Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo and all characters pertaining to TM! are
the sole property of Pioneer and their subsidiaries. I do not own
them, therefor I do not profit from them. However, this particular
work is my own creation, so if you feel that you must copy it (for
MST or otherwise), please give credit where credit is due.
WARNING!!!! This Fanfic may contain vulgar language, nudity and/or
sexual content. If you are not of legal age to view such material in
your area, please turn back now (although in reality, you wouldn't
anyway, so why am I deluding myself). I will not be held responsible
for the actions (or any actions incurred) from those who freely choose
to read this fic.
With that said, let's begin...
Of Dreams and Reality
Chapter 3
"Restless"
-------------------------------------------------------------
The silver rays of moonlight shone brightly through the glass-like structure protecting the onsen, reflecting on the water like diamonds on satin sheets.
Within the glow of the twilight sat a lone figure, the balmy bath water engulfing her naked form as she stared blankly at the stars drifting lazily above her.
Ryoko came here at every possible chance to be alone, be it when the others were eating or sleeping. It was one of the few times she could truely be left by herself to relax and focus on her own physical needs without intrusion.
It had been more than a few times when Aeka had caught the pirate pleasuring herself in Tenchi's bed while he was gone, resulting in arguments about her morality and self-control, two of the many things the princess would continually point out to Ryoko that she lacked. After too many interruptions, she found the one place that shielded her from the eyes of undesirable onlookers, an excellent spot where no one would be around to judge her for what she thought was perfectly natural... the onsen.
However, the beauty of the evening and the opportunity to relieve the ever building sexual tension was far from her mind tonight. Instead this lovely vixen was enslaved by the occurrences of the day, relivingit in a way, trying to decipher what it was exactly that had set theprincess off even as the day progressed.
Keeping her distance didn't seem to help, as Aeka would pop up almost everywhere she went. After Washu had declared Sasami well enough toleave the lab, they filed out of the portal and began to escort the child up to her room to finish her recovery. However they had bumpedinto Aeka along the way, causing the older princess to lose her temperwhen she had noticed the pirate. Aeka snatched her sister away fromthe group, as if to protect her from a terrible fate, and demanded thatTenchi ban the pirate from the home as well as the solar system.
After Aeka's outburst, Ryoko had spent most of the day sitting in her favorite tree, doing the same exact thing she was doing now...thinking. What had she done that was so wrong? She had always thought of Aeka as being so uptight that she could suck a brick out of a wall just by standing in front of it, but she had played with Sasami many times and never had she gotten THAT kind of reaction.
Well, that wasn't completely true.
The first time they were reunited after 700 years, Aeka had warned her sister not to get too close to her, but after a while her heart softened a bit. A few insults would be exchanged but that's as far as it went, sometimes.
Aeka's words rang in her ears just as if they had just been spoken, and they hurt. Those words were just as painful as the things Kagato had said to her, if not more.
The possibility of indefinite exile was almost too much to bear as tears began to well up inside of her, causing her eyes to burn and her vision to blur. To never see her friends again, to leave the only home she had ever known was like a dagger being pierced through her heart, being twisted over and over. Most of all, the only man she had ever cared for would be gone forever. To never hear his voice or look upon his lovely face was worse than any death she could imagine.
Not wanting to think about it anymore, Ryoko floated out of the once still waters of the bath and landed on the wooden deck, a trail of droplets splattering on the flooring as she went about finding a towel with which to dry herself with. There would be no chance for release tonight, both from the memories of the day and of personal satisfaction. The evening seemed an endless sea of thought and ticking uncertainties as with one last glance, Ryoko phased out of existance from the secluded place she once regarded as her own personal sanctuary.
Washu sat in her lab as she had done every night since her arrival on this backwater planet, typing on her translucent keypad with a speed unmatched by anyone she had ever known. But instead of working on some grand experiment or figuring out other ways to extract certain samples from her favorite guinea pig, she was busily entering data from one of Noboyuki's sketch pads, an apparent schematic of the house with several new renovations he had been planning for some time. Even though he had not volunteered the information, Washu didn't think he would mind if she took it upon herself to not only repair the damage, but also expand the house a bit as well.
The red-headed scientist exhaled heavily as she entered a final series of keystrokes, pleased that all of the information was now downloaded into one of the many toys she had lying around her lab. Excited to see the fruits her labor again come to fruition, Washu hopped off her levitating cushion and headed for the exit, stretching out the kinks that had now become a common occurance in her life.
Within moments she arrived in the main corridor, checking each room on the ground floor to find someone with whom she could show off her talents to. Looking into the dinning area, Washu's attention was drawn to a small piece of white-lined paper (apparently a page from one of Tenchi's notebooks) lying on the table along with an ornate white carafe, of what she suspected to be green tea. Washu inquisitively retrieved the note, a disappointed groan escaping her throat as she read it. Her hopes of bragging about her scientific expertise where shot down as the black script read as so:
Little Washu,
Dad, Grandpa, Mihoshi and I went out for
dinner. We would have invited you to
come along, but we did not want to disturb
you while you worked. Aeka is upstairs
with Sasami if you need anything. Don't
worry, we'll bring something home for
you and the others.
Be back shortly,
Tenchi
P.S. Dad didn't take it very well when
he found out what happened, so please
take it easy on him when we return.
Thanks
The short woman fanned the paper back and forth as she contemplated the text. Aeka was upstairs, and maybe the only person at the moment who would appreciate the beauty within her creation, or what would come about from the use of it. However she quickly disregarded the notion, remembering that the princess would be all too busy taking care of her young charge, thus adding to the fact that a request for Aeka to observe such an event would be tasteless, if not tactless.
After a brief bout of depression, a small grin began to cross her face as an idea sprang into her mind. If no one was their to witness the unveiling of the repairs as they happened, then what better than to have such a wonderful surprise waiting for them upon their return.
Washu tossed the note onto the table without giving it or the tea a second look and wisked off toward the kitchen, or what was left of it. The greatest scientist in the universe summoned her holo-top computer for the umpteenth time that day as she scrutinized the attempted patch work Tenchi and his grandfather had started, but failed to finish. Large pieces of pressed wood covered most of the impact zone while sheets of plastic kept the outdoor elements at bay, resembling the fix-it job the men had done at the hotsprings just a few years earlier.
After punching several more commands, the area began to glow a bright blue, like a small planet gone supernova but only half as dangerous. Just as quickly as it had started, the light faded, revealing an entrance way where there once was none. Beyond the opening was a rather spacious climate-controled room made entirely of the same material which covered the bathing area Ryoko had created, allowing the beauty of the mountain side to be gazed upon by all who had entered, yet keeping nature from infringing on those who dwelt within it. Inside this new room were beautiful as well as practical furnishings consisting of a chabudai with intricit carvings of cranes and cherry blossoms, a matching credenza, and several billowy pillows
adorned in silk leaning against an equally stunning chaise lounge. Candles and other ornamental articles of various shapes and sizes completed the look.
Washu stood proud and tall, admiring her work as if no one in the entire galaxy could ever improve upon her genius. It wasn't exactly what Noboyuki had designed, but it was perfect thanks to her mastery. What would they ever do without her.
The sound of an upstairs door sliding open and shut interupted the small woman's admiration of herself. Now was the moment of truth.
Aeka emerged from the staircase carrying a tray with two saucers and a stout kettle, looking slightly disheveled as she tried to keep her focus on the task at hand. The princess didn't notice Washu nor the new addition as she strode toward the sink basin, apparently deep in thought.
"Well hello Lady Aeka, and how is young Sasami doing?" the scientist asked with much reserve, both cautious to the woman's state and naturally concerned about the child's recovery.
Aeka jumped at the sound of Washu's voice, barely keeping the items on the platter as they swayed and clattered from the jolt. She had not expected the woman to be around, considering all of the work she had been putting into her laboratory as of late.
"She is faring quite well, Little Washu, thank you for asking." Aeka replied, trying to appear as stately as she was able to at the moment. The violet-haired princess was in no mood for chit-chat, and understandibly so.
Not only did she have to deal and be reminded of the episode, but now her own sister wasn't speaking with her, and this angered her even more. Why was she being made to feel like the bully here? Couldn't Sasami see that she was only trying to protect her? And where had she gotten the idea that it was her that the girl should be upset with?
This lead to her suspicion that, somehow, Ryoko must have gotten to the child when Aeka wasn't around, using her own brand of self-serving manipulation to convince her sister that such a well-bred, proper Jurian Noble was capable of unprovoked brutality. And for this reason, among
others, Aeka refused to leave Sasami's side, even when it meant having to refuse going out for beef bowls at Hashimoto's Grill despite her stomach's insistance that she take nourishment.
So here she was, hungry and drained, shunned by her own flesh and blood all the while keeping a constant eye out for the one person who had caused all of her distress, and that individual just happened to be Washu's magnum opus of sorts. However no matter how much she held contempt for the vile creature, she could not in her heart hold the dwarf-like prodigy totally accountable, even though it was because of her that such an animal was able to exist. The scientist was just as much of a victim of Ryoko's distructive nature and lies as any of them. Besides, she was also a prisoner of Kagato's evil plot to overthrow the galaxy and she didn't seem to be filled with the same hostility as the pirate, and if so, the woman didn't act upon those emotions as the later of the two always had.
"And how are you?" Washu asked, again with great interest and worry.
"Under the circumstances I would say that I am holding up rather well." Aeka again half-heartedly replied.
"Like a true princess of Jurai, I would suspect."
Aeka didn't exactly know how to react to such a statement and simply stood her ground. It was always like Washu to make a remark like that, the problem was deciphering it's meaning as sarcastic or truely genuine.
"Have you seen Ryoko?" the deminutive scholar asked, only to be answered with a scowling eye.
The air around them became thick and uncomfortable as the silence grew,
neither of them exactly sure of how to escape it's deafening grip.
"You know, I think I may have something that will help you relax a bit." Washu finally uttered, seeing a chance to not only reveal the new room she created, but also taking the liberty of getting the deceptively frail looking girl into a juncture of questioning without her realizing it.
The red-head showed the newly appointed archway to Aeka, who showed more interest in the favorable desire to sit in repose than in the actual structure itself. The princess's lack of enthusiasm for the architectual wonder only mildly irked Washu, who contributed her indifference to the stresses of the day and thus forced herself to hide her aggravation.
"Oops, excuse me just a moment." the scientist chirped, walking into the kitchen and disappearing around the corner.
Aeka waited patiently for Washu's return while gingerly taking a seat on the new chaise, staring at her hands rather than look at the artistry surrounding her. The explosive situation earlier that afternoon had forced her to reflect on not only the incident 700 years ago, but also the time Aeka had spent with Ryoko during their quest to locate Tenchi. She honestly thought that the demon had changed her ways, she had actually kept her outrageous, not to mention embarrasing mannerizims to a minimum, although still showing her impetuous nature. But that was the way Ryoko was, and she had grown to accept that fact in what she thought was a newly found friend. Spending more time with the pirate had also made her more aware of her own nasty assumptions, admiting to herself that Ryoko was not a bad person, and therefore making her more understanding of the sorry state of affairs that
Kagato had created for her. Butnow, after seeing what she had done to her own family made her doubt the woman's sincerity, believing she had been played like a fiddle just to achieve her own personal goal...Tenchi's favor.
To make matters worse, her own sister was not speaking to her. After her interaction with the group as they emerged from Washu's lab, Aeka requested that her brother/Tenchi's Grandfather carry the young child upstairs to their bedroom so that she could better care for her. The whole time they were up there alone, Sasami continually berated the older sibling for saying such cruel things, even as Aeka impressed upon her the reason for her actions. To Aeka, she was simply trying to protect her sister and everyone else involved, reminding the youth most sternly of the seriousness regarding the situation. However Sasami had made her feel as if she had just done a grave injustice, like she had just accused an innocent person of something so heinous a crime no law-abiding citizen could possibly comprehend.
This was something the first princess just couldn't understand. Even Tenchi was acting funny toward her, walking on egg shells, as it were, whenever he came near. The only remarks Tenchi would utter to her were the same as Washu's, while treating her as if she were a flower rapidly withering away. Surely she wasn't as crazy and so fragile as everyone appeared to be thinking of her as of late.
In the midst of her thoughts, the pride of Juria's Royal Family failed to notice Washu's return, holding the same tray that Aeka had brought with her from upstairs. On it, she carried the carafe from the dining room table that was left for her, along with two matching saucers.
Aeka, again startled by the rather adroit inventor, acknowledged Washu's
presence as she set the offering down on the table. She was quite surprised, however, to find that the scientist was no longer a small, child-like enigma, as the woman preferred. Instead, Washu had shed her normal facade, returning herself to her natural state of over twenty thousand years old. It was to her own admition, Aeka had reminded herself, that Washu elected to appear younger than she actually was, refusing to grow up due to the pain she had suffered long ago. Still, this widely known information did not make it any easier to absorb the shock of seeing her this way.
"I thought you might like some tea." the now comparitively beautiful red-head stated softly.
"Please excuse my saying so, little..."
"Miss," Washu interupted, warming her usually cool exterior with a well meaning smile. "You may call me Miss Washu."
"Sorry, Miss Washu." Aeka corrected herself, again deverting her gaze to her hands folded inside of her lap. "I'm very grateful for your concern as well as your hospitality, however I'm afraid that I must decline your willingness to share your company with me, as I wish to be alone."
"And I must insist that you join me in a bit of tea and conversation," the scientist rebutted, keeping her voice smooth as not to upset Aeka. "I can sense that you have a lot on your mind, and I have been told that I'm an exeptionally good listener."
"I am afraid that you cannot quite understand my plight, Miss Washu." Aeka replied, trying her best to dissuade the woman into any kind of discussion what so ever.
"Try me." Washu quipped.
Seeing as how she wasn't going to snake her way out of it, Aeka sighed deeply. She quietly reached out to pour herself some tea when Washu started to clear her throat, apparently trying to get the princess's attention. Aeka gave a questioning glance to Washu, a little annoyed that the genius would make it seem that she had inadvertantly commited a great faux pas, only to be answered by the full grown woman waving a bottle of a rather powerful brand of sake in front of her.
"I thought that maybe this might help us along." And with that said, Washu opened the carafe and started to pour some of the intoxicant into the tea. Judging just how much she wanted to add, she promptly capped the half empty bottle and discarded it next to her on the floor, where she sat and began to pour the mixture into the two saucers.
Aeka accepted the palliative concoction with almost restrained enthusiasm and gulped it down, only to be strongly reminded of its potency as it burned her throat, causing her to gulp for air.
"Easy there, Miss Aeka. This stuff isn't your usual sake you know." Washu cautioned the younger woman.
"You could have told me that sooner," the princess admonished between gasps of air. After finally regaining her somber demeanor, Aeka accepted another bowl of the spiked tea, making sure to sip slowly and avoid further embarrasment.
Several minutes of more quiet and five bowls of alcoholic tea later, Washu thought of a way to get the princess to talk.
"You miss them, don't you?" Washu asked softly, taking the chance that the first princess might continue to ignore her and walk away.
The first princess reluctantly shook her head in affirmative fashion, understanding what Washu was talking about. It was true that she missed her family and her home planet a great deal, but due to the circumstances as of late, there was no way she could return to Jurai. If Aeka left to resume her duties as the future Empress, she would have to leave Tenchi behind, with no protection against the vile creature residing in his home.
Another option was to say here, along side the man she so desperately loved, but even that plan was riddled with flaws. Her father would come for her eventually, just as he had done before, and remind her of her obligation to her people. If she professed her adoration for the young man, Azusa would forbid there union through his last dying breath, therefore threatening Tenchi's life in the process.
Then there were the citizens of Jurai, most of whom believed in the old ways. If it were ever found out that Aeka's heart belonged to a humanoid from a virtually unknown sector, they would look upon her and her family as unworthy, quite possibly rendering the entire Jurian kingdom asunder.
Another thought was to denounce her royal standing, leaving Sasami as the successor to the throne. However she knew of the untold heartache the child would feel, as Aeka would have in fact dumped all of her problems on her sister, and that was something she just couldn't do.
So here she was, stuck in the perverbial rock and a hard place, with no clear answer. Disgrace her family and possibly destroy the future of her people, or thrust her only sister into a future engulfed in uncertainties and emotional burdens. Either way, Aeka's dream of living a happy and fulfilling life with the man who had taken her heart would never come true.
Aeka screamed as loud as she could, letting years of oppression and inner strife be cast out as if doing so would cure her of some infernal disease. Once again she directed all of her rage at the one entity she felt was the cause.
"This all that damn monster woman's fault!! If she hadn't taken my brother away from me..." Aeka began, but cut herself short as her throat clenched shut and the tears began to fall again.
Washu's eyes widened as the words reached her ears, though not entirely
shocked at what the princess was saying. The genius was well aware of how Aeka had come to Earth, as well as the rivalry between her daughter and the princess. The only thing that surprised Washu was how loud this woman was capable of yelling, as well as how Aeka was still upset at Ryoko for what had happened centuries ago. Like all the others, Washu had assumed that all the bickering was soley about Tenchi, but now that seemed to be far from the truth.
Washu offered the overwrought princess another cup of tea, hoping that the gesture of friendship would help alleviate some of her inner pain. Instead Aeka ignored the endeavor, opting to lunge for the bottle of alcohol sitting next to the genius in an attempt to drown her sorrows in its anesthetic properties.
Aeka took a long pull of the bottle despite Washu's objections, only to contort her face in an almost amusing way. Unlike her nemesis, the princess had a low tolerance for anything potent as the brew began its assault on her senses, causing her mind became a cloud of entangled thoughts.
Washu got up from where she sat and approached the emotive heiress, her suspicions as to what exactly happened earlier that afternoon coming back to her.
"Lady Aeka, tell me everything that happened after lunch today."
Aeka was caught off guard by the prodigy's request as she began to dry her tears with the sleeve of her kimono. It seemed to her that she had explained everything she knew a hundred times that day, and yet Washu was acting as if she had taken the situation completely out of context. The idea that this woman would think Ryoko was somehow innocent of the charges Aeka accused her of was not a surprise to her, as she was known to favor her achievements from time to time. It was the notion that Washu herself was choosing to be blind when it came to that monster's psychotic behavior that had caught her off guard.
Still, the princess took a deep breath and related all that happened as Washu listened intently.
"I was in the other room watching my favorite story when I heard a rather noisy disturbance coming from the kitchen..."
"Uh-huh. What exactly did you hear?" the genius interjected, very curiously.
A little miffed at the interuption and the question, Aeka continued. "You know, the kind of commotion that beast always creates around here."
Washu simply gave the princess a disapproving look, urging her to spill the exact details without all the unnecessary remarks.
Aeka forced herself to remember precisely what those sounds were that called her attention earlier. The only recollections she had were the horrific sounds of her sister's cries coming from the other room. As the screams echoed through her mind, flashbacks again battered her whithering soul. The sights, the smells, almost as real as they were seven hundred years ago.
The usually regal woman shook her head, a vain attempt to free her self from the virtual prison of centuries gone by, once more losing her composure to the will of her emotions and the tainted tea swimming around in her gut.
"I can't remember exactly," Aeka spat back, standing up so abrubtly that Washu was afraid she would suffer from whiplash. "I do remember entering the room and finding that cur hanging my little sister by the ankles!! Is that proof enough for you to believe me?"
Washu didn't budge from her spot, but held her hands out as a signal for the princess to calm down and return to her seat. Instead of her graceful movements, Aeka plopped back down like a wet burlap sack and gulped down several more mouthfuls of alcohol as she began to sway from side to side.
"All I'm saying Lady Aeka," Washu spoke matter-of-factly after another long stretch of quietude, "is that I know that Ryoko does do and has done a lot of tastless and objectionable things. But there is one thing that I am sure of..."
"And what is that?" Aeka cut in harshly, staring at the scientist with red-eyed fury.
"One thing that I'm sure of is that Ryoko would never intentionally hurt a child, especially one she has grown so fond of." the genius finished.
Aeka scoffed at the idea that Ryoko was anything but a treacherous, low-life killer who cared for anyone but herself, especially when it came to anyone connected to the Jurai Royal Family. Before she could rebut Washu's statement, a soft female voice spoke up, followed by the smell of freshly prepared food.
Both women turned their heads, suddenly aware that they were no longer alone. There, in the doorway of the renovated kitchen stood Mihoshi, carrying two paper bags with what they assumed was the food from the restaurant.
"I'm sorry," the blond detective stated softly, quite aware of the first princess's agitated state. "I don't mean to interupt, but we have your dinner and I'm sure you must be very hungry."
Aeka rose from her seat with the bottle still in her hand and rushed past the woman without a second look, very irritated at having been both spoken to by Washu and at the knowledge of being seen in a manner unbecoming a woman of her stature. But before she could straighten herself out, the smell of cooked beef and rice wafted through the air, making the first princess rather nausious. Mihoshi simply stared after Aeka as she ran for the upstairs bathroom while holding her hand to her mouth, dropping the bottle she was carrying in the process. Before it could shatter, a small portal opened just above the impact point, allowing the item to fall into it. The opening disappeared just as it had came into existance, without a sound.
Mihoshi's attention turned from the princess to the still full grown version of Washu.
"She'll be ok, just give her time." Washu said to Mihoshi, anticipating the question before the detective had a chance to ask.
A small child stood within a vast blackness, calling out frantically for someone to rescue her from the never-ending void. Within moments the almost transparent figure of Ryoko appeared, looking pitiful as ribbons of smoke wafted around her.
Sasami ran headlong at her friend, the absence of her foot falls as the child took off going without notice. Sasami stopped dead in her tracts as a gleam caught her eye. Through the smoke the girl noticed large black shackles holding Ryoko up into the space surrounding them both, yet bolted to nothing. A low humming sound resounded against walls that weren't there, slowly and steadily growing louder until the noise began to hurt the young noble's ears.
"Stop it!" Sasami screamed, holding her hands to her ears in an attempt to block out the sound. The voices spat vile expressions of contempt at the woman before her as Sasami tried to sheild her senses from the verbal assault. Just as she was about to scream again, Sasami witnessed two more figures emerge from the blackness; one of which resembled her sister, Aeka.
"Aeka?" the child cried, tears beginning to run from her eyes.
Without any consideration for the young princess's presence, Aeka turned to her defeated captive, the Tenchi-ken in her hand just like she had in the beginning, and thrust the hilt into Ryoko's side.
"Aeka stop it please! Don't hurt her!" Sasami screamed, helpless to do anything as the former pirate's body began to posture out of control, the loud voices now laughing and taunting Ryoko throughout her torture.
Sasami shut her eyes in disbelief, continuing to plead with Aeka to stop before it got out of hand.
In the midst of a dark upstairs bedroom, a small child awoke, completely covered with sweat and shaking from fear. Her emblem on her forehead glowing earily in the moonlight as she called out for anyone to come to her side. No one came.
============
Author's note: Sorry it took so long, again. I kinda wrote myself in a corner, but I hope I took care of it to your liking. I'm working on chapter 4, but that too will take a while. It is almost summer vacation and it's gonna be a busy one. I won't give up though until my story is finished. I pray the next chapter is better. Again, comments are welcome.
Thanx again to Dudeman for proofreading, where would I be without you (by the way, you're due for your monthly spanking. LOL)
Mistress-Ryoko
"E Bob Plebs Fides; E Jay Plebs Dubium" -Jay and Silent Bob
the sole property of Pioneer and their subsidiaries. I do not own
them, therefor I do not profit from them. However, this particular
work is my own creation, so if you feel that you must copy it (for
MST or otherwise), please give credit where credit is due.
WARNING!!!! This Fanfic may contain vulgar language, nudity and/or
sexual content. If you are not of legal age to view such material in
your area, please turn back now (although in reality, you wouldn't
anyway, so why am I deluding myself). I will not be held responsible
for the actions (or any actions incurred) from those who freely choose
to read this fic.
With that said, let's begin...
Of Dreams and Reality
Chapter 3
"Restless"
-------------------------------------------------------------
The silver rays of moonlight shone brightly through the glass-like structure protecting the onsen, reflecting on the water like diamonds on satin sheets.
Within the glow of the twilight sat a lone figure, the balmy bath water engulfing her naked form as she stared blankly at the stars drifting lazily above her.
Ryoko came here at every possible chance to be alone, be it when the others were eating or sleeping. It was one of the few times she could truely be left by herself to relax and focus on her own physical needs without intrusion.
It had been more than a few times when Aeka had caught the pirate pleasuring herself in Tenchi's bed while he was gone, resulting in arguments about her morality and self-control, two of the many things the princess would continually point out to Ryoko that she lacked. After too many interruptions, she found the one place that shielded her from the eyes of undesirable onlookers, an excellent spot where no one would be around to judge her for what she thought was perfectly natural... the onsen.
However, the beauty of the evening and the opportunity to relieve the ever building sexual tension was far from her mind tonight. Instead this lovely vixen was enslaved by the occurrences of the day, relivingit in a way, trying to decipher what it was exactly that had set theprincess off even as the day progressed.
Keeping her distance didn't seem to help, as Aeka would pop up almost everywhere she went. After Washu had declared Sasami well enough toleave the lab, they filed out of the portal and began to escort the child up to her room to finish her recovery. However they had bumpedinto Aeka along the way, causing the older princess to lose her temperwhen she had noticed the pirate. Aeka snatched her sister away fromthe group, as if to protect her from a terrible fate, and demanded thatTenchi ban the pirate from the home as well as the solar system.
After Aeka's outburst, Ryoko had spent most of the day sitting in her favorite tree, doing the same exact thing she was doing now...thinking. What had she done that was so wrong? She had always thought of Aeka as being so uptight that she could suck a brick out of a wall just by standing in front of it, but she had played with Sasami many times and never had she gotten THAT kind of reaction.
Well, that wasn't completely true.
The first time they were reunited after 700 years, Aeka had warned her sister not to get too close to her, but after a while her heart softened a bit. A few insults would be exchanged but that's as far as it went, sometimes.
Aeka's words rang in her ears just as if they had just been spoken, and they hurt. Those words were just as painful as the things Kagato had said to her, if not more.
The possibility of indefinite exile was almost too much to bear as tears began to well up inside of her, causing her eyes to burn and her vision to blur. To never see her friends again, to leave the only home she had ever known was like a dagger being pierced through her heart, being twisted over and over. Most of all, the only man she had ever cared for would be gone forever. To never hear his voice or look upon his lovely face was worse than any death she could imagine.
Not wanting to think about it anymore, Ryoko floated out of the once still waters of the bath and landed on the wooden deck, a trail of droplets splattering on the flooring as she went about finding a towel with which to dry herself with. There would be no chance for release tonight, both from the memories of the day and of personal satisfaction. The evening seemed an endless sea of thought and ticking uncertainties as with one last glance, Ryoko phased out of existance from the secluded place she once regarded as her own personal sanctuary.
Washu sat in her lab as she had done every night since her arrival on this backwater planet, typing on her translucent keypad with a speed unmatched by anyone she had ever known. But instead of working on some grand experiment or figuring out other ways to extract certain samples from her favorite guinea pig, she was busily entering data from one of Noboyuki's sketch pads, an apparent schematic of the house with several new renovations he had been planning for some time. Even though he had not volunteered the information, Washu didn't think he would mind if she took it upon herself to not only repair the damage, but also expand the house a bit as well.
The red-headed scientist exhaled heavily as she entered a final series of keystrokes, pleased that all of the information was now downloaded into one of the many toys she had lying around her lab. Excited to see the fruits her labor again come to fruition, Washu hopped off her levitating cushion and headed for the exit, stretching out the kinks that had now become a common occurance in her life.
Within moments she arrived in the main corridor, checking each room on the ground floor to find someone with whom she could show off her talents to. Looking into the dinning area, Washu's attention was drawn to a small piece of white-lined paper (apparently a page from one of Tenchi's notebooks) lying on the table along with an ornate white carafe, of what she suspected to be green tea. Washu inquisitively retrieved the note, a disappointed groan escaping her throat as she read it. Her hopes of bragging about her scientific expertise where shot down as the black script read as so:
Little Washu,
Dad, Grandpa, Mihoshi and I went out for
dinner. We would have invited you to
come along, but we did not want to disturb
you while you worked. Aeka is upstairs
with Sasami if you need anything. Don't
worry, we'll bring something home for
you and the others.
Be back shortly,
Tenchi
P.S. Dad didn't take it very well when
he found out what happened, so please
take it easy on him when we return.
Thanks
The short woman fanned the paper back and forth as she contemplated the text. Aeka was upstairs, and maybe the only person at the moment who would appreciate the beauty within her creation, or what would come about from the use of it. However she quickly disregarded the notion, remembering that the princess would be all too busy taking care of her young charge, thus adding to the fact that a request for Aeka to observe such an event would be tasteless, if not tactless.
After a brief bout of depression, a small grin began to cross her face as an idea sprang into her mind. If no one was their to witness the unveiling of the repairs as they happened, then what better than to have such a wonderful surprise waiting for them upon their return.
Washu tossed the note onto the table without giving it or the tea a second look and wisked off toward the kitchen, or what was left of it. The greatest scientist in the universe summoned her holo-top computer for the umpteenth time that day as she scrutinized the attempted patch work Tenchi and his grandfather had started, but failed to finish. Large pieces of pressed wood covered most of the impact zone while sheets of plastic kept the outdoor elements at bay, resembling the fix-it job the men had done at the hotsprings just a few years earlier.
After punching several more commands, the area began to glow a bright blue, like a small planet gone supernova but only half as dangerous. Just as quickly as it had started, the light faded, revealing an entrance way where there once was none. Beyond the opening was a rather spacious climate-controled room made entirely of the same material which covered the bathing area Ryoko had created, allowing the beauty of the mountain side to be gazed upon by all who had entered, yet keeping nature from infringing on those who dwelt within it. Inside this new room were beautiful as well as practical furnishings consisting of a chabudai with intricit carvings of cranes and cherry blossoms, a matching credenza, and several billowy pillows
adorned in silk leaning against an equally stunning chaise lounge. Candles and other ornamental articles of various shapes and sizes completed the look.
Washu stood proud and tall, admiring her work as if no one in the entire galaxy could ever improve upon her genius. It wasn't exactly what Noboyuki had designed, but it was perfect thanks to her mastery. What would they ever do without her.
The sound of an upstairs door sliding open and shut interupted the small woman's admiration of herself. Now was the moment of truth.
Aeka emerged from the staircase carrying a tray with two saucers and a stout kettle, looking slightly disheveled as she tried to keep her focus on the task at hand. The princess didn't notice Washu nor the new addition as she strode toward the sink basin, apparently deep in thought.
"Well hello Lady Aeka, and how is young Sasami doing?" the scientist asked with much reserve, both cautious to the woman's state and naturally concerned about the child's recovery.
Aeka jumped at the sound of Washu's voice, barely keeping the items on the platter as they swayed and clattered from the jolt. She had not expected the woman to be around, considering all of the work she had been putting into her laboratory as of late.
"She is faring quite well, Little Washu, thank you for asking." Aeka replied, trying to appear as stately as she was able to at the moment. The violet-haired princess was in no mood for chit-chat, and understandibly so.
Not only did she have to deal and be reminded of the episode, but now her own sister wasn't speaking with her, and this angered her even more. Why was she being made to feel like the bully here? Couldn't Sasami see that she was only trying to protect her? And where had she gotten the idea that it was her that the girl should be upset with?
This lead to her suspicion that, somehow, Ryoko must have gotten to the child when Aeka wasn't around, using her own brand of self-serving manipulation to convince her sister that such a well-bred, proper Jurian Noble was capable of unprovoked brutality. And for this reason, among
others, Aeka refused to leave Sasami's side, even when it meant having to refuse going out for beef bowls at Hashimoto's Grill despite her stomach's insistance that she take nourishment.
So here she was, hungry and drained, shunned by her own flesh and blood all the while keeping a constant eye out for the one person who had caused all of her distress, and that individual just happened to be Washu's magnum opus of sorts. However no matter how much she held contempt for the vile creature, she could not in her heart hold the dwarf-like prodigy totally accountable, even though it was because of her that such an animal was able to exist. The scientist was just as much of a victim of Ryoko's distructive nature and lies as any of them. Besides, she was also a prisoner of Kagato's evil plot to overthrow the galaxy and she didn't seem to be filled with the same hostility as the pirate, and if so, the woman didn't act upon those emotions as the later of the two always had.
"And how are you?" Washu asked, again with great interest and worry.
"Under the circumstances I would say that I am holding up rather well." Aeka again half-heartedly replied.
"Like a true princess of Jurai, I would suspect."
Aeka didn't exactly know how to react to such a statement and simply stood her ground. It was always like Washu to make a remark like that, the problem was deciphering it's meaning as sarcastic or truely genuine.
"Have you seen Ryoko?" the deminutive scholar asked, only to be answered with a scowling eye.
The air around them became thick and uncomfortable as the silence grew,
neither of them exactly sure of how to escape it's deafening grip.
"You know, I think I may have something that will help you relax a bit." Washu finally uttered, seeing a chance to not only reveal the new room she created, but also taking the liberty of getting the deceptively frail looking girl into a juncture of questioning without her realizing it.
The red-head showed the newly appointed archway to Aeka, who showed more interest in the favorable desire to sit in repose than in the actual structure itself. The princess's lack of enthusiasm for the architectual wonder only mildly irked Washu, who contributed her indifference to the stresses of the day and thus forced herself to hide her aggravation.
"Oops, excuse me just a moment." the scientist chirped, walking into the kitchen and disappearing around the corner.
Aeka waited patiently for Washu's return while gingerly taking a seat on the new chaise, staring at her hands rather than look at the artistry surrounding her. The explosive situation earlier that afternoon had forced her to reflect on not only the incident 700 years ago, but also the time Aeka had spent with Ryoko during their quest to locate Tenchi. She honestly thought that the demon had changed her ways, she had actually kept her outrageous, not to mention embarrasing mannerizims to a minimum, although still showing her impetuous nature. But that was the way Ryoko was, and she had grown to accept that fact in what she thought was a newly found friend. Spending more time with the pirate had also made her more aware of her own nasty assumptions, admiting to herself that Ryoko was not a bad person, and therefore making her more understanding of the sorry state of affairs that
Kagato had created for her. Butnow, after seeing what she had done to her own family made her doubt the woman's sincerity, believing she had been played like a fiddle just to achieve her own personal goal...Tenchi's favor.
To make matters worse, her own sister was not speaking to her. After her interaction with the group as they emerged from Washu's lab, Aeka requested that her brother/Tenchi's Grandfather carry the young child upstairs to their bedroom so that she could better care for her. The whole time they were up there alone, Sasami continually berated the older sibling for saying such cruel things, even as Aeka impressed upon her the reason for her actions. To Aeka, she was simply trying to protect her sister and everyone else involved, reminding the youth most sternly of the seriousness regarding the situation. However Sasami had made her feel as if she had just done a grave injustice, like she had just accused an innocent person of something so heinous a crime no law-abiding citizen could possibly comprehend.
This was something the first princess just couldn't understand. Even Tenchi was acting funny toward her, walking on egg shells, as it were, whenever he came near. The only remarks Tenchi would utter to her were the same as Washu's, while treating her as if she were a flower rapidly withering away. Surely she wasn't as crazy and so fragile as everyone appeared to be thinking of her as of late.
In the midst of her thoughts, the pride of Juria's Royal Family failed to notice Washu's return, holding the same tray that Aeka had brought with her from upstairs. On it, she carried the carafe from the dining room table that was left for her, along with two matching saucers.
Aeka, again startled by the rather adroit inventor, acknowledged Washu's
presence as she set the offering down on the table. She was quite surprised, however, to find that the scientist was no longer a small, child-like enigma, as the woman preferred. Instead, Washu had shed her normal facade, returning herself to her natural state of over twenty thousand years old. It was to her own admition, Aeka had reminded herself, that Washu elected to appear younger than she actually was, refusing to grow up due to the pain she had suffered long ago. Still, this widely known information did not make it any easier to absorb the shock of seeing her this way.
"I thought you might like some tea." the now comparitively beautiful red-head stated softly.
"Please excuse my saying so, little..."
"Miss," Washu interupted, warming her usually cool exterior with a well meaning smile. "You may call me Miss Washu."
"Sorry, Miss Washu." Aeka corrected herself, again deverting her gaze to her hands folded inside of her lap. "I'm very grateful for your concern as well as your hospitality, however I'm afraid that I must decline your willingness to share your company with me, as I wish to be alone."
"And I must insist that you join me in a bit of tea and conversation," the scientist rebutted, keeping her voice smooth as not to upset Aeka. "I can sense that you have a lot on your mind, and I have been told that I'm an exeptionally good listener."
"I am afraid that you cannot quite understand my plight, Miss Washu." Aeka replied, trying her best to dissuade the woman into any kind of discussion what so ever.
"Try me." Washu quipped.
Seeing as how she wasn't going to snake her way out of it, Aeka sighed deeply. She quietly reached out to pour herself some tea when Washu started to clear her throat, apparently trying to get the princess's attention. Aeka gave a questioning glance to Washu, a little annoyed that the genius would make it seem that she had inadvertantly commited a great faux pas, only to be answered by the full grown woman waving a bottle of a rather powerful brand of sake in front of her.
"I thought that maybe this might help us along." And with that said, Washu opened the carafe and started to pour some of the intoxicant into the tea. Judging just how much she wanted to add, she promptly capped the half empty bottle and discarded it next to her on the floor, where she sat and began to pour the mixture into the two saucers.
Aeka accepted the palliative concoction with almost restrained enthusiasm and gulped it down, only to be strongly reminded of its potency as it burned her throat, causing her to gulp for air.
"Easy there, Miss Aeka. This stuff isn't your usual sake you know." Washu cautioned the younger woman.
"You could have told me that sooner," the princess admonished between gasps of air. After finally regaining her somber demeanor, Aeka accepted another bowl of the spiked tea, making sure to sip slowly and avoid further embarrasment.
Several minutes of more quiet and five bowls of alcoholic tea later, Washu thought of a way to get the princess to talk.
"You miss them, don't you?" Washu asked softly, taking the chance that the first princess might continue to ignore her and walk away.
The first princess reluctantly shook her head in affirmative fashion, understanding what Washu was talking about. It was true that she missed her family and her home planet a great deal, but due to the circumstances as of late, there was no way she could return to Jurai. If Aeka left to resume her duties as the future Empress, she would have to leave Tenchi behind, with no protection against the vile creature residing in his home.
Another option was to say here, along side the man she so desperately loved, but even that plan was riddled with flaws. Her father would come for her eventually, just as he had done before, and remind her of her obligation to her people. If she professed her adoration for the young man, Azusa would forbid there union through his last dying breath, therefore threatening Tenchi's life in the process.
Then there were the citizens of Jurai, most of whom believed in the old ways. If it were ever found out that Aeka's heart belonged to a humanoid from a virtually unknown sector, they would look upon her and her family as unworthy, quite possibly rendering the entire Jurian kingdom asunder.
Another thought was to denounce her royal standing, leaving Sasami as the successor to the throne. However she knew of the untold heartache the child would feel, as Aeka would have in fact dumped all of her problems on her sister, and that was something she just couldn't do.
So here she was, stuck in the perverbial rock and a hard place, with no clear answer. Disgrace her family and possibly destroy the future of her people, or thrust her only sister into a future engulfed in uncertainties and emotional burdens. Either way, Aeka's dream of living a happy and fulfilling life with the man who had taken her heart would never come true.
Aeka screamed as loud as she could, letting years of oppression and inner strife be cast out as if doing so would cure her of some infernal disease. Once again she directed all of her rage at the one entity she felt was the cause.
"This all that damn monster woman's fault!! If she hadn't taken my brother away from me..." Aeka began, but cut herself short as her throat clenched shut and the tears began to fall again.
Washu's eyes widened as the words reached her ears, though not entirely
shocked at what the princess was saying. The genius was well aware of how Aeka had come to Earth, as well as the rivalry between her daughter and the princess. The only thing that surprised Washu was how loud this woman was capable of yelling, as well as how Aeka was still upset at Ryoko for what had happened centuries ago. Like all the others, Washu had assumed that all the bickering was soley about Tenchi, but now that seemed to be far from the truth.
Washu offered the overwrought princess another cup of tea, hoping that the gesture of friendship would help alleviate some of her inner pain. Instead Aeka ignored the endeavor, opting to lunge for the bottle of alcohol sitting next to the genius in an attempt to drown her sorrows in its anesthetic properties.
Aeka took a long pull of the bottle despite Washu's objections, only to contort her face in an almost amusing way. Unlike her nemesis, the princess had a low tolerance for anything potent as the brew began its assault on her senses, causing her mind became a cloud of entangled thoughts.
Washu got up from where she sat and approached the emotive heiress, her suspicions as to what exactly happened earlier that afternoon coming back to her.
"Lady Aeka, tell me everything that happened after lunch today."
Aeka was caught off guard by the prodigy's request as she began to dry her tears with the sleeve of her kimono. It seemed to her that she had explained everything she knew a hundred times that day, and yet Washu was acting as if she had taken the situation completely out of context. The idea that this woman would think Ryoko was somehow innocent of the charges Aeka accused her of was not a surprise to her, as she was known to favor her achievements from time to time. It was the notion that Washu herself was choosing to be blind when it came to that monster's psychotic behavior that had caught her off guard.
Still, the princess took a deep breath and related all that happened as Washu listened intently.
"I was in the other room watching my favorite story when I heard a rather noisy disturbance coming from the kitchen..."
"Uh-huh. What exactly did you hear?" the genius interjected, very curiously.
A little miffed at the interuption and the question, Aeka continued. "You know, the kind of commotion that beast always creates around here."
Washu simply gave the princess a disapproving look, urging her to spill the exact details without all the unnecessary remarks.
Aeka forced herself to remember precisely what those sounds were that called her attention earlier. The only recollections she had were the horrific sounds of her sister's cries coming from the other room. As the screams echoed through her mind, flashbacks again battered her whithering soul. The sights, the smells, almost as real as they were seven hundred years ago.
The usually regal woman shook her head, a vain attempt to free her self from the virtual prison of centuries gone by, once more losing her composure to the will of her emotions and the tainted tea swimming around in her gut.
"I can't remember exactly," Aeka spat back, standing up so abrubtly that Washu was afraid she would suffer from whiplash. "I do remember entering the room and finding that cur hanging my little sister by the ankles!! Is that proof enough for you to believe me?"
Washu didn't budge from her spot, but held her hands out as a signal for the princess to calm down and return to her seat. Instead of her graceful movements, Aeka plopped back down like a wet burlap sack and gulped down several more mouthfuls of alcohol as she began to sway from side to side.
"All I'm saying Lady Aeka," Washu spoke matter-of-factly after another long stretch of quietude, "is that I know that Ryoko does do and has done a lot of tastless and objectionable things. But there is one thing that I am sure of..."
"And what is that?" Aeka cut in harshly, staring at the scientist with red-eyed fury.
"One thing that I'm sure of is that Ryoko would never intentionally hurt a child, especially one she has grown so fond of." the genius finished.
Aeka scoffed at the idea that Ryoko was anything but a treacherous, low-life killer who cared for anyone but herself, especially when it came to anyone connected to the Jurai Royal Family. Before she could rebut Washu's statement, a soft female voice spoke up, followed by the smell of freshly prepared food.
Both women turned their heads, suddenly aware that they were no longer alone. There, in the doorway of the renovated kitchen stood Mihoshi, carrying two paper bags with what they assumed was the food from the restaurant.
"I'm sorry," the blond detective stated softly, quite aware of the first princess's agitated state. "I don't mean to interupt, but we have your dinner and I'm sure you must be very hungry."
Aeka rose from her seat with the bottle still in her hand and rushed past the woman without a second look, very irritated at having been both spoken to by Washu and at the knowledge of being seen in a manner unbecoming a woman of her stature. But before she could straighten herself out, the smell of cooked beef and rice wafted through the air, making the first princess rather nausious. Mihoshi simply stared after Aeka as she ran for the upstairs bathroom while holding her hand to her mouth, dropping the bottle she was carrying in the process. Before it could shatter, a small portal opened just above the impact point, allowing the item to fall into it. The opening disappeared just as it had came into existance, without a sound.
Mihoshi's attention turned from the princess to the still full grown version of Washu.
"She'll be ok, just give her time." Washu said to Mihoshi, anticipating the question before the detective had a chance to ask.
A small child stood within a vast blackness, calling out frantically for someone to rescue her from the never-ending void. Within moments the almost transparent figure of Ryoko appeared, looking pitiful as ribbons of smoke wafted around her.
Sasami ran headlong at her friend, the absence of her foot falls as the child took off going without notice. Sasami stopped dead in her tracts as a gleam caught her eye. Through the smoke the girl noticed large black shackles holding Ryoko up into the space surrounding them both, yet bolted to nothing. A low humming sound resounded against walls that weren't there, slowly and steadily growing louder until the noise began to hurt the young noble's ears.
"Stop it!" Sasami screamed, holding her hands to her ears in an attempt to block out the sound. The voices spat vile expressions of contempt at the woman before her as Sasami tried to sheild her senses from the verbal assault. Just as she was about to scream again, Sasami witnessed two more figures emerge from the blackness; one of which resembled her sister, Aeka.
"Aeka?" the child cried, tears beginning to run from her eyes.
Without any consideration for the young princess's presence, Aeka turned to her defeated captive, the Tenchi-ken in her hand just like she had in the beginning, and thrust the hilt into Ryoko's side.
"Aeka stop it please! Don't hurt her!" Sasami screamed, helpless to do anything as the former pirate's body began to posture out of control, the loud voices now laughing and taunting Ryoko throughout her torture.
Sasami shut her eyes in disbelief, continuing to plead with Aeka to stop before it got out of hand.
In the midst of a dark upstairs bedroom, a small child awoke, completely covered with sweat and shaking from fear. Her emblem on her forehead glowing earily in the moonlight as she called out for anyone to come to her side. No one came.
============
Author's note: Sorry it took so long, again. I kinda wrote myself in a corner, but I hope I took care of it to your liking. I'm working on chapter 4, but that too will take a while. It is almost summer vacation and it's gonna be a busy one. I won't give up though until my story is finished. I pray the next chapter is better. Again, comments are welcome.
Thanx again to Dudeman for proofreading, where would I be without you (by the way, you're due for your monthly spanking. LOL)
Mistress-Ryoko
"E Bob Plebs Fides; E Jay Plebs Dubium" -Jay and Silent Bob