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All "Tenchi Muyo" references are copyrighted by Pioneer and AIC. This is an amateur non-commercial story, which is not produced, approved of, or sponsored by the holders of the trademarks/copyrights from which this work is derived. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author.
On Wings of Change: Part One
Chapter Five: Wings of Decision
The well-lit room the gathering of men sat in gave no hint to the group's evil intentions. Each man sat in a high backed chair. Some smoked cigars while others held cocktails in their hands. Their ages and backgrounds varied, but it was evident that they were all members of the upper class.
"The attack on the Destroyer of Worlds has failed." The man at the head of the table said.
Four others bowed their heads and one of them spoke. "That is correct, sir. We had her, but a man wielding a Jurian Key interfered, and having no weapons to fight against such power, we aborted our mission."
The man at the head of the table nodded. "I understand. This man traveled to our planet with the Princesses. His name is Masaki Tenchi and he is an Earthling. Other than that, there is little to no information that is available."
"An Earthling? How would an Earthling have the power to wield a Jurian Key?" Another asked.
"What direction from our leaders?" Came the voice of another.
The man at the head of the table held up his hand for silence. "I have not yet contacted them. I require more information before doing so. As for the Earthling, I do not yet know how he wields a Key, but I do believe that we will find out. We will attack again, I will send stronger warriors."
After a moment of consideration, he pointed towards two figures standing near the door. "Those two will carry out this mission. We need to assess the Earthling's sword further. Bring Ryouko to me. As for that boy, if he gets in the way…eliminate him."
* * *
Tenchi walked through the rear of the hotel carrying two bokkens. He squinted his eyes in the early morning sunlight. The day before, as he and Ryouko had walked to meet with the royal family for dinner, Tenchi had lamented that he hadn't practiced his sword technique in five days, and he had worried about getting rusty.
When Ryouko had offered to spar with him, he was adamantly against the idea at first. Tenchi was worried he would hurt her since she didn't have her powers, and besides, he was unsure about sparring with a woman.
Ryouko had dismissed his ideals, stating that she needed to learn to fight better because she couldn't use her powers. Besides, in challenge to his gender statement, what made him think that he was stronger than her, anyway, with or without her powers?
Tenchi chuckled at the memory or Ryouko insisting that they spar together. He walked towards their meeting spot at the path that led to the stables. They had both noticed that the ground was flat and they were sure to find a large enough clearing in the woods where they could spread out to spar.
He gulped quietly when he saw Ryouko at the head of the path, already waiting for him. She was wearing an outfit similar the one he wore. A loose pair of gray cotton pants and a matching gray short-sleeved shirt with a pair of sneakers. Despite the workout wear, Tenchi had to admit she was still gorgeous. He mentally thanked himself for insisting that he get her that outfit in case she had wanted to train. He didn't know what he'd do if she'd shown up in something less revealing.
"Good morning Ryouko.' Tenchi called out to her, tossing her one of the wooden swords.
She caught it by the handle with ease and flashed him one of her fangs in a smile. "Morning." She replied, casually.
The two jogged down the path in search of a suitable area to spar, the cool morning air kept the sweat from building up. The sounds of the birds in the trees and their sneakers hitting the trail were the only noises so early in the morning.
"Over there, Tenchi." Ryouko said, jogging off the path and into the forest until they came to an ample sized clearing in the forest.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Tenchi asked Ryouko.
Ryouko patted her elbow "Bring it on." She taunted, acquiring a fighting stance.
Tenchi noticed how excited and alive Ryouko seemed as she readied herself for their match. He began his pre-battle exercises to clear his mind, and he buried any emotion he had been feeling. Katsuhito had taught him to be calm and collected in battle.
Ryouko had watched Tenchi and Katsuhito train many times before and she knew what to expect of him. She expected Tenchi to wait for her to get impatient and attack, and that it would benefit her to wait for him to take the lead. However, waiting was not Ryouko's style. After a minute of trying this approach and getting fed up with waiting, she switched tactics.
With a sharp intake of breath, Ryouko lunged towards Tenchi in a low stance. The legs were generally the most undefended part of the body, so she ducked low and swung her bokken at Tenchi's knees.
He easily blocked her blow and leapt over top of Ryouko's low stance, turning in mid-air to swing at her mid section. Pushing off the ground with her feet, Ryouko did a back flip, dodging Tenchi's swing and landing on her feet gracefully, facing him.
Tenchi began a new technique by running towards Ryouko and executing a series of tight, flowing sword routines that sent Ryouko back pedaling. Ryouko back flipped a second time to give her a brief moment to develop a new strategy. Stealing a quick glance at Tenchi's intense brown eyes, she realized how much fun she was having. The thrill of battle always turned her on, and here she was, sparring with the person that was most important to her. But her love for him didn't grant him a win.
She blocked his forceful blow as he chopped towards her head and she gritted her teeth as the two held their bokkens in front of their faces. Each one stared the other down as they fought strength against strength. It was an arm wresting match for the swords in a battle for the upper hand.
Without the level of power she was used to receiving from her gem, she knew she couldn't match Tenchi's strength. Ryouko chose to take advantage of one of Tenchi's weaknesses. She softened her expression and blew a kiss at him. Ryouko felt Tenchi's strength falter as his bokken trembled under hers. She stole the opportunity to push him back as she made a series of erratic and furious swings at him.
Tenchi recovered quickly but had to concentrate hard to parry Ryouko's blows. She grinned at Tenchi's recovery. She had hoped she could gain the upper hand by exploiting Jurian swordsmanship's strict emphesis on technique and forms by countering with her brand of free style fighting, but Tenchi had outsmarted her.
Deciding it was time to turn the tables on Ryouko, Tenchi leapt backwards, away from Ryouko's reach, and sunk low to the ground. Gathering his energy, he recoiled like a spring, jumping towards Ryouko, spinning mid air and locking bokkens with her as his momentum pushed them both to the ground, Ryouko on her back with Tenchi on top of her. For a split second, Tenchi thought he had won until he realized that his entire body wasn't actually on top of his sparring partner's.
Ryouko's eyes were squeezed shut with determination, beads of sweat hung on her brow as she kept Tenchi's upper body barely off her own through their locked bokkens between them. Knowing Tenchi's strength outmatched her own, she knew she wouldn't be unable to push him off of her, but she was not yet ready to throw in the towel.
She heaved as loudly as she could, her muscles reaching overload as she pushed Tenchi to the side, rolling him over onto his back. Her own body, still locked around his followed the motion so she that she was now on top of Tenchi, straddling him.
Shocked at the turn of events and unprepared by Ryouko's sudden display of strength, Tenchi's arms went weak against his body. He quietly gasped at the feel of Ryouko's body against his own as she pushed the sides of both their bokkens into Tenchi's chest.
She opened her eyes. "I…I won?" She asked, incrediously, looking at Tenchi's flushed face.
Tenchi nodded, admitting his defeat. "Your arms are shaking." He stated. As if in a trance, he raised his arms and placed his hands on her upper arms.
"Th…they are." She realized, feeling her overloaded muscles jumping wildly under the firm pressure of Tenchi's touch. 'It's just like the other night.' She thought. 'The mood, the look in his eyes. Is he concerned for me…or is this something else?'
She didn't care anymore. She didn't care if Tenchi would push her away, she was determined to show him how much she loved him. She slowly lowered her upper body until it was parallel to his, her lips hovering mere inches from Tenchi's. His heart was pounding, she could almost hear it, feel it pulsing through his hands that still rested on her arms.
Suddenly, she felt those hands suddenly tighten around her arms. "Ryouko, wait!" He hissed. Her heart began to drop to her stomach at his violent refusal, but before she could finish grasping the emotion, Tenchi whispered, "Someone's coming."
Tenchi's eyes were intense, his brow furrowed and his body rigid. Ryouko mentally stepped back from her emotions and concentrated on her acute hearing. "There are two of them. Maybe three. Humans, fifty feet away and closing." She whispered, cursing herself for letting her emotions take over her primary senses.
Ryouko reluctantly lifted her body off of Tenchi's, clenching her bokken and taking a defensive stance. Tenchi picked himself off the ground and uncomfortably shifted in his pants before taking the same stance next to Ryouko.
"They've stopped. Twenty feet out." She whispered. Tenchi nodded, having heard the minute rustlings cease.
Time ticked tensely, slowly for the two. They had obviously foiled an attempted ambush, but what was to happen now? Tenchi was positive that who ever it was must be linked to the earlier attack on Ryouko. He stepped forward so that he stood slightly in front of Ryouko, protecting her. "Show yourselves. We know you're out there!" He yelled into the forest.
Only silence ensued. One minute. Two minutes. Three. Four.
"Young man, we do not want any trouble." A smooth voice suddenly said from the forest. "Leave this place now and tell no one of what you've heard."
Ryouko straightened her body. 'That voice…that voice, where have I heard it?' She asked herself.
"No." Tenchi insisted, holding his ground.
"I will repeat myself only once, boy. Surrender the monster, or we will attack." The same voice from the forest said.
"Never!" Tenchi yelled in defiance.
Suddenly, two men jumped from behind the trees and through the low bushes at the edge of the clearing. Each wielded a sword and they charged at Tenchi and Ryouko. They were dressed in robes of green and tan, Jurian camoflauge.
They ran at full speed, aiming for Ryouko. She gritted her teeth, clenching the handle of the bokken, knowing that the wooden weapon would be no protection against the steel swords of the attackers. 'I can't fight them. Defense only.' She told herself.
Tenchi ran forward and locked swords with the first man, the metal sword of the attacker slicing all the way through his bokken as both attackers ran past him and aimed for Ryouko. The other man swung at Ryouko who flipped into the air to dodge the blow. The first man swung at her and she managed to raise her bokken in time, but it suffered the same fate as Tenchi's.
He tossed the half bokken he was holding and reached into his clothes, pulling out the Tenchi-ken. He was off and running as it ignited, it's burning blue blade shimmering. One of them men had backed Ryouko against a tree and was holding her there with the point of his sword while the other reached into his robe. Tenchi watched him pull out a gun. "It's a stun gun.' He realized.
Tenchi let out a ferocious yell and jumped into the air, kicking the man with the stun gun down and aiming with the Tenchi-ken for the man that held Ryouko against the tree with his sword. He had expected the man to defend himself and attack him. However, the Tenchi-ken smoothly ripped through the attacker's body, from his shoulder to his wait. Tenchi landed, realizing what he had just done, and his stomach plummeted before he turned around, afraid to see the grisly scene of two halves of the attacker before him.
"Tenchi, he was..." Ryouko said.
"An android?" He asked slowly as he looked down at the two pieces of an android, wires and metal spilling forth from either end of the hole that Tenchi had made.
Just then the second android launched himself at Ryouko, stun gun held before him. Before he could think, Tenchi spun and delivered the same fate to the machine.
Tenchi and Ryouko stood amidst the tangle of wires from the android's bodies, tensely waiting to see if the ordeal was over. The only sound from the forest was the sound of the birds high in the trees. "I think the last one is gone." Tenchi said as he relaxed his stance, the blade of the Tenchi-ken extinguishing itself from the bottom to it's top.
"That voice." Ryouko said.
"What voice?" Tenchi asked.
"Their leader, the third person I detected, the one who never showed himself. I've heard his voice before." Ryouko replied, her brow furrowed as she tried to remember.
Tenchi thought about it as well. 'It did sound familiar, come to think about it.'
"Aoyama Masamitsu." Ryouko growled through clenched teeth
Tenchi nodded, placing the voice with the name. "The Prince? But why?" He asked.
Ryouko relaxed her stance, her muscles tense and tired. "Other than what I did to Jurai so long ago, I don't know, Tenchi. But I'm sure there are more of them, there must be a whole group of people who want me dead."
"But the Statute of Limitations…" Argued Tenchi.
"…Means nothing to them." Ryouko finished. "They just want revenge. After all… wouldn't you feel the same way?"
Tenchi looked to the ground. "At first, perhaps." He admitted. "But they have been told why you did what you did, and besides…" He trailed off. "Seven hundred years can obviously change a person."
Ryouko smiled at him. "Well, they don't know that."
"I still think we need to tell someone about this." Tenchi said. Ryouko turned her pleading eyes on him once more. Apparently, this new attack had not changed her mind, her determination to not fight was resolute. "Fine, fine. But at least tell Washu, she might have some insight, okay?" He caved in.
"Thank you, Tenchi." Ryouko said, relief in her voice. Then, changing the subject, she said, "Come on, I'd say we're safe now, let's go get some grub."
Tenchi sighed. "How can you just shake off an attack on your life like that?"
Ryouko merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Can we go now? I'm hungry."
* * *
"Can I have another serving, Sasami?" Ryouko happily asked, holding her rice bowl in front of her. The young girl happily obliged her older friend by filling it up for her. The whole gang was seated in the same room they had been sharing their meals in for a late breakfast, which had given Tenchi and Ryouko time to clean up from their sparring match and the fight.
"So what is everyone doing today?" Sasami asked.
"The Miho-Kiyo Duo are going out karaoke bar hopping!" Mihoshi enthusiastically announced.
Kiyone sighed. "I wish you wouldn't refer to us as that." She grumbled.
"Ryo-chan and I are going to go back to the stable to ride Devoto again. Aeka-oneechan, would you like to go with me?" Sasami asked.
Aeka coughed slightly into the tea she had been sipping. She had different plans for her day. 'It's now or never.' She said to herself as she took a deep breath. "Actually Sasami, I was going to ask Lord Tenchi if he would like to go on a tour of the gardens this evening, as he had expressed interest in the gardens when we first arrived."
Tenchi looked up from his plate, unsure of how to reply to Aeka's sudden request. 'That was very forward of her.' He thought.
Ryouko opened her mouth to protest when Aeka shot her an evil glare. "What do you say, Lord Tenchi? We have not yet spent any time together on our vacation. Would you like to go with me?"
Tenchi scratched at the back of his head, stalling as he thought. 'It's probably not likely, but what if Ryouko's attackers come after her tonight? I can't just ignore Aeka though, I am here with her too. I need to be fair. Even if…even if I don't think I want to be. Maybe I can check up on Ryouko afterwards.'
"S…sure, Miss Aeka." He replied
Ryouko looked down at her rice, forcing herself to remain calm as Aeka continued. "Excellent, Lord Tenchi. Shall we meet in the lobby around seven for dinner first? I understand the gardens are most beautiful during the night."
Tenchi nodded, trying to ignore both the excited twinkle in Aeka's eyes and the flush on her cheeks, and the silently fuming Ryouko
"So Ryouko, how about you and I go out this afternoon?" Washu asked.
Ryouko pointed to herself, a confused look on her face. "Me?" She asked.
"Yeah you, you nimrod! I am your mother, after all." Washu replied.
"Sometimes I wonder." Ryouko retorted, sticking her tongue out, but agreeing to go anyway. Tenchi felt relieved that Ryouko would at least be protected with Washu around. 'Thank you, Washu.' He said to himself.
* * *
Ryouko sat in the onsen section of the pool, sipping from a saucer of sake. 'I can't believe Tenchi and Aeka are going out tonight.' She complained to herself. For that matter, she couldn't believe she didn't put up more of a fight. "What goes around come around, I guess. I've had more time with him alone these past few days anyway.'
As much as she hated to admit it, she supposed the princess did deserve some time with Tenchi as well. Even if it did mean she was stuck with Washu all day. 'Oh well, I needed to talk to her about the attack this morning anyway.' She reminded herself.
"Mind if I join you, Ryouko?" Aeka asked, standing outside the onsen next to the submerged Ryouko.
At first, Ryouko was angry. 'She's come to gloat?' When she turned to face the princess she saw the bottle of sake that Aeka had carried with her. "I see you come bearing gifts." She said.
Aeka gingerly stepped into the hot water and sat next to Ryouko, passing her the bottle. "Only the best, pirate." She said smugly as Ryouko admired the label before popping the fat wooden cork. Filling a new saucer she passed it to Aeka.
"I wish to thank you again, for helping me out yesterday when my horse ran off with me." Aeka said, taking the first sip of sake before passing it back to Ryouko.
The early afternoon sun beat down on the trees above them. The dappled sun shone through the leaves, leaving blotches of light and darkness on the pool of water and the two people sharing a brief silence as they enjoyed the warmth of the waters.
"You know princess, I've taken my fair share of falls while riding." Ryouko said as she floated the sake back to Aeka.
"Is that so, Ryouko?" Aeka asked, raising the saucer to her lips.
Ryouko chuckled and shut her eyes, leaning back into the water. "In fact, there was this one time that I took mom…um, I mean…Washu out for a trail ride. We were just out for a walk in the woods when I got an idea to show off in front of her. So I asked my horse to jump over a tree that had fallen on the path. Well, that horse jumped so high, he scared me right off! I fell on my butt on the side of the trail. Of course, Washu thought it was really funny, until a Zinnian horsefly landed on her horse's but and bit him. So needless to say, Washu landed next to me on the trail. So here we are on our butts, our horses had run back to the barn and we had to walk all the way back!"
Aeka's chuckle had turned into a laugh as Ryouko ended her story. The two girls laughed together at the thought of Washu and a young Ryouko getting thrown off their horses. 'This must be Ryouko's round about way of making me feel better for losing control of my horse.' Aeka realized.
The two girls sat in the onsen, enjoying each other's company for a change as they simply relaxed, conversing about whatever crossed their minds.
Aeka looked up at the sun, realizing that the afternoon hours were already underway. She stood and stretched, her muscles loose and relaxed after her soak. "I must retire to my room. I need to prepare for my…" She faltered. "For tonight." She said, seeing Ryouko look away.
"Pfft. Fine by me, princess. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do." She chided. Not wanting to start a fight, Aeka stepped out of the onsen and simply left.
Ryouko filled herself another saucer of the sake, wallowing in her sadness. 'Just like the princess always says, Tenchi could never love a monster like me anyway.'
* * *
"Wipe that grumpy expression off your face, Ryouko." Washu demanded as Ryouko met her by the pool that afternoon.
"Well if it wasn't for you, I could have argued about Tenchi and Aeka going out together tonight." Ryouko pouted.
"Nervous?" Washu asked.
Ryouko folded her arms over her chest and grunted, looking away before remembering that she had needed to talk to Washu anyway. "Oh, by the way, we were attacked again this morning."
Washu listened attentively as Ryouko recounted the attempted ambush of the androids that morning. Washu's brow furrowed when Ryouko told her that Aoyama Masamitsu seemed to be the leader of the resistance. She placed her finger to her chin, deep in thought.
"So Ryouko…" She said seriously, "getting up at the break of dawn to sneak out with Tenchi, huh?"
Ryouko face-faulted, a vein popping out of her temple. "Mom, we were sparring! Be serious about this!"
Washu returned to her normal, analytical self. "Well, I wouldn't second guess your assumption that their leader is Masamitsu. Your hearing is perfect, and you can recognize the most minute speech patterns. As for the androids, I believe that he used them instead of real humans to learn more about Tenchi's sword."
"The Tenchi-ken? But why?" Ryouko asked.
"I'm guessing that Masamitsu is the only one among his followers that holds enough power to be bonded to a space tree, so he is the only one who has a Key himself. Since no one knows that Tenchi is actually the Crown Prince, imagine his confusion at seeing him hone a Jurian Key. He must have used the androids to collect data so that he knows what Key he is fighting against." Washu deducted.
Ryouko nodded, understanding. "So I have no choice. I won't let him fight Tenchi. I will have to fight him."
Washu sighed. "Ryouko, I still haven't made any progress on the source of the bracelet's power. Won't you at least take some of my weapons with you in case you get attacked again?"
"No." Ryouko replied evenly, looking down at the bracelet. The metal still felt as cold as the day she put it on.
"You stubborn thing." Washu said, aggravated. She backed off the topic and after a few moments, changed the subject. "Hey…do you remember the time when I taught you how to play Cerulean baseball?"
Washu watched Ryouko's expression as her daughter tried to remember what she meant. Almost as if a light bulb went off, Ryouko exclaimed, "How could I have forgotten!" She then paused, thoughtful. "You mean less like you taught me how to play and more like you kept hitting me in the head with the ball?"
Washu threw her hands up in the air. "I never claimed to have a good aim."
"Hey, what about that time you taught me that trigonometry equation to predict exactly when the bakery would serve the hottest meat buns?" Ryouko asked, excited.
"You didn't believe it would work until you tried it." Washu replied, a smile on her face.
Mother and daughter sat there for the rest of the afternoon, under the umbrella's shade by the side of the pool. Sipping lemonades and snacking on rice crackers, they recounted memory after endless memory.
* * *
Seven o' clock on the dot, Princess Aeka stepped out into the main lobby. Right away, she spotted Tenchi sitting on the same fountain where she had found him the other morning. Fighting the butterflies in her stomach, she admired his outfit. He was dressed in a pair of khaki slacks with a tight black tee shirt that showed off his muscles.
He stood as he saw Aeka approach. She looked beautiful. She wore a multi-layered Jurian robe as usual, only this one was far more decorative than any other that he'd seen. It was in hues of purple, pink, and a soft blue with triangular decorations across the ends of the sleeves. Gold highlights adorned the robe and there was a design of sakura petals that graced the bottom of the robe, the shades of pinks matched her blushing face evenly.
"Sh…shall we go?" Tenchi asked.
Aeka nodded and followed Tenchi out through the rear of the hotel. They stopped at a directory of the shops and restaurants to decide where to eat. Aeka stood as close to Tenchi as possible, brushing her hand against his between them.
Tenchi raised his hand to scratch his head, looking at the restaurant choices. "How does Earth Chinese sound?" He asked.
Aeka inwardly blanched. He hadn't noticed her attempt to hold his hand, and she had certainly hoped for a more romantic dinner than Chinese. "That sounds wonderful, Lord Tenchi." She lied.
The two made their way through the pool areas, Aeka careful not to trip on her long robe as they walked. When they came to a small creek that crossed the path, Tenchi offered her his hand as they walked over several stepping stones. The fading sunlight barely reached underneath the giant palms that covered the path, and the lamps along the walkway suddenly came to life casting a golden glow on them.
Tenchi didn't notice the blush on Aeka's cheeks, but focused on the soft glow of the lights. 'Like Ryouko's eyes.' He realized.
Once they got off the path, they found the restaurant and Tenchi asked for a table for two. After being seated and looking at the menu, Tenchi took a sip of his water and almost choked on it.
"Lord Tenchi, what is the matter?" Aeka asked worriedly.
"Looks like the rest of the family decided to eat here too." He said, pointing to a doorway to a private room where he could see the back of Ryouko's pointy hair. The rest of the girls sat around the table, already eating their dinners.
Aeka sighed. "Go figure."
The waitress soon returned with their meals and Tenchi and Aeka began to eat and share a light conversation about gardens.
Aeka began explaining, "Because this planet has such a rich history in Earth's horses, I'm sure you've noticed that many of our plants are from Earth as well. The gardens in this resort are composed mostly of Earth varieties of…Lord Tenchi?" Aeka asked as she realized Tenchi was staring over her head.
She turned to see what had caught his attention. Behind her, her extended family was walking out of the room they had dined in, all except Ryouko, who stood frozen in the doorway, eyes locked with Tenchi's. Aeka's blood ran cold. She was expecting a fight out of Ryouko, but instead, the half smile that she flashed to make them believe she wasn't bothered was somehow worse as she turned and followed her family outside.
Tenchi's heart felt as though it had been torn in half seeing Ryouko force herself to walk away. Every fiber of his being demanded him to go after her. 'You can't just leave Aeka when you agreed to take her out.' He reasoned to himself as he watched Ryouko leave.
Aeka could see Tenchi's desire to go after Ryouko. 'It's written all over his face.' She thought to herself. Wanting to deny it, she told herself, 'surely I am misinterpreting something.'
"I…I'm sorry, Miss Aeka. You were saying?" Tenchi said weakly.
* * *
"Are you okay, little Ryouko? Washu asked her daughter.
"Fine." Ryouko mumbled.
Washu and Ryouko walked together, a ways behind their family on their way back to the hotel. Ryouko prepared herself to continue to push her mother away, until she remembered the afternoon they had shared, and the good time they had together. She sighed. "I just…I don't know where we stand, Tenchi and I. I thought maybe he was starting to like me, but now he's…out with Aeka. I think… he has feelings for her."
"But you don't know what those feelings are." Washu pointed out.
"I don't." Ryouko admitted. "But that's it. It hurts not knowing, this thick feeling that's always in the pit of my stomach. I care for him so much, and even if I were to…to loose, I just want to know."
"Don't you think Aeka feels the same?" Washu asked.
"Aeka?" Ryouko asked. "I…I guess."
"Ryouko, you've never in your life let anything stand in your way until you met Aeka. I know you care for her, no matter how you may try to deny it. But you must understand that she must feel the same pain that you do." Washu said.
"Well what if he doesn't lo-" Ryouko began
"What if he does?" Washu said, cutting her off. "Ryouko, do you love him, do you truly love Tenchi?"
Ryouko looked her mother in the eyes. "More than I ever thought possible."
"Then you need to tell him." Washu said.
"You're right. I need to tell him how I feel."
Washu nodded approvingly and put her hands on Ryouko's shoulders. "You know I'm here for you, little Ryouko."
Ryouko clasped her hands over her mother's. "Thanks…mom." She said, before turning and running towards the garden.
* * *
Aeka and Tenchi walked slowly through the gardens. Aeka had been right, the gardens were beautiful at night. The dim light of the stars, the radiance of the two full moons and the gentle glow of the amber lamps illuminated the gardens in ghostly hues, giving the displays a mystic and beautiful appearance.
Tenchi listened attentively as Aeka explained some of the few species of Jurian plants. Even though his knowledge was limited, Tenchi's farming skills had taught him much of the various plants on Earth, and he recognized many of the plants from his planet.
Aeka felt Tenchi freeze as she slid her arm between his arm and torso as they walked through the garden together. 'I must not back down now.' She thought to herself. 'This is my reason for bringing Lord Tenchi to this place. I have prepared for this for so long. Tonight will be the night.'
"I'm sure you are familiar with this plant, Lord Tenchi." Aeka began as they stopped in front of a group of flowers. She steeled herself to continue and pointed to a plant with tall stalks that sported ruffle-like blooms of whites, pinks, reds and yellows.
"These flowers are known as Gladiolus, and they are a symbol of strength of character, as are you, Lord Tenchi." She said in a hushed voice.
Tenchi noticed the immense blush on her face as Aeka pointed to a group of short flowers in an abundance of different colors. Each bloom was feathery, beautiful and larger than the foliage that supported it.
Aeka continued, clasping a hand to her chest. "The Dahlia here symbolizes dignity and elegance, such as myself."
Aeka then pointed to a plant that lay between the Gladiolus and the Dahlias. It had long green leaves that pointed towards the sky, and a long stalk on which sat a bloom of yellow tapered petals.
Aeka swallowed and continued. "This flower, the yellow Tulip, Lord Tenchi, stands for love, as in the true love I know we share between our two souls."
Tenchi's palms were sweating. Aeka's words had touched him deeply, and now her confession sat lying in the open like a treasure of wealth set before him if only he would claim it as his own. Aeka's pink eyes were on the verge of tears. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for Tenchi to say something. Anything.
Tenchi sensed Aeka's trepidation, her longing for his answer. He sensed all of her emotions at once. Fear, eagerness, sadness, all so close to pure happiness if only he would chose her. 'This is what I've put them through all these years. It's time to end this suffering.' He thought to himself.
"Aeka." Tenchi said quietly, dropping her suffix and calling her by her name. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed back into her pink eyes. "I…I'm sorry, but I can not return your feelings."
The tears that were already waiting in Aeka's eyes spilled forth and coursed their way down her porcelain face. Tenchi fought the urge to look away. 'I need to be strong, for her sake.' He realized.
He leaned forward and drew his arms around Aeka in an embrace as she began to sob. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I wish I could have been man enough to have told you sooner. Please forgive me for stringing you along for so many years. I didn't know what I was doing, I was unaware of the pain I had caused you."
"But Lord Tenchi, you were destined to love me!" She sobbed into his chest.
Tenchi reached down and tipped her head up to look at him. "Aeka, I do love you, I love you as a part of my family, I love you as a friend. I would fight endless battles for you and I will always be here for you, but I can not offer you anything else you may wish of me.
Tenchi's face shimmered in Aeka's tear stained view as she realized it was over. Her expression grew soft. "I…I understand, T...Tenchi. But please, please allow me one good-bye kiss." She then placed each of her soft palms on either side of Tenchi's face and stepped on her tip-toes.
- - -
Ryouko jogged down the path leading to the alcove where Tenchi and Aeka were. Seeing the top of Tenchi's head over a row of plants, she sped up, turning the corner.
- - -
"Ten-!" Ryouko began as she came to a skidding halt from around the corner. Her stomach plummeted as she saw Tenchi and Aeka locked in an embrace, kissing.
Tenchi looked towards Ryouko as Aeka pulled her face away from his. "Ryou-" He began.
Tears freely flowed down Ryouko's face. Tenchi's arms were still held protectively around the princess. Aeka looked at Ryouko with watery eyes. 'Is that…pity?' Ryouko asked herself. She turned sharply around, and took off running. As quickly as she had appeared, Ryouko was gone again.
"I am sorry. I…should not have done that." Aeka said quickly as she stepped away from Tenchi. She had not wanted Ryouko to see that.
She looked at the longing in Tenchi's eyes as he stared at the spot that Ryouko had so quickly vacated. "Tenchi, What are you waiting for?" Aeka asked.
Tenchi looked at her, confused.
"Go after her!" She urged.
"Are you sure, Miss Aeka?" He said, addressing her formally again.
Aeka made a show of drying her tears, even though on the inside she was crumbling. She gave Tenchi a weak smile, all that she could muster. "Do not make me tell you again, Lord Tenchi." She demanded.
Tenchi gave her a greatful smile and squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you, Miss Aeka." He said before running after Ryouko.
Once Tenchi turned the corner, Aeka collapsed to a sitting position on the ground, tears streaming down her face anew. 'In time…' She cried to herself. 'In time I shall learn to deal with this loss. He was so kind not to even mention her name to me. She may have won his heart, but I will still retain my pride. I will overcome this.' She resolved to herself.
Aeka's sobs quieted to a silent cry as she sat in the garden under the twin full moons.
* * *
End chapter 5
All "Tenchi Muyo" references are copyrighted by Pioneer and AIC. This is an amateur non-commercial story, which is not produced, approved of, or sponsored by the holders of the trademarks/copyrights from which this work is derived. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author.
On Wings of Change: Part One
Chapter Five: Wings of Decision
The well-lit room the gathering of men sat in gave no hint to the group's evil intentions. Each man sat in a high backed chair. Some smoked cigars while others held cocktails in their hands. Their ages and backgrounds varied, but it was evident that they were all members of the upper class.
"The attack on the Destroyer of Worlds has failed." The man at the head of the table said.
Four others bowed their heads and one of them spoke. "That is correct, sir. We had her, but a man wielding a Jurian Key interfered, and having no weapons to fight against such power, we aborted our mission."
The man at the head of the table nodded. "I understand. This man traveled to our planet with the Princesses. His name is Masaki Tenchi and he is an Earthling. Other than that, there is little to no information that is available."
"An Earthling? How would an Earthling have the power to wield a Jurian Key?" Another asked.
"What direction from our leaders?" Came the voice of another.
The man at the head of the table held up his hand for silence. "I have not yet contacted them. I require more information before doing so. As for the Earthling, I do not yet know how he wields a Key, but I do believe that we will find out. We will attack again, I will send stronger warriors."
After a moment of consideration, he pointed towards two figures standing near the door. "Those two will carry out this mission. We need to assess the Earthling's sword further. Bring Ryouko to me. As for that boy, if he gets in the way…eliminate him."
* * *
Tenchi walked through the rear of the hotel carrying two bokkens. He squinted his eyes in the early morning sunlight. The day before, as he and Ryouko had walked to meet with the royal family for dinner, Tenchi had lamented that he hadn't practiced his sword technique in five days, and he had worried about getting rusty.
When Ryouko had offered to spar with him, he was adamantly against the idea at first. Tenchi was worried he would hurt her since she didn't have her powers, and besides, he was unsure about sparring with a woman.
Ryouko had dismissed his ideals, stating that she needed to learn to fight better because she couldn't use her powers. Besides, in challenge to his gender statement, what made him think that he was stronger than her, anyway, with or without her powers?
Tenchi chuckled at the memory or Ryouko insisting that they spar together. He walked towards their meeting spot at the path that led to the stables. They had both noticed that the ground was flat and they were sure to find a large enough clearing in the woods where they could spread out to spar.
He gulped quietly when he saw Ryouko at the head of the path, already waiting for him. She was wearing an outfit similar the one he wore. A loose pair of gray cotton pants and a matching gray short-sleeved shirt with a pair of sneakers. Despite the workout wear, Tenchi had to admit she was still gorgeous. He mentally thanked himself for insisting that he get her that outfit in case she had wanted to train. He didn't know what he'd do if she'd shown up in something less revealing.
"Good morning Ryouko.' Tenchi called out to her, tossing her one of the wooden swords.
She caught it by the handle with ease and flashed him one of her fangs in a smile. "Morning." She replied, casually.
The two jogged down the path in search of a suitable area to spar, the cool morning air kept the sweat from building up. The sounds of the birds in the trees and their sneakers hitting the trail were the only noises so early in the morning.
"Over there, Tenchi." Ryouko said, jogging off the path and into the forest until they came to an ample sized clearing in the forest.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Tenchi asked Ryouko.
Ryouko patted her elbow "Bring it on." She taunted, acquiring a fighting stance.
Tenchi noticed how excited and alive Ryouko seemed as she readied herself for their match. He began his pre-battle exercises to clear his mind, and he buried any emotion he had been feeling. Katsuhito had taught him to be calm and collected in battle.
Ryouko had watched Tenchi and Katsuhito train many times before and she knew what to expect of him. She expected Tenchi to wait for her to get impatient and attack, and that it would benefit her to wait for him to take the lead. However, waiting was not Ryouko's style. After a minute of trying this approach and getting fed up with waiting, she switched tactics.
With a sharp intake of breath, Ryouko lunged towards Tenchi in a low stance. The legs were generally the most undefended part of the body, so she ducked low and swung her bokken at Tenchi's knees.
He easily blocked her blow and leapt over top of Ryouko's low stance, turning in mid-air to swing at her mid section. Pushing off the ground with her feet, Ryouko did a back flip, dodging Tenchi's swing and landing on her feet gracefully, facing him.
Tenchi began a new technique by running towards Ryouko and executing a series of tight, flowing sword routines that sent Ryouko back pedaling. Ryouko back flipped a second time to give her a brief moment to develop a new strategy. Stealing a quick glance at Tenchi's intense brown eyes, she realized how much fun she was having. The thrill of battle always turned her on, and here she was, sparring with the person that was most important to her. But her love for him didn't grant him a win.
She blocked his forceful blow as he chopped towards her head and she gritted her teeth as the two held their bokkens in front of their faces. Each one stared the other down as they fought strength against strength. It was an arm wresting match for the swords in a battle for the upper hand.
Without the level of power she was used to receiving from her gem, she knew she couldn't match Tenchi's strength. Ryouko chose to take advantage of one of Tenchi's weaknesses. She softened her expression and blew a kiss at him. Ryouko felt Tenchi's strength falter as his bokken trembled under hers. She stole the opportunity to push him back as she made a series of erratic and furious swings at him.
Tenchi recovered quickly but had to concentrate hard to parry Ryouko's blows. She grinned at Tenchi's recovery. She had hoped she could gain the upper hand by exploiting Jurian swordsmanship's strict emphesis on technique and forms by countering with her brand of free style fighting, but Tenchi had outsmarted her.
Deciding it was time to turn the tables on Ryouko, Tenchi leapt backwards, away from Ryouko's reach, and sunk low to the ground. Gathering his energy, he recoiled like a spring, jumping towards Ryouko, spinning mid air and locking bokkens with her as his momentum pushed them both to the ground, Ryouko on her back with Tenchi on top of her. For a split second, Tenchi thought he had won until he realized that his entire body wasn't actually on top of his sparring partner's.
Ryouko's eyes were squeezed shut with determination, beads of sweat hung on her brow as she kept Tenchi's upper body barely off her own through their locked bokkens between them. Knowing Tenchi's strength outmatched her own, she knew she wouldn't be unable to push him off of her, but she was not yet ready to throw in the towel.
She heaved as loudly as she could, her muscles reaching overload as she pushed Tenchi to the side, rolling him over onto his back. Her own body, still locked around his followed the motion so she that she was now on top of Tenchi, straddling him.
Shocked at the turn of events and unprepared by Ryouko's sudden display of strength, Tenchi's arms went weak against his body. He quietly gasped at the feel of Ryouko's body against his own as she pushed the sides of both their bokkens into Tenchi's chest.
She opened her eyes. "I…I won?" She asked, incrediously, looking at Tenchi's flushed face.
Tenchi nodded, admitting his defeat. "Your arms are shaking." He stated. As if in a trance, he raised his arms and placed his hands on her upper arms.
"Th…they are." She realized, feeling her overloaded muscles jumping wildly under the firm pressure of Tenchi's touch. 'It's just like the other night.' She thought. 'The mood, the look in his eyes. Is he concerned for me…or is this something else?'
She didn't care anymore. She didn't care if Tenchi would push her away, she was determined to show him how much she loved him. She slowly lowered her upper body until it was parallel to his, her lips hovering mere inches from Tenchi's. His heart was pounding, she could almost hear it, feel it pulsing through his hands that still rested on her arms.
Suddenly, she felt those hands suddenly tighten around her arms. "Ryouko, wait!" He hissed. Her heart began to drop to her stomach at his violent refusal, but before she could finish grasping the emotion, Tenchi whispered, "Someone's coming."
Tenchi's eyes were intense, his brow furrowed and his body rigid. Ryouko mentally stepped back from her emotions and concentrated on her acute hearing. "There are two of them. Maybe three. Humans, fifty feet away and closing." She whispered, cursing herself for letting her emotions take over her primary senses.
Ryouko reluctantly lifted her body off of Tenchi's, clenching her bokken and taking a defensive stance. Tenchi picked himself off the ground and uncomfortably shifted in his pants before taking the same stance next to Ryouko.
"They've stopped. Twenty feet out." She whispered. Tenchi nodded, having heard the minute rustlings cease.
Time ticked tensely, slowly for the two. They had obviously foiled an attempted ambush, but what was to happen now? Tenchi was positive that who ever it was must be linked to the earlier attack on Ryouko. He stepped forward so that he stood slightly in front of Ryouko, protecting her. "Show yourselves. We know you're out there!" He yelled into the forest.
Only silence ensued. One minute. Two minutes. Three. Four.
"Young man, we do not want any trouble." A smooth voice suddenly said from the forest. "Leave this place now and tell no one of what you've heard."
Ryouko straightened her body. 'That voice…that voice, where have I heard it?' She asked herself.
"No." Tenchi insisted, holding his ground.
"I will repeat myself only once, boy. Surrender the monster, or we will attack." The same voice from the forest said.
"Never!" Tenchi yelled in defiance.
Suddenly, two men jumped from behind the trees and through the low bushes at the edge of the clearing. Each wielded a sword and they charged at Tenchi and Ryouko. They were dressed in robes of green and tan, Jurian camoflauge.
They ran at full speed, aiming for Ryouko. She gritted her teeth, clenching the handle of the bokken, knowing that the wooden weapon would be no protection against the steel swords of the attackers. 'I can't fight them. Defense only.' She told herself.
Tenchi ran forward and locked swords with the first man, the metal sword of the attacker slicing all the way through his bokken as both attackers ran past him and aimed for Ryouko. The other man swung at Ryouko who flipped into the air to dodge the blow. The first man swung at her and she managed to raise her bokken in time, but it suffered the same fate as Tenchi's.
He tossed the half bokken he was holding and reached into his clothes, pulling out the Tenchi-ken. He was off and running as it ignited, it's burning blue blade shimmering. One of them men had backed Ryouko against a tree and was holding her there with the point of his sword while the other reached into his robe. Tenchi watched him pull out a gun. "It's a stun gun.' He realized.
Tenchi let out a ferocious yell and jumped into the air, kicking the man with the stun gun down and aiming with the Tenchi-ken for the man that held Ryouko against the tree with his sword. He had expected the man to defend himself and attack him. However, the Tenchi-ken smoothly ripped through the attacker's body, from his shoulder to his wait. Tenchi landed, realizing what he had just done, and his stomach plummeted before he turned around, afraid to see the grisly scene of two halves of the attacker before him.
"Tenchi, he was..." Ryouko said.
"An android?" He asked slowly as he looked down at the two pieces of an android, wires and metal spilling forth from either end of the hole that Tenchi had made.
Just then the second android launched himself at Ryouko, stun gun held before him. Before he could think, Tenchi spun and delivered the same fate to the machine.
Tenchi and Ryouko stood amidst the tangle of wires from the android's bodies, tensely waiting to see if the ordeal was over. The only sound from the forest was the sound of the birds high in the trees. "I think the last one is gone." Tenchi said as he relaxed his stance, the blade of the Tenchi-ken extinguishing itself from the bottom to it's top.
"That voice." Ryouko said.
"What voice?" Tenchi asked.
"Their leader, the third person I detected, the one who never showed himself. I've heard his voice before." Ryouko replied, her brow furrowed as she tried to remember.
Tenchi thought about it as well. 'It did sound familiar, come to think about it.'
"Aoyama Masamitsu." Ryouko growled through clenched teeth
Tenchi nodded, placing the voice with the name. "The Prince? But why?" He asked.
Ryouko relaxed her stance, her muscles tense and tired. "Other than what I did to Jurai so long ago, I don't know, Tenchi. But I'm sure there are more of them, there must be a whole group of people who want me dead."
"But the Statute of Limitations…" Argued Tenchi.
"…Means nothing to them." Ryouko finished. "They just want revenge. After all… wouldn't you feel the same way?"
Tenchi looked to the ground. "At first, perhaps." He admitted. "But they have been told why you did what you did, and besides…" He trailed off. "Seven hundred years can obviously change a person."
Ryouko smiled at him. "Well, they don't know that."
"I still think we need to tell someone about this." Tenchi said. Ryouko turned her pleading eyes on him once more. Apparently, this new attack had not changed her mind, her determination to not fight was resolute. "Fine, fine. But at least tell Washu, she might have some insight, okay?" He caved in.
"Thank you, Tenchi." Ryouko said, relief in her voice. Then, changing the subject, she said, "Come on, I'd say we're safe now, let's go get some grub."
Tenchi sighed. "How can you just shake off an attack on your life like that?"
Ryouko merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Can we go now? I'm hungry."
* * *
"Can I have another serving, Sasami?" Ryouko happily asked, holding her rice bowl in front of her. The young girl happily obliged her older friend by filling it up for her. The whole gang was seated in the same room they had been sharing their meals in for a late breakfast, which had given Tenchi and Ryouko time to clean up from their sparring match and the fight.
"So what is everyone doing today?" Sasami asked.
"The Miho-Kiyo Duo are going out karaoke bar hopping!" Mihoshi enthusiastically announced.
Kiyone sighed. "I wish you wouldn't refer to us as that." She grumbled.
"Ryo-chan and I are going to go back to the stable to ride Devoto again. Aeka-oneechan, would you like to go with me?" Sasami asked.
Aeka coughed slightly into the tea she had been sipping. She had different plans for her day. 'It's now or never.' She said to herself as she took a deep breath. "Actually Sasami, I was going to ask Lord Tenchi if he would like to go on a tour of the gardens this evening, as he had expressed interest in the gardens when we first arrived."
Tenchi looked up from his plate, unsure of how to reply to Aeka's sudden request. 'That was very forward of her.' He thought.
Ryouko opened her mouth to protest when Aeka shot her an evil glare. "What do you say, Lord Tenchi? We have not yet spent any time together on our vacation. Would you like to go with me?"
Tenchi scratched at the back of his head, stalling as he thought. 'It's probably not likely, but what if Ryouko's attackers come after her tonight? I can't just ignore Aeka though, I am here with her too. I need to be fair. Even if…even if I don't think I want to be. Maybe I can check up on Ryouko afterwards.'
"S…sure, Miss Aeka." He replied
Ryouko looked down at her rice, forcing herself to remain calm as Aeka continued. "Excellent, Lord Tenchi. Shall we meet in the lobby around seven for dinner first? I understand the gardens are most beautiful during the night."
Tenchi nodded, trying to ignore both the excited twinkle in Aeka's eyes and the flush on her cheeks, and the silently fuming Ryouko
"So Ryouko, how about you and I go out this afternoon?" Washu asked.
Ryouko pointed to herself, a confused look on her face. "Me?" She asked.
"Yeah you, you nimrod! I am your mother, after all." Washu replied.
"Sometimes I wonder." Ryouko retorted, sticking her tongue out, but agreeing to go anyway. Tenchi felt relieved that Ryouko would at least be protected with Washu around. 'Thank you, Washu.' He said to himself.
* * *
Ryouko sat in the onsen section of the pool, sipping from a saucer of sake. 'I can't believe Tenchi and Aeka are going out tonight.' She complained to herself. For that matter, she couldn't believe she didn't put up more of a fight. "What goes around come around, I guess. I've had more time with him alone these past few days anyway.'
As much as she hated to admit it, she supposed the princess did deserve some time with Tenchi as well. Even if it did mean she was stuck with Washu all day. 'Oh well, I needed to talk to her about the attack this morning anyway.' She reminded herself.
"Mind if I join you, Ryouko?" Aeka asked, standing outside the onsen next to the submerged Ryouko.
At first, Ryouko was angry. 'She's come to gloat?' When she turned to face the princess she saw the bottle of sake that Aeka had carried with her. "I see you come bearing gifts." She said.
Aeka gingerly stepped into the hot water and sat next to Ryouko, passing her the bottle. "Only the best, pirate." She said smugly as Ryouko admired the label before popping the fat wooden cork. Filling a new saucer she passed it to Aeka.
"I wish to thank you again, for helping me out yesterday when my horse ran off with me." Aeka said, taking the first sip of sake before passing it back to Ryouko.
The early afternoon sun beat down on the trees above them. The dappled sun shone through the leaves, leaving blotches of light and darkness on the pool of water and the two people sharing a brief silence as they enjoyed the warmth of the waters.
"You know princess, I've taken my fair share of falls while riding." Ryouko said as she floated the sake back to Aeka.
"Is that so, Ryouko?" Aeka asked, raising the saucer to her lips.
Ryouko chuckled and shut her eyes, leaning back into the water. "In fact, there was this one time that I took mom…um, I mean…Washu out for a trail ride. We were just out for a walk in the woods when I got an idea to show off in front of her. So I asked my horse to jump over a tree that had fallen on the path. Well, that horse jumped so high, he scared me right off! I fell on my butt on the side of the trail. Of course, Washu thought it was really funny, until a Zinnian horsefly landed on her horse's but and bit him. So needless to say, Washu landed next to me on the trail. So here we are on our butts, our horses had run back to the barn and we had to walk all the way back!"
Aeka's chuckle had turned into a laugh as Ryouko ended her story. The two girls laughed together at the thought of Washu and a young Ryouko getting thrown off their horses. 'This must be Ryouko's round about way of making me feel better for losing control of my horse.' Aeka realized.
The two girls sat in the onsen, enjoying each other's company for a change as they simply relaxed, conversing about whatever crossed their minds.
Aeka looked up at the sun, realizing that the afternoon hours were already underway. She stood and stretched, her muscles loose and relaxed after her soak. "I must retire to my room. I need to prepare for my…" She faltered. "For tonight." She said, seeing Ryouko look away.
"Pfft. Fine by me, princess. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do." She chided. Not wanting to start a fight, Aeka stepped out of the onsen and simply left.
Ryouko filled herself another saucer of the sake, wallowing in her sadness. 'Just like the princess always says, Tenchi could never love a monster like me anyway.'
* * *
"Wipe that grumpy expression off your face, Ryouko." Washu demanded as Ryouko met her by the pool that afternoon.
"Well if it wasn't for you, I could have argued about Tenchi and Aeka going out together tonight." Ryouko pouted.
"Nervous?" Washu asked.
Ryouko folded her arms over her chest and grunted, looking away before remembering that she had needed to talk to Washu anyway. "Oh, by the way, we were attacked again this morning."
Washu listened attentively as Ryouko recounted the attempted ambush of the androids that morning. Washu's brow furrowed when Ryouko told her that Aoyama Masamitsu seemed to be the leader of the resistance. She placed her finger to her chin, deep in thought.
"So Ryouko…" She said seriously, "getting up at the break of dawn to sneak out with Tenchi, huh?"
Ryouko face-faulted, a vein popping out of her temple. "Mom, we were sparring! Be serious about this!"
Washu returned to her normal, analytical self. "Well, I wouldn't second guess your assumption that their leader is Masamitsu. Your hearing is perfect, and you can recognize the most minute speech patterns. As for the androids, I believe that he used them instead of real humans to learn more about Tenchi's sword."
"The Tenchi-ken? But why?" Ryouko asked.
"I'm guessing that Masamitsu is the only one among his followers that holds enough power to be bonded to a space tree, so he is the only one who has a Key himself. Since no one knows that Tenchi is actually the Crown Prince, imagine his confusion at seeing him hone a Jurian Key. He must have used the androids to collect data so that he knows what Key he is fighting against." Washu deducted.
Ryouko nodded, understanding. "So I have no choice. I won't let him fight Tenchi. I will have to fight him."
Washu sighed. "Ryouko, I still haven't made any progress on the source of the bracelet's power. Won't you at least take some of my weapons with you in case you get attacked again?"
"No." Ryouko replied evenly, looking down at the bracelet. The metal still felt as cold as the day she put it on.
"You stubborn thing." Washu said, aggravated. She backed off the topic and after a few moments, changed the subject. "Hey…do you remember the time when I taught you how to play Cerulean baseball?"
Washu watched Ryouko's expression as her daughter tried to remember what she meant. Almost as if a light bulb went off, Ryouko exclaimed, "How could I have forgotten!" She then paused, thoughtful. "You mean less like you taught me how to play and more like you kept hitting me in the head with the ball?"
Washu threw her hands up in the air. "I never claimed to have a good aim."
"Hey, what about that time you taught me that trigonometry equation to predict exactly when the bakery would serve the hottest meat buns?" Ryouko asked, excited.
"You didn't believe it would work until you tried it." Washu replied, a smile on her face.
Mother and daughter sat there for the rest of the afternoon, under the umbrella's shade by the side of the pool. Sipping lemonades and snacking on rice crackers, they recounted memory after endless memory.
* * *
Seven o' clock on the dot, Princess Aeka stepped out into the main lobby. Right away, she spotted Tenchi sitting on the same fountain where she had found him the other morning. Fighting the butterflies in her stomach, she admired his outfit. He was dressed in a pair of khaki slacks with a tight black tee shirt that showed off his muscles.
He stood as he saw Aeka approach. She looked beautiful. She wore a multi-layered Jurian robe as usual, only this one was far more decorative than any other that he'd seen. It was in hues of purple, pink, and a soft blue with triangular decorations across the ends of the sleeves. Gold highlights adorned the robe and there was a design of sakura petals that graced the bottom of the robe, the shades of pinks matched her blushing face evenly.
"Sh…shall we go?" Tenchi asked.
Aeka nodded and followed Tenchi out through the rear of the hotel. They stopped at a directory of the shops and restaurants to decide where to eat. Aeka stood as close to Tenchi as possible, brushing her hand against his between them.
Tenchi raised his hand to scratch his head, looking at the restaurant choices. "How does Earth Chinese sound?" He asked.
Aeka inwardly blanched. He hadn't noticed her attempt to hold his hand, and she had certainly hoped for a more romantic dinner than Chinese. "That sounds wonderful, Lord Tenchi." She lied.
The two made their way through the pool areas, Aeka careful not to trip on her long robe as they walked. When they came to a small creek that crossed the path, Tenchi offered her his hand as they walked over several stepping stones. The fading sunlight barely reached underneath the giant palms that covered the path, and the lamps along the walkway suddenly came to life casting a golden glow on them.
Tenchi didn't notice the blush on Aeka's cheeks, but focused on the soft glow of the lights. 'Like Ryouko's eyes.' He realized.
Once they got off the path, they found the restaurant and Tenchi asked for a table for two. After being seated and looking at the menu, Tenchi took a sip of his water and almost choked on it.
"Lord Tenchi, what is the matter?" Aeka asked worriedly.
"Looks like the rest of the family decided to eat here too." He said, pointing to a doorway to a private room where he could see the back of Ryouko's pointy hair. The rest of the girls sat around the table, already eating their dinners.
Aeka sighed. "Go figure."
The waitress soon returned with their meals and Tenchi and Aeka began to eat and share a light conversation about gardens.
Aeka began explaining, "Because this planet has such a rich history in Earth's horses, I'm sure you've noticed that many of our plants are from Earth as well. The gardens in this resort are composed mostly of Earth varieties of…Lord Tenchi?" Aeka asked as she realized Tenchi was staring over her head.
She turned to see what had caught his attention. Behind her, her extended family was walking out of the room they had dined in, all except Ryouko, who stood frozen in the doorway, eyes locked with Tenchi's. Aeka's blood ran cold. She was expecting a fight out of Ryouko, but instead, the half smile that she flashed to make them believe she wasn't bothered was somehow worse as she turned and followed her family outside.
Tenchi's heart felt as though it had been torn in half seeing Ryouko force herself to walk away. Every fiber of his being demanded him to go after her. 'You can't just leave Aeka when you agreed to take her out.' He reasoned to himself as he watched Ryouko leave.
Aeka could see Tenchi's desire to go after Ryouko. 'It's written all over his face.' She thought to herself. Wanting to deny it, she told herself, 'surely I am misinterpreting something.'
"I…I'm sorry, Miss Aeka. You were saying?" Tenchi said weakly.
* * *
"Are you okay, little Ryouko? Washu asked her daughter.
"Fine." Ryouko mumbled.
Washu and Ryouko walked together, a ways behind their family on their way back to the hotel. Ryouko prepared herself to continue to push her mother away, until she remembered the afternoon they had shared, and the good time they had together. She sighed. "I just…I don't know where we stand, Tenchi and I. I thought maybe he was starting to like me, but now he's…out with Aeka. I think… he has feelings for her."
"But you don't know what those feelings are." Washu pointed out.
"I don't." Ryouko admitted. "But that's it. It hurts not knowing, this thick feeling that's always in the pit of my stomach. I care for him so much, and even if I were to…to loose, I just want to know."
"Don't you think Aeka feels the same?" Washu asked.
"Aeka?" Ryouko asked. "I…I guess."
"Ryouko, you've never in your life let anything stand in your way until you met Aeka. I know you care for her, no matter how you may try to deny it. But you must understand that she must feel the same pain that you do." Washu said.
"Well what if he doesn't lo-" Ryouko began
"What if he does?" Washu said, cutting her off. "Ryouko, do you love him, do you truly love Tenchi?"
Ryouko looked her mother in the eyes. "More than I ever thought possible."
"Then you need to tell him." Washu said.
"You're right. I need to tell him how I feel."
Washu nodded approvingly and put her hands on Ryouko's shoulders. "You know I'm here for you, little Ryouko."
Ryouko clasped her hands over her mother's. "Thanks…mom." She said, before turning and running towards the garden.
* * *
Aeka and Tenchi walked slowly through the gardens. Aeka had been right, the gardens were beautiful at night. The dim light of the stars, the radiance of the two full moons and the gentle glow of the amber lamps illuminated the gardens in ghostly hues, giving the displays a mystic and beautiful appearance.
Tenchi listened attentively as Aeka explained some of the few species of Jurian plants. Even though his knowledge was limited, Tenchi's farming skills had taught him much of the various plants on Earth, and he recognized many of the plants from his planet.
Aeka felt Tenchi freeze as she slid her arm between his arm and torso as they walked through the garden together. 'I must not back down now.' She thought to herself. 'This is my reason for bringing Lord Tenchi to this place. I have prepared for this for so long. Tonight will be the night.'
"I'm sure you are familiar with this plant, Lord Tenchi." Aeka began as they stopped in front of a group of flowers. She steeled herself to continue and pointed to a plant with tall stalks that sported ruffle-like blooms of whites, pinks, reds and yellows.
"These flowers are known as Gladiolus, and they are a symbol of strength of character, as are you, Lord Tenchi." She said in a hushed voice.
Tenchi noticed the immense blush on her face as Aeka pointed to a group of short flowers in an abundance of different colors. Each bloom was feathery, beautiful and larger than the foliage that supported it.
Aeka continued, clasping a hand to her chest. "The Dahlia here symbolizes dignity and elegance, such as myself."
Aeka then pointed to a plant that lay between the Gladiolus and the Dahlias. It had long green leaves that pointed towards the sky, and a long stalk on which sat a bloom of yellow tapered petals.
Aeka swallowed and continued. "This flower, the yellow Tulip, Lord Tenchi, stands for love, as in the true love I know we share between our two souls."
Tenchi's palms were sweating. Aeka's words had touched him deeply, and now her confession sat lying in the open like a treasure of wealth set before him if only he would claim it as his own. Aeka's pink eyes were on the verge of tears. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for Tenchi to say something. Anything.
Tenchi sensed Aeka's trepidation, her longing for his answer. He sensed all of her emotions at once. Fear, eagerness, sadness, all so close to pure happiness if only he would chose her. 'This is what I've put them through all these years. It's time to end this suffering.' He thought to himself.
"Aeka." Tenchi said quietly, dropping her suffix and calling her by her name. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed back into her pink eyes. "I…I'm sorry, but I can not return your feelings."
The tears that were already waiting in Aeka's eyes spilled forth and coursed their way down her porcelain face. Tenchi fought the urge to look away. 'I need to be strong, for her sake.' He realized.
He leaned forward and drew his arms around Aeka in an embrace as she began to sob. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I wish I could have been man enough to have told you sooner. Please forgive me for stringing you along for so many years. I didn't know what I was doing, I was unaware of the pain I had caused you."
"But Lord Tenchi, you were destined to love me!" She sobbed into his chest.
Tenchi reached down and tipped her head up to look at him. "Aeka, I do love you, I love you as a part of my family, I love you as a friend. I would fight endless battles for you and I will always be here for you, but I can not offer you anything else you may wish of me.
Tenchi's face shimmered in Aeka's tear stained view as she realized it was over. Her expression grew soft. "I…I understand, T...Tenchi. But please, please allow me one good-bye kiss." She then placed each of her soft palms on either side of Tenchi's face and stepped on her tip-toes.
- - -
Ryouko jogged down the path leading to the alcove where Tenchi and Aeka were. Seeing the top of Tenchi's head over a row of plants, she sped up, turning the corner.
- - -
"Ten-!" Ryouko began as she came to a skidding halt from around the corner. Her stomach plummeted as she saw Tenchi and Aeka locked in an embrace, kissing.
Tenchi looked towards Ryouko as Aeka pulled her face away from his. "Ryou-" He began.
Tears freely flowed down Ryouko's face. Tenchi's arms were still held protectively around the princess. Aeka looked at Ryouko with watery eyes. 'Is that…pity?' Ryouko asked herself. She turned sharply around, and took off running. As quickly as she had appeared, Ryouko was gone again.
"I am sorry. I…should not have done that." Aeka said quickly as she stepped away from Tenchi. She had not wanted Ryouko to see that.
She looked at the longing in Tenchi's eyes as he stared at the spot that Ryouko had so quickly vacated. "Tenchi, What are you waiting for?" Aeka asked.
Tenchi looked at her, confused.
"Go after her!" She urged.
"Are you sure, Miss Aeka?" He said, addressing her formally again.
Aeka made a show of drying her tears, even though on the inside she was crumbling. She gave Tenchi a weak smile, all that she could muster. "Do not make me tell you again, Lord Tenchi." She demanded.
Tenchi gave her a greatful smile and squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you, Miss Aeka." He said before running after Ryouko.
Once Tenchi turned the corner, Aeka collapsed to a sitting position on the ground, tears streaming down her face anew. 'In time…' She cried to herself. 'In time I shall learn to deal with this loss. He was so kind not to even mention her name to me. She may have won his heart, but I will still retain my pride. I will overcome this.' She resolved to herself.
Aeka's sobs quieted to a silent cry as she sat in the garden under the twin full moons.
* * *
End chapter 5