'for security reasons' he says, I'm even more worried."

Funaho laid a hand on her husband's shoulder and gazed at the closed door Ayeka had left through.  "Have faith in our son and Tsunami, they seems to know what they're doing."

*****

Unfortunately, the truce between father and daughter didn't last.  Less than a month later the princess was before her father again, demanding that she be allowed to follow her brother in pursuit of the demon.  He once again refused to allow it and the subject became a point of contention between the two.  After one particularly violent confrontation, Ayeka stormed out of the audience room, blind to everything but her rage.  Not paying attention to where she was storming to, she ran smack into a young man waiting his own turn to speak with the Emperor.  Both ended up on their posteriors, much to the amusement of the other waiting petitioners.

"Excuse you," the boy said, picking himself up and dusting off his formal robes.  He held out his hand to help the princess to her feet.

"What?" the dazed Ayeka asked.

"You knocked me down.  The correct apology would be 'Excuse me' or 'Pardon me'."

The princess took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up.  "I did no such thing.  You were blocking the door, so you should be the one to apologize."

The young man shook his head.  "No, I was well back from the door.  You just weren't paying attention.  Obviously something His Highness said must have upset you, so I forgive you without you even asking."

Ayeka noticed that she was still holding his hand so she jerked hers away.  Her eyes narrowed.  "Do you know who I am?" she hissed.

"Surely," he replied.  "You're Ayeka, First Princess of the Empire.  But right now you're acting like a spoiled child."

"Excuse me?" she said, startled by the boy's attitude.  She wasn't used to being talked to like this outside of her own family, and usually not even with them.

He grinned.  "Yes, that's better.  I accept your apology."

"That wasn't an apology.  Doesn't it matter to you that I'm the Emperor's eldest daughter?"

"Not in the least.  All I see is a cute little girl; mad at the world over something she probably has no control over.  And treating one of her father's nobles with disrespect."

"Cute… Little… Noble?"  She eyed the robes the young man was wearing.  They denoted a minor house currently in service to the Holy Council.  "So I see.  You called me cute?"

"Most certainly my lady.  You are a vision of loveliness amidst all this mediocrity."  He swept his arm around the room to the snickers of those present.  Ayeka blushed.

"Your name sir," she demanded.

"I'm called Banri, princess. And it's a pleasure to meet you and to finally talk to someone else near my own age."  He bowed deeply.  "You don't know what it's like being surrounded by these old fossils all the time," he whispered to her.  "No one to talk to, no one that sees things my way."

Ayeka giggled, entranced by this young nobleman, her anger at her father gone as if it had never existed.  "I know exactly how you feel," she whispered back, eyeing the other people in the room.  "I think we shall be seeing each other more often, if you don't mind.  I find I need someone to talk to occasionally as well, someone who doesn't bow to my every whim."

"I would like that princess.  It's always easier to deal with your problems when you talk them over with someone else.  Even someone like me, who probably wouldn't understand them."  He pulled his robes straight and smoothed out some remaining wrinkles.  "Now, I believe it's my turn to see the Emperor.  If you wish, we can continue this later.  I'm sure you have means of finding me."

"Indeed.  Until later then."  Her eyes followed him as he entered her father's audience chamber.  "I wonder," she said to herself.  "I've never had a real friend before…"

Banri and Ayeka spent many hours together after that initial meeting; sometimes in study, for they found they shared a tutor, and sometimes just talking.  Many of the older women pursued Banri, considering him quite a catch.  But he always found an excuse to brush them off, it seemed he was not interested in any of the other women that frequented the palace.  At eighteen, he was just coming into manhood, his hair, as black as a starless void, hung down his back in a single ponytail.  His dark green eyes always sparkled with good humor, even when Ayeka took exception to something he did or said.

Ayeka found out that his goal in life was to make something of himself instead of living off his family's title, like his younger siblings would probably end up doing.  He didn't want to remain a petty noble for the rest of his life; but he wanted to advance on his own merits and not on indulgence.  What attracted Ayeka to him was not that he was handsome, although he was, but the fact that he treated her as a person instead of an object of veneration.  He was not impressed by her title and never hesitated to tell her when he felt she was acting unladylike.  Their relationship became one of best friends, which suited both of them for the time being.

Several months passed, mostly pleasantly for Ayeka except for a few, sometimes violent, verbal confrontations with her father.  She still pressed him, much to his annoyance, to follow after Yosho.  Azusa knew that once his daughter turned seventeen, in the eyes of Juraian law she would be old enough to bring her case before the Holy Council, thus possibly circumventing his efforts.  Although the Council normally followed the Emperor's wishes, it was not unknown for them to decide against him.  And he was afraid that just might happen in this case.  He was also worried about the boy, Banri, who had been spending quite a bit of time with Ayeka lately.  Something might just have to be done about that, too, although there seemed to be nothing romantic between them.

*****

"Hey Princess!  Ayeka, wait," Banri called out as he dashed down the palace corridor towards where he had spotted two long purple ponytails bobbing along.  He was panting, almost out-of-breath when he caught up to the princess.  His outburst and mad run through the hall drew looks, and an occasional knowing snicker, from the passerby.  Ayeka kept walking but slowed down so as not to make him work too hard.  She giggled when she heard the boy breathing heavily behind her.

"Yes, my lord, you wish to speak to me?" Ayeka said over her shoulder as the young man stood, bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

"I was… pant, pant wondering if… pant you would like to go to that new play with me this… wheeze evening?"

Ayeka giggled again.  "The one about the demon Ryoko's raid?  Of course; it should be interesting and most informative."

Banri grinned and straightened, all of his exhaustion suddenly forgotten.  "Great!  And I have news too, but I'm not going to tell you until dinner."

"Ooh, I get a dinner too?"  Ayeka batted her eyes at him teasingly.  "How nice, dinner and a show.  How should I dress I wonder?"

"My lady, whatever you wear will be the talk of the palace, I'm sure."

"Hmm, then perhaps I should wear nothing at all," she said quietly so no one else could hear.  The young noble turned bright red.  For some reason, Ayeka got a thrill out of teasing the young man.  Maybe because it was totally outside of her official persona, around him she could be just plain Ayeka, whenever no one else was watching closely of course.  She never would have attempted it with anyone else, not even her beloved Yosho.  Besides, Banri never seemed to take her teasing seriously.

"Uh, uh, uh," he stuttered, turning pink.  "I don't think that's quite what I meant."

"No?  All right then, I shall wear my violet and beige robes.  You should dress to compliment me."

"I'll always compliment you my lady," he said bowing deeply.  "Until this evening then."  Banri moved off down the passage and Ayeka watched him until he turned the corner.  She heard a shout that sounded like "YAHOO!" and she smiled and moved off gracefully.

Her mother Misaki was waiting a few yards further down the hallway in a cross corridor.  She'd caught most of the exchange and fell into step beside her daughter.  "You're leading him on Ayeka, that's not nice."

"I don't know what you're talking about mother," the purple haired princess said haughtily.

"The boy, Banri," Misaki said.  "You know that there's no possibility your father will agree to your having a formal relationship with him.  He's from a minor house."

Ayeka stopped walking and clenched her small fists.  "I will choose who I see and who I don't, not father.  Father still refuses to allow me to search for my Yosho and it's been months since he promised.  Meanwhile Ryu-oh sits idle in a parking orbit."

Misaki raised an eyebrow.  "I see.  This is an act of rebellion then.  Well, I can't say I approve but I'll hold my tongue.  A word of warning though: be careful.  Your father may seem like a big stuffed animal, but that animal has an iron core beneath the stuffing.  He likes the boy but doesn't approve of how close you two have been getting."  The Queen gave her daughter a knowing look and turned and walked off, leaving Ayeka standing speechless.

*****

"So tell me what your big news is," Ayeka asked, setting aside her eating utensils.  "You said you'd tell me at dinner."

The two were seated in a private room in one of Jurai's most exclusive dining establishments.  After the show, which Ayeka found mildly amusing although her own part in the raid barely rated a footnote in the program, the evening had proceeded with a stroll through a Royal park and dinner at one of the capitol city's finest.

"This has been a pleasant evening, hasn't it?" Banri asked, as if he hadn't heard Ayeka's question.

Ayeka squirmed, knowing he was toying with her.  "Yes, it has," she replied.

"We should do this more often."

Misaki's warning about Azusa played back in the princess' mind before she spoke.  "Yes, we should," she said with firm resolution.

"It's a pity then," Banri said, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"What's that?" Ayeka asked, a feeling of dread settling like a lead weight in her belly.

Banri's smile grew still wider.  "My appointment's come through, your father sponsored me.  I'm going to the Academy.  Imagine, the Emperor himself sponsoring me, it's more than I could possibly have hoped for."

The dread started eating away at the fine meal she'd just finished.  Oh, father!  How could you?   She closed her eyes to hide the pain she knew was beginning to show in them.  When she reopened them again a moment later she was smiling pleasantly.  "Why that's wonderful my dear Banri.  When do you leave?"

"One week from today; I can hardly wait.  Aren't you happy for me?"

Ayeka sighed inwardly but let nothing show except the forced happiness.  She reached across the table and touched his hand tenderly.  "I'm thrilled for you, I know it's what you've been petitioning my father for."

"Yeah.  I thought that maybe he could speak to the Council on my behalf, but this… this is so much better.  Being from a minor house I wouldn't normally have much of a chance to make a name for myself.  But now…  maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe… I can't say right now."

Ayeka nodded and smiled at the boy across the table from her.  Maybe you could ask my father for my hand, that's what you're thinking, isn't it?  Oh dear Banri, I'm already pledged to Yosho; but he's gone and I don't know if I'll ever see him again.  You must understand this.  Please understand this.  But that shouldn't keep us from living our lives at this moment.

She came to a decision and grasped his hand firmly and drew him close.  "Well then, I'll just have to plan a celebration in your honor," she said in a low, husky voice.

*****

Banri announced himself at the door to Ayeka's suite.  He wondered at the absence of the usual Guard stationed outside the door.  The panel slid open on the third chime to reveal a darkened room.  Not totally lightless, mind you; but dim, lit only by candles.

"Banri?" he heard Ayeka call from another room.  "Come in, I'll be out in a moment."

With some trepidation he stepped inside.  The door closed almost soundlessly behind him.  This wasn't the first time he'd been in the Princess' rooms, but it was the first time he'd ever seen them like this.  Ayeka bustled out from somewhere carrying a steaming dish, which she carefully set on a table.  She winked at him and vanished back to wherever she'd come from.

"I thought you said this was going to be a party," he called.

"It is," her voice came back.

"Then where is everyone?"

A soft chuckle permeated the room.  "Right here."  Ayeka emerged again, this time wearing an outfit that could only be described as sultry.  Banri's eyes grew large and he swallowed with some difficulty, his throat suddenly gone very dry.

"Ayeka, what…?" he managed to croak out.

The princess laughed at the look on his face.  "Dear Banri. I've sent the guards away for the evening and told my parents that I didn't wish to be disturbed.  Now come, enjoy the meal I've cooked for you and then we'll enjoy each other's company the rest of the evening.  I've had a selection of very good wines brought up."

Stunned, the young noble helped the princess into her seat and took his own.  He served her first then took a few small portions for himself.  She did say that she'd cooked the meal after all.  He took a tentative nibble at what appeared to be some sort of fish as Ayeka watched him anxiously.  His face lit up.

"Hey, this is really good!" he exclaimed, taking a larger bite.

"Thank you," Ayeka said.  I don't use my culinary skills as much as my sister does and I'd hoped they hadn't gotten rusty."  Banri had a mouthful of food so all he could do was nod.

An hour or so later, the remains of the meal was growing cold on the table as the two sat together on one of the many couches scattered throughout the apartment.  Each held a half-empty glass of wine and an empty bottle sat on the low table next to them.  An unopened vintage was in a chiller on the floor.

"Ayeka," Banri asked.  "Why are you doing all of this for me?  I'm not that important."

Ayeka sighed and snuggled against the young man's shoulder.  "You are to me.  You're the only friend I have in the palace near to my own age and the only person outside of my family that treats me like Ayeka instead of the Crown Princess.  I want to make your last night in the palace memorable."

"Well, you've certainly done that my lady.  This will be a very treasured memory."

Ayeka giggled, a bit tipsy from the alcohol.  "Oh, the memorable part has only just begun."  To Banri's amazement she reached up and pulled him down into a passionate kiss.

"Princess!" he exclaimed, pulling away.

"Please, tonight there is no princess here.  Just Ayeka."  She pulled him back to her.

"I…I've never…"

Ayeka giggled again.  "Me neither, so be gentle."  Banri scooped the purple haired beauty up into his arms and headed for where he knew the sleeping area to be.  Ayeka didn't resist, but she did manage to snag the unopened wine as they swept past.

*****

Misaki walked into Funaho's office suppressing a yawn, she hadn't slept well for some reason.  Maybe it was because she knew what had probably happened in her daughter's apartments the night before.  The Second Queen looked at her co-wife seated behind her desk.  The First Queen and head of Imperial Intelligence looked haggard as she sat behind her desk.  It was obvious to Misaki that the Terran woman hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night either.

"Is it over?" Misaki asked, dropping into an empty chair.

Funaho nodded wearily.  "Yes, and he's gone from the palace, off to whatever destiny awaits him.  I wish him luck in the future; he showed definite leadership potential in his Academy entrance exams.  I may even recruit him myself if he does well enough."

Misaki raised an eyebrow and Funaho smiled. "The recording's been destroyed as well, don't worry.  It won't come back to haunt either of them, or us.  I've made sure of that.  But you don't seem terribly upset at your daughter's actions."

Misaki scrunched down into the chair, her face suddenly drawn.  "Oh, believe me, I'm not at all pleased.  And she's as much your daughter as mine; I just provided the ovum.  Besides, what would be the point in confronting her?  It would only drive her into further rebellion.  But we must never, ever tell our husband about this."

"No, not ever," Funaho agreed, one finger tapping idly on the desk in front of her.  "I think perhaps it's time that she went looking for her brother."

Misaki mulled this over for a moment.  "Perhaps it is.  But will she find him?"

"Eventually," Funaho sighed.  "But I think it will be a long search."

"Sasami should go with her."

The First Queen sat up straight in her chair, suddenly wide-awake.  "What?  Why?"

Misaki shrugged.  "It just seems right, almost as if it's destined to happen.  Maybe Tsunami planted the idea in my head."

Funaho watched her friend and co-wife through suddenly narrowed eyes.  Just how much did Misaki know or guess at?

"Well," said the Second Queen, sliding effortlessly into her public, slightly ditzy and bouncy, persona.  "I guess I should go talk to him about it.  Why don't you try to get some sleep?  You look dead on your feet."  She got up and left the room.

"Sleep," mumbled Funaho.  "Not likely.  Not yet anyway."  She activated the surveillance devices hidden in Azusa's audience chamber.  She needed to know how Misaki was going to handle their husband and if she would have to do any pushing of her own to help.

A week went by and Misaki's urging had begun to bear fruit.  Funaho found that a few whispered words in Azusa's ear every now and then helped move things along nicely in the direction they wanted it to go.  Getting him to agree to Sasami's accompanying Ayeka had been an issue, but he finally came around after Funaho quietly suggested that a couple of Misaki's Juraian Guardians go with them.  The Guardians could also fulfill another purpose, allowing Yosho the time he said he needed for Ryoko's reformation.

*****

A few weeks shy of the second anniversary of Yosho's disappearance and five days before her seventeenth birthday, Azusa called his daughter into the audience room.

"Ayeka, daughter," Azusa said, reaching out and taking his daughter's hand in his.  "I've given it some thought and I've decided to let you go look for Yosho."

Ayeka's eyes grew wide.  She wondered if her father could possibly know what had happened on Banri's last night in the palace.  She quickly discarded the idea, as he didn't seem upset.  "I'll leave at once, father," she said with a bow.

"Wait," the Emperor squeezed her hand to prevent her from leaving.  "I've also decided that your sister will accompany you."

The princess was stunned.  "Sasami?  But why?  It could be a dangerous voyage."

"No, not really," Azusa explained.  "You'll be watched over by two Guardians, Azaka and Kamidake.  They'll also serve as pilots for Ryu-oh."

"Father!"  The princess pulled her hand away from his.

"Ayeka," the Emperor pleaded.  "We don't know how long this will take.  It could be weeks, years or even centuries."

"All the more reason for Sasami to remain here."

"Sasami goes; she's already packed.  The Guardians have been ordered to keep you in cold sleep until they receive some indication of your brother's presence.  If you can't agree to these terms, you will not go.  That's final."  He didn't tell her that the Guardians had also been ordered to stay far away from colony planet 0-315 until they received word from Funaho that everything was prepared.  But he'd been afraid to ask Misaki just what exactly 'prepared' meant.

Ayeka bowed her head.  "It seems I have no choice. All right father, I agree."

Azusa took a deep breath. "Then you may leave whenever you are prepared, no sooner than tomorrow though.  Make absolutely sure Ryu-oh is ready, Azaka and Kamidake are already aboard running the preflights."

"Yes father, we'll be leaving in the morning."  Ayeka turned and walked away, neither father nor daughter was quite sure if they'd actually won a victory this time.

*****

Author's Notes – Version II.

All right, this is the rewrite of the story.  I hope I smoothed over some of the bumps and filled in some cracks.   I want to thank those people that pointed out the major (and minor) flaws in the first version and allowed me to bounce ideas for improvement off them.  Poor people, I fully understand the suffering they must've gone through.  This one's not perfect either, but it's much, much better and it's probably as good as it's going to get.

*****

Notes from the first version.

This is the second story that Ministry Agent suggested to me.  I've always wanted to do one about Ayeka's past; I did one about Ryoko a while back, but didn't know where to start with this one.  This little story expands on an incident Ayeka tells Ryoko about in the first story I ever wrote, Conversations.  I had absolutely no intention of ever expanding on it, it was simply a plot point.  But it seems I'm easily talked into things, so here it is.

This was going to be a one-shot and may still be.  But as I wrote it I wondered if this might not be the perfect venue for a coming-of-age fic about Sasami as well.  There seems to be a lot of 'discussion' about how I have her behaving in the other story.  I can't guarantee it, but you might want to keep an eye out for The Princess Files: Sasami sometime in the future, perhaps as a second chapter to this one.

*****

BobR

2/27/2003