Don't need the disclaimer. Y'all know it by heart, I'm sure. But here it is anyway. I don't profit from this, for if I did I'd own a house with a pool and a poolboy to go with it....
Warning: This fic might contain bad words and other various naughty bits. So if you're not supposed to be reading this, you take the heat, but don't drag me into it...
Ok Dudeman, let's get off our asses and do this...
Of Dreams and Reality
Chapter 5
"Oh, What A Web We Weave"
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Everyone in the room groaned with frustration as they looked upon Mihoshi's prone form, the remains of the glass of water Aeka had been drinking from nothing more than a shattered remnant of what it used to be.
Without looking back, the self-proclaimed genius of the universe simply sighed in expectation and snapped her fingers. Within a matter of nano-seconds the pieces of glass gave off a light-blue aura and simply disappeared.
Mihoshi crawled over the toppled piece of furniture and sat in an indian-style position. The detective gently rubbed her sore nose, complaining tearfully about whether or not she had broken it. Mihoshi quickly forgot her discomfort, however, when she realized why she had been too excited to notice the table that had stood in her way.
"Kiyone!" the blonde detective cried, again lunging for the woman that stood in the threshold of the living room and Washu's lab.
Before Washu could protest, Mihoshi ran full force in the direction of the door like a runaway freight train, only to pass through the image of her partner and dearest friend as if she were an apparition.
The others stared in awed disbelief, their own troubles forgotten for the moment. Just as the men were about to move from their respective positions to help the young officer, Washu put her hands up in front of her, signaling for them to stay where they were.
For the second time that morning, Mihoshi sat up and rubbed the sore spots she had accumulated on various places of her body, wondering aloud how she could have passed through her partner.
"What happened to Kiyone!?" Mihoshi asked, turning her head in the direction from where her fellow GP was still standing. Her eyes began to well with tears at the thought of her friend's demise.
"Well, I'll tell you if you'd give me a chance to explain," Washu answered rather curtly, motioning for the detective to return to her previous seating position as her partner's visage momentarily blinked in and out.
With unshed tears, Mihoshi slowly rose from the entrance of the lab and walked back to her seat, all the while keeping an eye on Kiyone's image as it continued to stand in the doorway. The blonde woman, along with everyone else (with the exception of Washu), failed to notice an almost transparent Ryoko standing in a semi-dark corner of the living room carefully watching the group as Washu began her presentation.
"First off, this is Kiyone. Only this is a highly sophisticated holographic program that utilizes a comm-link transmission from any given medium and turns it into a portable, three-dimensional image." the petite scholar informed them, pride exuding from every word as she spoke. "And this is what makes it possible," she continued, pointing to a small device the size of a matchbox on the floor just centimeters from the doorframe. "It acts as both a transmitter and a receiver. I got the idea from watching some of the old films they broadcast on television, except you don't need a projection screen."
Surprisingly, they all answered with understanding sighs and slow nods, somehow comprehending what the small red head had explained to them.
'Maybe I'm losing my touch.' Washu thought to herself, a bit disappointed that everyone had actually understood what she had just told them. She usually took much delight (albeit hidden) in interpreting what she had said into easier terms, making her feel that much more intellectually superior. 'Oh well, I'll get 'em next time.'
"This is extraordinarily brilliant, Miss Washu..." Aeka quipped, her face as well as her words mirroring her annoyance, "but I fail to see why this couldn't have waited for a more acceptable hour."
Just as Washu was about to explain, Kiyone via 'Washu satellite' spoke up, her image continuing to slightly flicker about within the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Princess Aeka. It was my idea. I would have waited 'til I landed, but I thought I'd give you a heads-up on the situation."
"What couldn't wait, Kiyone?" Tenchi interrupted. "What situation?"
"Well," the officer continued, her usual professional demeanor slightly faltering. "I'm not even supposed to be telling you this as it does concern Princess Aeka as well as Sasami, but I think you all should know, seeing as how this might affect us all."
"And what is that, Miss Kiyone?" Katsuhito questioned, tactfully prodding the detective to get to the point, not once allowing his eyes to betray the sense of dread he was feeling.
Kiyone took a deep breath and continued in a solemn tone. "The Emperor and his wives are on their way to retrieve Aeka and Sasami and return them to Jurai. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but from what I can gather, the Holy Council isn't very impressed with their extended absence."
"Mother and Father are coming here to take us home?" Sasami whimpered, her eyes beginning to water at the thought of leaving what she felt had become her home. The young child cast a worried glance at her sister, searching for an answer to this dilemma within Aeka's eyes.
Unfortunately Aeka didn't acknowledge her sibling's presence, or anyone else's for that matter, as she turned the information over and over in her head. All the color had drained from the elder princess's face as reality came crashing down on her, causing her to collapse even more into the sofa.
'At last, the time has come...' Aeka thought to herself. It felt as if an icy cold hand had a firm grip on her heart and refused to let go. She knew that this day would come eventually, but for it to happen so soon was a devastating blow. Aeka had hoped that before she was forced to leave, Tenchi would profess his undying love for her, thus accepting to take the throne by her side on Jurai. But all the hope, all the dreaming and praying had done her no good as in the end she would be alone once again.
While the First Princess of Jurai sat in her depressed state, Ryoko stood in shocked silence deep within the shadows of the room. Sure, she would admit that she had on more than a few occasions dreamt of this day, the time when Aeka would have to return to her homeworld and to her duties. Ryoko would proclaim herself the victor, having Tenchi all to herself. But to actually hear it, to know that her wish was about to come true didn't exactly leave the ex-pirate with the joy she had experienced when the Emperor had last come to claim his 'wayward' children.
Instead of the anticipated glee at such news, Ryoko felt a knot growing in the pit of her stomach. To say that such an unexpected feeling was a surprise was an understatement at best. Her biggest rival was exiting the picture and what was supposed to be a momentous occasion was turning out to be something entirely different. Whether it was because Sasami, a person she had grown to think of as a little sister, was leaving as well or if it was because of yesterday's occurrence that was causing such inner turmoil, Ryoko wasn't sure. All she knew was that she suddenly felt lost for some reason and it made her more than a bit uneasy.
'Could it be?' Ryoko thought. 'Could it be that I'd actually miss that snooty princess?' Yes, it was a possibility, but a very small one in her mind. The odds that the former space pirate would look at Aeka as a friend of sorts, especially after what happened just yesterday, were a million to one. It would have been easier to believe several weeks before, hell even two days ago, but now after all she had gone through because the princess had decided to go ape-shit over nothing, well that just wasn't how it was.
As Ryoko continued to ponder her thoughts and emotions, she failed to notice that she had unwittingly solidified her form into existence. Although still surrounded by the darkness in the corner, Ryoko was now visible...at least to those willing to see.
However several yards away no one had noticed, yet. Tenchi looked upon the distraught young girl and her sister sitting on the sofa, the idea that they were about to end their 'vacation' hadn't really registered. To him, it was like the last time; their parents would come, the Emperor demanding they come home, they would deny him and then all would be back to normal. Well, as normal as things got around this house anyway. This was just another attempt by Azusa to appraise him and coax his grandfather to return home as well, and everyone knew THAT wasn't gonna happen any time soon.
Tenchi was about to question Kiyone further when the detective's visage abruptly vanished.
"I was hoping that wouldn't happen." the redheaded prodigy replied in a slightly exasperated tone. Washu quietly walked over to the mechanism, bent down and tapped it gingerly. After that didn't seem to work, she nonchalantly summoned her holo-terminal.
"What do you mean, Miss Washu?" Tenchi questioned, "What happened?"
"Well, it seems that someone has managed to intercept and jam the transmission." Washu stated matter-of-factly as her fingers continued to work at a fevered pitch. "I'm trying to see if I can reconfigure one of Earth's satellites to reconnect with the Yagami."
"There is no need, Miss Washu."
Everyone turned to see who had said it, only to be faced with Aeka's now fragile looking frame standing before them; her head down cast, her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. It was then that Tenchi had started to understand that maybe this was far worse than he had initially assessed. Never had he imagined that his not-so-quite normal life would end, that his princesses would leave, almost certainly never to return.
His princesses? Yes, they were his princesses. Although it was true that he never got the chance to really know his mother, he always felt that no woman would ever compare to her beauty and grace. Yet, after years of living in a house of men, six beautiful women had fallen into his life, making it a bit brighter, if not more exciting. And of all those women, two of them -one not more than the Earth equivalent of 11 years old- had shown him that there did indeed exist that same feminine beauty and grace that had been missing from his life for all those years. If they left him now, that quality would again go missing, leaving him with a pain almost the same as when his dear mother had passed.
Slowly, Tenchi approached Aeka, wanting so much to hold her and tell her not to go. But he knew deep down that the chances of her staying, to deny her father one last time was almost impossible. Still, he had to try.
"Don't give up, Lady Aeka." Tenchi spoke the words with utmost sincerity, laying a comforting hand upon the woman's shoulder. "It'll work out. You'll see. Just please, don't give up now."
From her secluded spot, Ryoko watched with wide eyes as Tenchi held onto the princess. It was all she could do to keep from either screaming or crying from her assumption of the situation, afraid that the worst of all possible outcomes had come true.
'Relax,' the little voice in her head spoke, 'he's just doing what you'd expect him to do. He'd to the same for you if the roles were reversed. Besides, you heard Washu. Something big is going down and Aeka's gonna need all the support she can get.'
After she had reassured herself that she was simply jumping to conclusions, Ryoko kept her emotions in check and continued to remain in the shadows, watching as events unfolded, still unaware that anyone and everyone could see her if they bothered to look.
"But who could've jammed the transmission?" Nobuyuki asked.
"Emperor Azusa would have given the command if he knew of it." Mihoshi answered, her somewhat professional mannerisms coming back to her.
"Why would he do such a thing?" quipped Tenchi.
"Isn't it obvious?" Washu answered in an even tone. "The Emperor's serious this time. He's coming for young Sasami and Lady Aeka. They are his children after all."
"Well, I definitely feel sorry for the guy who did it, even if he had Azusa's orders." Mihoshi said to no one in particular, a knowing grin beginning to form on her face.
"Why's that?" Nobuyuki asked.
"Well," the blonde continued, her usual perky attitude mixing with her detective persona. "I'm sure everyone remembers the last time the Emperor came."
Everyone except the princesses and Ryoko nodded.
"Then you remember that he came, and is coming, with both of his wives."
A chuckle began to escape from the diminutive scientist, which quickly turned into a loud guffaw.
"What's so funny?" Tenchi asked, his face twisted in anger and confusion.
"Don't you get it! Funaho and Misaki are accompanying him. Knowing them, they probably knew Kiyone was contacting us, but didn't want to do anything about it." Washu answered, a very wide smile highlighting her face. "Any communication attempts could've easily been intercepted and stopped before reaching Earth much sooner than this if they wanted to."
"Uh-oh." Sasami interjected, her cheeks the slightest shade of pink.
"What?" the young man repeated.
"If you knew Mother and Auntie Funaho like we do, then you'd understand that nobody, absolutely NOBODY disobeys an order from them, even Father." the small child finished.
Washu's smile slowly disappeared as she put her hand up to her chin. "Still, it must be pretty serious if someone deliberately disobeyed the Queens on Azusa's instructions."
Several hundred kilometers from the planet Jupiter, Lady Funaho stood in silent anger and frustration within the Jurian ship known as the Karin. The out-going communications emitting from the Yagami had abruptly halted, and she had a pretty good indication as to why.
"What do we do now?" Misaki asked while twisting her regal attire between clenched fists. She, too, was steamed at the idea of a direct order being completely ignored, but more importantly she was upset that her children had no idea what lie ahead for them, and this almost caused her to start crying.
"Unfortunately, we will have to wait until we arrive. There is nothing more we can do." Funaho answered, all the while contemplating the fate of a certain Captain and one Emperor of Jurai.
Not far ahead of the Imperial ships and their escorts, the pilot of the Yagami continued unsuccessfully to regain the lost transmission to Earth.
"Damn!" Kiyone growled angrily, slamming her fist into the console once more.
"It seems that all frequencies have been jammed to prevent further communication. However we will continue to scan for any open channels." informed Azaka
"Yeah, whatever." the officer answered. With a long sigh, Kiyone reclined back into her pilot's seat, folding her hands behind her head.
"In fact, don't bother. We'll be landing shortly anyway."
"As you wish." came the reply of the twin guardian Kamidake.
The teal-haired woman simply watched the planets making up the Sol system pass one by one. What had started out to as a routine task of filing reports and updating the data banks of the princess's guardians had now become a very ominous 'escort and recovery' order.
Sure, the king had every right to come for his offspring, but something about the whole affair just didn't add up. Any detective worth his or her salt could see that.
Kiyone had felt it since she first set foot into GP Headquarters. It started off as the usual question and answer period; people wanting to know any information as to why the Princess Aeka and her sister had not yet returned. She would give her answers as she always had; she wasn't at liberty to say, other than she had strict orders from the Crown Princess to halt all communication while on an extended vacation in some little-known sector of space. It was after the usual 'interrogation' that she was given a completely different assignment.
Her superiors hadn't been very specific about it, which was strange in and of itself. Usually such orders had detailed information to back it up. All that was mentioned was that Kiyone was to return to Earth with the royal entourage to retrieve both Princess Aeka and Princess Sasami on orders of the Holy Council and the Emperor himself. No other explicit data was given.
"Wonder what all the secrecy is about?" the woman thought aloud to herself.
"We have no information pertaining to your request at this time." answered Azaka.
"I wasn't asking you..." Kiyone half snarled, more than a bit perturbed at the idea of having the two cylinders as company. 'Next time, Mihoshi can bring these two in for their routine check-ups, that is if there is a next time.'
Kiyone continued to look at the stars and planets before her, deep in thought when Kamadake interrupted them.
"Estimated time of arrival, 1.5 Earth hours."
Kiyone spun around in her seat and glared at the wooden companion.
"Can it!"
"Detective Kiyone doesn't seem to have much patience, does she?" Kamadake whispered to his counterpart, a sweatdrop appearing on the side of his smoothly lacquered surface.
"Must be stress." his twin responded in kind.
The entire Masaki household sat around the living room as Kastuhito returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of tea and snack cakes. It had been a small shock to everyone that the royal family were coming, but nevertheless expected.
Tenchi had managed to calm Aeka down just a bit, getting her to sit back down on the sofa so that they could all figure out what to do. Washu had estimated that Kiyone would arrive in just over an hour, the royal tree-ships following close behind. That didn't give them much time to formulate a plan.
"Is there any way you can stay here and perform your duties through one of Washu's communication devices?" asked Tenchi as he sat next to her on the sofa, watching Aeka intently for any reaction to his question.
The First Crown Princess simply sat there staring at the floor, and yet not seeing it, as she silently contemplated the question put before her.
"Unfortunately, Lord Tenchi, that would not work." Aeka answered flatly. "The Holy Council would not accept such communication when it comes to the affairs of Jurai."
"That is true," the Shinto priest interjected as he set the tray down onto the uprighted table. "There are some things that need to be dealt with face to face as it were. Anyone wanting to infiltrate any transmissions having to do with Jurai could easily do so. That should have been obvious by Washu's example." he finished, referring to the device that the scientist had used earlier.
Tenchi wanted to slap himself for the oversight. How could he have suggested such a thing.
"Don't worry. All things work out in the end." Katsuhito stated, the light from the windows reflecting off his glasses as he spoke.
"How Grandpa?" young Sasami asked, her face streaked with dried tears.
"Calm down, little one." Katsuhito replied, walking over to his little sister. "We must keep in mind that what ever happens, it happens for a reason."
"And what reason would that be?" Aeka answered caustically, her eyes flaring with anger. Her self-pity and sadness seemed to melt away at the old man's remark. That statement itself had now filled her with rage and bitterness. Unable to contain it, she stood up and let loose.
"Tell me, brother Yosho, what is the reason for my continued suffering? Tell me why I must always be denied happiness no matter what the cost?" she barked, her usually graceful hands now balled up fists at her sides as she advanced on him.
"I don't have all the answers you seek for the questions you ask, and if anyone told you otherwise they would be a fool." the priest answered evenly, standing his ground against his sister's verbal backlash.
"If anyone here should be the fool it is I." Aeka shouted back. "I was foolish enough to believe that I could have happiness in any shape or form. Just like I have diluted myself into thinking that that demon woman had a heart!"
"Now wait just a God-damn minute, Princess!" Ryoko growled.
To everyone's surprise, Ryoko stepped out of the dark corner that she had been hiding in and began to approach. Washu stopped working on the disconnected comm-link and watched as events unfolded. Sensing what was about to happen, she summoned another transparent keyboard and began typing once again.
"It's not my fault that your family is coming to take you back home, so don't take it out on me!" the cyan-tressed pirate continued.
"Oh I see! It's not your fault, nothing ever is. Tell me, Ryoko, who's fault was it that caused Sasami's injuries yesterday? Not yours I suppose." Aeka was livid, her fingers began to tingle and the smell of ozone filled the air around her. The others began to duck behind various pieces of furniture, waiting for the inevitable to happen, that is except Washu and Tenchi.
"That wasn't my fault! Everything was fine until you decided to flip your wig!" Ryoko spat back.
"And I presume that it wasn't you who attacked Jurai either?! It's because of you that I lost my brother, not to mention the near death of poor Sasami on that same day!"
"You know that wasn't my fault either!"
"I doubt that is entirely accurate!"
"ENOUGH!"
Both ladies turned to see whom it was that had yelled at them only to see Tenchi, his face was beat red, his eyes closed tightly shut. To say that he was a bit miffed was putting it rather mildly.
"I'm sick and tired of hearing you two constantly fighting!" he complained harshly. "I honestly thought you girls had finally settled your differences, but boy was I wrong."
"Lord Tenchi.."
"I said quiet!" he interrupted, his booming voice echoing off the rafters above him. After several deep breaths to calm his nerves, he opened his eyes and stared intensely at the two women before he continued.
"I don't know exactly what happened between the both of you yesterday, and frankly I don't care. All I know is that there is a little girl over there that is lucky to still be with us after what happened."
Aeka and Ryoko suddenly found the hardwood floor beneath their feet to be quite interesting as Tenchi went on, neither of them wanting to look into his angry face. They had never seen him this upset at them before, and quite frankly it scared them.
"Sometimes..." he stopped.
The princess and the pirate lifted their heads when he abruptly halted his tirade. What he said next was like a sword through their hearts.
"Sometimes, I wish I'd never come back."
It had finally been said. All the longing he secretly kept from all of them had come out into the open. All those nights he had dreamt of her; of their time together, so peaceful and quiet. That was what he had wanted and thought that he had found when he returned, only to be reminded of the harsh reality yesterday.
"Tenchi, you don't mean that." Ryoko implored in disbelief. Instead of a reply, Tenchi simply walked away without a word, his head tilted towards the floor.
Washu watched the young man as he turned the corner of the staircase and disappear before she spoke up.
"You can come out now."
One by one Katsuhito, Mihoshi, Sasami, Nobuyuki and even Ryo-Ohki emerged from behind various items of furniture, their eyes wide with shock and their chins practically dragging on the floor.
"I was sure we were gonna be blown to bits." the widower stated nonchalantly.
"Lucky for you I put up a dampening field, just in case."
"Did Tenchi mean what he said?" asked Sasami, her big pink eyes pleading with the petite genius.
Washu looked down at the small princess and forced a smile just as Nobuyuki walked up to her.
"I wouldn't worry about it." was all Washu could say to her.
"I think it would be best if you laid down for a little while, just until your family shows up." explained the father figure. "Then we'll work this all out."
Reluctantly Sasami complied, allowing Nobuyuki to pick her up and carry her up to her room. As they passed, Ryo-Ohki, still gathered in Sasami's arms, mewed ever so softly at the two women standing like statues, each caught up in their own thoughts about what had just transpired.
"I'd like to see you both in my lab, pronto." demanded the petite scholar as she dismissed her computer.
Silently Ryoko and Aeka followed her order and headed for the lab, each of them memorizing the floorboards as they went, leaving Katsuhito to sit on the loveseat, quietly sipping tea.
Nobuyuki carefully tucked Sasami into her futon, making sure she would be as comfortable as possible. To the middle-aged man, it was almost like a case of deja vu, only this time it was a small princess and not his son. His brown eyes began to tear at the thought.
"What's wrong, Mr. Masaki?" the young girl asked.
"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about." he softly answered, blinking his eyes to keep the tears of long past memories from escaping.
After smoothing out the covers and patting her on the head, Nobuyuki headed for the door.
"Mr. Masaki?" Sasami began cautiously.
Nobuyuki stopped in his tracks and turned to the young child.
"I'm scared."
A small quirk of a smile grew from his lips as his mind registered what she had just said. 'Yes, deja vu indeed."
"It's ok, everything will be just fine." he answered as honestly as he could. With that, Nobuyuki calmly walked out of the room and slid the door closed before heading down the hall to his son's room. After Tenchi's understandable outburst, his father thought it was about time they had a heart to heart talk.
The middle-aged man knocked on the door, only to receive no reply. He knocked a second time, although a tad harder than the first.
A muffled 'go away' was said from the other side.
"It's your father," Nobuyuki answered mildly. "May I come in?"
Several moments of silence passed as he waited for his only child to either give him the brush off or acknowledge his presence. Nobuyuki was fully prepared to be sent away again when the sound of the door latch turning gave him hope. Slowly the door began to slide open, but only a crack.
"I'd really like to be alone right now, please."
"I'm sorry to hear that son, 'cause I think we need to talk."
Gradually, Tenchi opened the door wide enough for his father to enter. As soon as Nobuyuki was inside, Tenchi quickly closed the door and locked it again.
"Well," Nobuyuki began, "we've had quite a day, haven't we?"
Tenchi just stood there with his arms crossed at the chest, his hair disheveled as was his clothing, like he had just been tossing around in his bed.
"Listen, I know you're under a lot of stress right now..."
"You don't know the half of it." Tenchi interjected, the pitch of his voice making it perfectly clear that he was in no mood to relive the past day and a half.
"I'm sure I don't." Nobuyuki turned to face his son's desk and pulled out the chair, taking a seat so that his arms crossed over the backrest. "But what you said downstairs kinda scared me."
Tenchi raised his head slightly so he could look into his father's eyes. "What do you mean?"
"That you said you wished you'd never came back."
Sighing heavily, the young man stalked across the room and sat on his bed, contemplating the words he had said downstairs being repeated by his father.
"Honestly, sometimes I really wish I had stayed with her, away from all of this."
"Why?" Nobuyuki cross-examined.
"You saw what happened downstairs?" Tenchi snapped. "I thought they were better. Sure they were having little arguments, but at least they didn't destroy anything or hurt anyone!"
"Now, now. There's no need to yell."
"I think I have every right to be angry!"
Again, several moments of silence had passed between them before either of them spoke.
"When I was with Haruna, everything was so quiet and calm. It was like a dream come true. No one fighting, nothing being blown up. I know I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I think about it, I was much better off back there."
"I can understand that, I guess." his father replied, now interested in his hands as he wrung them together.
"No you can't." his son answered back
Nobuyuki took a deep breath, intertwining his fingers together before he spoke. "Tenchi, did I ever tell you.. about your mother and I... before she died?" he faltered.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Tenchi questioned, trying to dismiss the notion that the two paths were related.
"Not everything between your mother and I was perfect." his father admitted. "She knew she was dying, I don't know how, but she did. She told me as much a few days before she was gone."
Tenchi didn't acknowledge his father's statement as he went on.
"We fought a lot, even about the stupidest things. About how she could take care of herself, the dishes not being done, damn it she even argued about the color of the blankets on her bed! But you were so small, I doubt you'd remember." Nobuyuki ran his fingers through his already graying hair before he proceeded. "I know it sounds cruel, but back then I prayed that the Gods would just take her away and let it be done." A small tear trickled down his cheek as he finished his sentence.
Tenchi's head shot up to look at his father with a menacing stare. He couldn't believe the things he was hearing, but so upset that he wasn't able to speak.
"Achika was a fighter, right to the end. And when the end came, I pleaded with the deities to return her to me, just so I could hear her scream at me once last time."
Once again, Tenchi hung his head, finally understanding what his father was trying to say. 'How could I have said such a thing?' he berated himself.
"So you see, I do understand. Even though the circumstances are different, the idea is still the same. And when you had said that, it reminded me of that time." More tears began to follow the first. "Anger and frustration makes people say things that they'll regret later, and believe me, regret is not something you want to live with for the rest of your life."
Nobuyuki got up off the chair and placed it back in its original spot, all the while trying to hold back the rest of the tears he had not shed.
Silently, Tenchi stood up as well and walked over to his dad. Without a second thought, he hugged him, a gesture which neither one of them had shared in a long time.
"Thanks Dad."
"S'all right, son. Just doin' my job." Nobuyuki said as he reciprocated his son's actions.
They stayed like that for a few moments; not saying a word as none needed to be said. Finally, the two men let go of each other.
"Guess I'll go downstairs and have a talk with the girls." admitted Tenchi, a humble look replacing the anger that had been there earlier.
"No need."
"Huh? Why not?"
Nobuyuki snickered before answering. "I think Washu has that covered."
Tenchi rolled his eyes at the thought of Washu 'taking care' of the girls, but couldn't help a small giggle himself. "Knowing her, that could definitely be a punishment in itself."
They had only been there for a few minutes, but to them it felt as if hours had passed. The elder princess and the space pirate sat in a secluded section of the lab per Washu's instructions, waiting for the small genius to appear. Exactly why she had demanded that they meet her in there, they weren't exactly sure. All they knew was that it wasn't going to be pleasant.
In a rare display of modesty, Washu walked in; no fan fare was heard, no confetti littered the floor, not even a small robotic replica of herself to announce her arrival. She simply walked in, a look of restrained exasperation clearly evident upon her small face.
Both women, who had been ignoring each other's presence the whole time, watched with intense scrutiny as the deceptively small scientist walked before them and then abruptly stop. Without warning, Aeka and Ryoko yelped in pain as two enormous wooden mallets appeared out of nowhere and cracked against their skulls.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm feeling better already." the red-head beamed.
Two crumpled bodies lay sprawled out on the floor, each moaning incoherently from the punishment they had just received...and deserved.
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Post-chapter blab: Ok, here's ch.5. It's taken me a while to get it out, and for that I apologize. An unfortunate event had taken place just as I began this part of the story, and I'm slowly but surely getting back up to speed. But I won't bother you with the details. I'm sorry if this chapter's not as good as the others, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
I would like to bring to light a subject that's being repeatedly brought to my attention. I am NOT an Aeka hater, never have been, never will be. People assume that because they've only read what's out there (what I've written so far) that I find it amusing to bash a TM! character. I can't blame them really (I think I would too if I only read what was given to me), but I must ask that the hate mail stop. Sure, people have a right to their opinions, but I think name bashing and physical threats are a little extreme, don't you. If you don't like the story, that's fine, but let's be civil about it please. :)
Hew, glad to get that off my chest.
Anyhoo, workin' on #6, but that one will probably be a wait as well; still playing catch up ya know. ;) I still don't know how the story's gonna develop, things like this usually write themselves.
As for Dudeman, well you know I love ya, so let's leave it at that. ;)
Feed back is always welcome, but let's keep the smear campaign down to a dull roar. Thanx.
Mistress-Ryoko
Oh yes, for all of those people out there wondering what "E Bob Plebs Fides; E Jay Plebs Dubium" means, well, it means "In Bob We Trust; In Jay We Doubt" (It's on a t-shirt I got, signed by Kevin Smith, a.k.a. Silent Bob, himself. SWEEEEEEEEEEEET....)
Warning: This fic might contain bad words and other various naughty bits. So if you're not supposed to be reading this, you take the heat, but don't drag me into it...
Ok Dudeman, let's get off our asses and do this...
Of Dreams and Reality
Chapter 5
"Oh, What A Web We Weave"
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Everyone in the room groaned with frustration as they looked upon Mihoshi's prone form, the remains of the glass of water Aeka had been drinking from nothing more than a shattered remnant of what it used to be.
Without looking back, the self-proclaimed genius of the universe simply sighed in expectation and snapped her fingers. Within a matter of nano-seconds the pieces of glass gave off a light-blue aura and simply disappeared.
Mihoshi crawled over the toppled piece of furniture and sat in an indian-style position. The detective gently rubbed her sore nose, complaining tearfully about whether or not she had broken it. Mihoshi quickly forgot her discomfort, however, when she realized why she had been too excited to notice the table that had stood in her way.
"Kiyone!" the blonde detective cried, again lunging for the woman that stood in the threshold of the living room and Washu's lab.
Before Washu could protest, Mihoshi ran full force in the direction of the door like a runaway freight train, only to pass through the image of her partner and dearest friend as if she were an apparition.
The others stared in awed disbelief, their own troubles forgotten for the moment. Just as the men were about to move from their respective positions to help the young officer, Washu put her hands up in front of her, signaling for them to stay where they were.
For the second time that morning, Mihoshi sat up and rubbed the sore spots she had accumulated on various places of her body, wondering aloud how she could have passed through her partner.
"What happened to Kiyone!?" Mihoshi asked, turning her head in the direction from where her fellow GP was still standing. Her eyes began to well with tears at the thought of her friend's demise.
"Well, I'll tell you if you'd give me a chance to explain," Washu answered rather curtly, motioning for the detective to return to her previous seating position as her partner's visage momentarily blinked in and out.
With unshed tears, Mihoshi slowly rose from the entrance of the lab and walked back to her seat, all the while keeping an eye on Kiyone's image as it continued to stand in the doorway. The blonde woman, along with everyone else (with the exception of Washu), failed to notice an almost transparent Ryoko standing in a semi-dark corner of the living room carefully watching the group as Washu began her presentation.
"First off, this is Kiyone. Only this is a highly sophisticated holographic program that utilizes a comm-link transmission from any given medium and turns it into a portable, three-dimensional image." the petite scholar informed them, pride exuding from every word as she spoke. "And this is what makes it possible," she continued, pointing to a small device the size of a matchbox on the floor just centimeters from the doorframe. "It acts as both a transmitter and a receiver. I got the idea from watching some of the old films they broadcast on television, except you don't need a projection screen."
Surprisingly, they all answered with understanding sighs and slow nods, somehow comprehending what the small red head had explained to them.
'Maybe I'm losing my touch.' Washu thought to herself, a bit disappointed that everyone had actually understood what she had just told them. She usually took much delight (albeit hidden) in interpreting what she had said into easier terms, making her feel that much more intellectually superior. 'Oh well, I'll get 'em next time.'
"This is extraordinarily brilliant, Miss Washu..." Aeka quipped, her face as well as her words mirroring her annoyance, "but I fail to see why this couldn't have waited for a more acceptable hour."
Just as Washu was about to explain, Kiyone via 'Washu satellite' spoke up, her image continuing to slightly flicker about within the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Princess Aeka. It was my idea. I would have waited 'til I landed, but I thought I'd give you a heads-up on the situation."
"What couldn't wait, Kiyone?" Tenchi interrupted. "What situation?"
"Well," the officer continued, her usual professional demeanor slightly faltering. "I'm not even supposed to be telling you this as it does concern Princess Aeka as well as Sasami, but I think you all should know, seeing as how this might affect us all."
"And what is that, Miss Kiyone?" Katsuhito questioned, tactfully prodding the detective to get to the point, not once allowing his eyes to betray the sense of dread he was feeling.
Kiyone took a deep breath and continued in a solemn tone. "The Emperor and his wives are on their way to retrieve Aeka and Sasami and return them to Jurai. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but from what I can gather, the Holy Council isn't very impressed with their extended absence."
"Mother and Father are coming here to take us home?" Sasami whimpered, her eyes beginning to water at the thought of leaving what she felt had become her home. The young child cast a worried glance at her sister, searching for an answer to this dilemma within Aeka's eyes.
Unfortunately Aeka didn't acknowledge her sibling's presence, or anyone else's for that matter, as she turned the information over and over in her head. All the color had drained from the elder princess's face as reality came crashing down on her, causing her to collapse even more into the sofa.
'At last, the time has come...' Aeka thought to herself. It felt as if an icy cold hand had a firm grip on her heart and refused to let go. She knew that this day would come eventually, but for it to happen so soon was a devastating blow. Aeka had hoped that before she was forced to leave, Tenchi would profess his undying love for her, thus accepting to take the throne by her side on Jurai. But all the hope, all the dreaming and praying had done her no good as in the end she would be alone once again.
While the First Princess of Jurai sat in her depressed state, Ryoko stood in shocked silence deep within the shadows of the room. Sure, she would admit that she had on more than a few occasions dreamt of this day, the time when Aeka would have to return to her homeworld and to her duties. Ryoko would proclaim herself the victor, having Tenchi all to herself. But to actually hear it, to know that her wish was about to come true didn't exactly leave the ex-pirate with the joy she had experienced when the Emperor had last come to claim his 'wayward' children.
Instead of the anticipated glee at such news, Ryoko felt a knot growing in the pit of her stomach. To say that such an unexpected feeling was a surprise was an understatement at best. Her biggest rival was exiting the picture and what was supposed to be a momentous occasion was turning out to be something entirely different. Whether it was because Sasami, a person she had grown to think of as a little sister, was leaving as well or if it was because of yesterday's occurrence that was causing such inner turmoil, Ryoko wasn't sure. All she knew was that she suddenly felt lost for some reason and it made her more than a bit uneasy.
'Could it be?' Ryoko thought. 'Could it be that I'd actually miss that snooty princess?' Yes, it was a possibility, but a very small one in her mind. The odds that the former space pirate would look at Aeka as a friend of sorts, especially after what happened just yesterday, were a million to one. It would have been easier to believe several weeks before, hell even two days ago, but now after all she had gone through because the princess had decided to go ape-shit over nothing, well that just wasn't how it was.
As Ryoko continued to ponder her thoughts and emotions, she failed to notice that she had unwittingly solidified her form into existence. Although still surrounded by the darkness in the corner, Ryoko was now visible...at least to those willing to see.
However several yards away no one had noticed, yet. Tenchi looked upon the distraught young girl and her sister sitting on the sofa, the idea that they were about to end their 'vacation' hadn't really registered. To him, it was like the last time; their parents would come, the Emperor demanding they come home, they would deny him and then all would be back to normal. Well, as normal as things got around this house anyway. This was just another attempt by Azusa to appraise him and coax his grandfather to return home as well, and everyone knew THAT wasn't gonna happen any time soon.
Tenchi was about to question Kiyone further when the detective's visage abruptly vanished.
"I was hoping that wouldn't happen." the redheaded prodigy replied in a slightly exasperated tone. Washu quietly walked over to the mechanism, bent down and tapped it gingerly. After that didn't seem to work, she nonchalantly summoned her holo-terminal.
"What do you mean, Miss Washu?" Tenchi questioned, "What happened?"
"Well, it seems that someone has managed to intercept and jam the transmission." Washu stated matter-of-factly as her fingers continued to work at a fevered pitch. "I'm trying to see if I can reconfigure one of Earth's satellites to reconnect with the Yagami."
"There is no need, Miss Washu."
Everyone turned to see who had said it, only to be faced with Aeka's now fragile looking frame standing before them; her head down cast, her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. It was then that Tenchi had started to understand that maybe this was far worse than he had initially assessed. Never had he imagined that his not-so-quite normal life would end, that his princesses would leave, almost certainly never to return.
His princesses? Yes, they were his princesses. Although it was true that he never got the chance to really know his mother, he always felt that no woman would ever compare to her beauty and grace. Yet, after years of living in a house of men, six beautiful women had fallen into his life, making it a bit brighter, if not more exciting. And of all those women, two of them -one not more than the Earth equivalent of 11 years old- had shown him that there did indeed exist that same feminine beauty and grace that had been missing from his life for all those years. If they left him now, that quality would again go missing, leaving him with a pain almost the same as when his dear mother had passed.
Slowly, Tenchi approached Aeka, wanting so much to hold her and tell her not to go. But he knew deep down that the chances of her staying, to deny her father one last time was almost impossible. Still, he had to try.
"Don't give up, Lady Aeka." Tenchi spoke the words with utmost sincerity, laying a comforting hand upon the woman's shoulder. "It'll work out. You'll see. Just please, don't give up now."
From her secluded spot, Ryoko watched with wide eyes as Tenchi held onto the princess. It was all she could do to keep from either screaming or crying from her assumption of the situation, afraid that the worst of all possible outcomes had come true.
'Relax,' the little voice in her head spoke, 'he's just doing what you'd expect him to do. He'd to the same for you if the roles were reversed. Besides, you heard Washu. Something big is going down and Aeka's gonna need all the support she can get.'
After she had reassured herself that she was simply jumping to conclusions, Ryoko kept her emotions in check and continued to remain in the shadows, watching as events unfolded, still unaware that anyone and everyone could see her if they bothered to look.
"But who could've jammed the transmission?" Nobuyuki asked.
"Emperor Azusa would have given the command if he knew of it." Mihoshi answered, her somewhat professional mannerisms coming back to her.
"Why would he do such a thing?" quipped Tenchi.
"Isn't it obvious?" Washu answered in an even tone. "The Emperor's serious this time. He's coming for young Sasami and Lady Aeka. They are his children after all."
"Well, I definitely feel sorry for the guy who did it, even if he had Azusa's orders." Mihoshi said to no one in particular, a knowing grin beginning to form on her face.
"Why's that?" Nobuyuki asked.
"Well," the blonde continued, her usual perky attitude mixing with her detective persona. "I'm sure everyone remembers the last time the Emperor came."
Everyone except the princesses and Ryoko nodded.
"Then you remember that he came, and is coming, with both of his wives."
A chuckle began to escape from the diminutive scientist, which quickly turned into a loud guffaw.
"What's so funny?" Tenchi asked, his face twisted in anger and confusion.
"Don't you get it! Funaho and Misaki are accompanying him. Knowing them, they probably knew Kiyone was contacting us, but didn't want to do anything about it." Washu answered, a very wide smile highlighting her face. "Any communication attempts could've easily been intercepted and stopped before reaching Earth much sooner than this if they wanted to."
"Uh-oh." Sasami interjected, her cheeks the slightest shade of pink.
"What?" the young man repeated.
"If you knew Mother and Auntie Funaho like we do, then you'd understand that nobody, absolutely NOBODY disobeys an order from them, even Father." the small child finished.
Washu's smile slowly disappeared as she put her hand up to her chin. "Still, it must be pretty serious if someone deliberately disobeyed the Queens on Azusa's instructions."
Several hundred kilometers from the planet Jupiter, Lady Funaho stood in silent anger and frustration within the Jurian ship known as the Karin. The out-going communications emitting from the Yagami had abruptly halted, and she had a pretty good indication as to why.
"What do we do now?" Misaki asked while twisting her regal attire between clenched fists. She, too, was steamed at the idea of a direct order being completely ignored, but more importantly she was upset that her children had no idea what lie ahead for them, and this almost caused her to start crying.
"Unfortunately, we will have to wait until we arrive. There is nothing more we can do." Funaho answered, all the while contemplating the fate of a certain Captain and one Emperor of Jurai.
Not far ahead of the Imperial ships and their escorts, the pilot of the Yagami continued unsuccessfully to regain the lost transmission to Earth.
"Damn!" Kiyone growled angrily, slamming her fist into the console once more.
"It seems that all frequencies have been jammed to prevent further communication. However we will continue to scan for any open channels." informed Azaka
"Yeah, whatever." the officer answered. With a long sigh, Kiyone reclined back into her pilot's seat, folding her hands behind her head.
"In fact, don't bother. We'll be landing shortly anyway."
"As you wish." came the reply of the twin guardian Kamidake.
The teal-haired woman simply watched the planets making up the Sol system pass one by one. What had started out to as a routine task of filing reports and updating the data banks of the princess's guardians had now become a very ominous 'escort and recovery' order.
Sure, the king had every right to come for his offspring, but something about the whole affair just didn't add up. Any detective worth his or her salt could see that.
Kiyone had felt it since she first set foot into GP Headquarters. It started off as the usual question and answer period; people wanting to know any information as to why the Princess Aeka and her sister had not yet returned. She would give her answers as she always had; she wasn't at liberty to say, other than she had strict orders from the Crown Princess to halt all communication while on an extended vacation in some little-known sector of space. It was after the usual 'interrogation' that she was given a completely different assignment.
Her superiors hadn't been very specific about it, which was strange in and of itself. Usually such orders had detailed information to back it up. All that was mentioned was that Kiyone was to return to Earth with the royal entourage to retrieve both Princess Aeka and Princess Sasami on orders of the Holy Council and the Emperor himself. No other explicit data was given.
"Wonder what all the secrecy is about?" the woman thought aloud to herself.
"We have no information pertaining to your request at this time." answered Azaka.
"I wasn't asking you..." Kiyone half snarled, more than a bit perturbed at the idea of having the two cylinders as company. 'Next time, Mihoshi can bring these two in for their routine check-ups, that is if there is a next time.'
Kiyone continued to look at the stars and planets before her, deep in thought when Kamadake interrupted them.
"Estimated time of arrival, 1.5 Earth hours."
Kiyone spun around in her seat and glared at the wooden companion.
"Can it!"
"Detective Kiyone doesn't seem to have much patience, does she?" Kamadake whispered to his counterpart, a sweatdrop appearing on the side of his smoothly lacquered surface.
"Must be stress." his twin responded in kind.
The entire Masaki household sat around the living room as Kastuhito returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of tea and snack cakes. It had been a small shock to everyone that the royal family were coming, but nevertheless expected.
Tenchi had managed to calm Aeka down just a bit, getting her to sit back down on the sofa so that they could all figure out what to do. Washu had estimated that Kiyone would arrive in just over an hour, the royal tree-ships following close behind. That didn't give them much time to formulate a plan.
"Is there any way you can stay here and perform your duties through one of Washu's communication devices?" asked Tenchi as he sat next to her on the sofa, watching Aeka intently for any reaction to his question.
The First Crown Princess simply sat there staring at the floor, and yet not seeing it, as she silently contemplated the question put before her.
"Unfortunately, Lord Tenchi, that would not work." Aeka answered flatly. "The Holy Council would not accept such communication when it comes to the affairs of Jurai."
"That is true," the Shinto priest interjected as he set the tray down onto the uprighted table. "There are some things that need to be dealt with face to face as it were. Anyone wanting to infiltrate any transmissions having to do with Jurai could easily do so. That should have been obvious by Washu's example." he finished, referring to the device that the scientist had used earlier.
Tenchi wanted to slap himself for the oversight. How could he have suggested such a thing.
"Don't worry. All things work out in the end." Katsuhito stated, the light from the windows reflecting off his glasses as he spoke.
"How Grandpa?" young Sasami asked, her face streaked with dried tears.
"Calm down, little one." Katsuhito replied, walking over to his little sister. "We must keep in mind that what ever happens, it happens for a reason."
"And what reason would that be?" Aeka answered caustically, her eyes flaring with anger. Her self-pity and sadness seemed to melt away at the old man's remark. That statement itself had now filled her with rage and bitterness. Unable to contain it, she stood up and let loose.
"Tell me, brother Yosho, what is the reason for my continued suffering? Tell me why I must always be denied happiness no matter what the cost?" she barked, her usually graceful hands now balled up fists at her sides as she advanced on him.
"I don't have all the answers you seek for the questions you ask, and if anyone told you otherwise they would be a fool." the priest answered evenly, standing his ground against his sister's verbal backlash.
"If anyone here should be the fool it is I." Aeka shouted back. "I was foolish enough to believe that I could have happiness in any shape or form. Just like I have diluted myself into thinking that that demon woman had a heart!"
"Now wait just a God-damn minute, Princess!" Ryoko growled.
To everyone's surprise, Ryoko stepped out of the dark corner that she had been hiding in and began to approach. Washu stopped working on the disconnected comm-link and watched as events unfolded. Sensing what was about to happen, she summoned another transparent keyboard and began typing once again.
"It's not my fault that your family is coming to take you back home, so don't take it out on me!" the cyan-tressed pirate continued.
"Oh I see! It's not your fault, nothing ever is. Tell me, Ryoko, who's fault was it that caused Sasami's injuries yesterday? Not yours I suppose." Aeka was livid, her fingers began to tingle and the smell of ozone filled the air around her. The others began to duck behind various pieces of furniture, waiting for the inevitable to happen, that is except Washu and Tenchi.
"That wasn't my fault! Everything was fine until you decided to flip your wig!" Ryoko spat back.
"And I presume that it wasn't you who attacked Jurai either?! It's because of you that I lost my brother, not to mention the near death of poor Sasami on that same day!"
"You know that wasn't my fault either!"
"I doubt that is entirely accurate!"
"ENOUGH!"
Both ladies turned to see whom it was that had yelled at them only to see Tenchi, his face was beat red, his eyes closed tightly shut. To say that he was a bit miffed was putting it rather mildly.
"I'm sick and tired of hearing you two constantly fighting!" he complained harshly. "I honestly thought you girls had finally settled your differences, but boy was I wrong."
"Lord Tenchi.."
"I said quiet!" he interrupted, his booming voice echoing off the rafters above him. After several deep breaths to calm his nerves, he opened his eyes and stared intensely at the two women before he continued.
"I don't know exactly what happened between the both of you yesterday, and frankly I don't care. All I know is that there is a little girl over there that is lucky to still be with us after what happened."
Aeka and Ryoko suddenly found the hardwood floor beneath their feet to be quite interesting as Tenchi went on, neither of them wanting to look into his angry face. They had never seen him this upset at them before, and quite frankly it scared them.
"Sometimes..." he stopped.
The princess and the pirate lifted their heads when he abruptly halted his tirade. What he said next was like a sword through their hearts.
"Sometimes, I wish I'd never come back."
It had finally been said. All the longing he secretly kept from all of them had come out into the open. All those nights he had dreamt of her; of their time together, so peaceful and quiet. That was what he had wanted and thought that he had found when he returned, only to be reminded of the harsh reality yesterday.
"Tenchi, you don't mean that." Ryoko implored in disbelief. Instead of a reply, Tenchi simply walked away without a word, his head tilted towards the floor.
Washu watched the young man as he turned the corner of the staircase and disappear before she spoke up.
"You can come out now."
One by one Katsuhito, Mihoshi, Sasami, Nobuyuki and even Ryo-Ohki emerged from behind various items of furniture, their eyes wide with shock and their chins practically dragging on the floor.
"I was sure we were gonna be blown to bits." the widower stated nonchalantly.
"Lucky for you I put up a dampening field, just in case."
"Did Tenchi mean what he said?" asked Sasami, her big pink eyes pleading with the petite genius.
Washu looked down at the small princess and forced a smile just as Nobuyuki walked up to her.
"I wouldn't worry about it." was all Washu could say to her.
"I think it would be best if you laid down for a little while, just until your family shows up." explained the father figure. "Then we'll work this all out."
Reluctantly Sasami complied, allowing Nobuyuki to pick her up and carry her up to her room. As they passed, Ryo-Ohki, still gathered in Sasami's arms, mewed ever so softly at the two women standing like statues, each caught up in their own thoughts about what had just transpired.
"I'd like to see you both in my lab, pronto." demanded the petite scholar as she dismissed her computer.
Silently Ryoko and Aeka followed her order and headed for the lab, each of them memorizing the floorboards as they went, leaving Katsuhito to sit on the loveseat, quietly sipping tea.
Nobuyuki carefully tucked Sasami into her futon, making sure she would be as comfortable as possible. To the middle-aged man, it was almost like a case of deja vu, only this time it was a small princess and not his son. His brown eyes began to tear at the thought.
"What's wrong, Mr. Masaki?" the young girl asked.
"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about." he softly answered, blinking his eyes to keep the tears of long past memories from escaping.
After smoothing out the covers and patting her on the head, Nobuyuki headed for the door.
"Mr. Masaki?" Sasami began cautiously.
Nobuyuki stopped in his tracks and turned to the young child.
"I'm scared."
A small quirk of a smile grew from his lips as his mind registered what she had just said. 'Yes, deja vu indeed."
"It's ok, everything will be just fine." he answered as honestly as he could. With that, Nobuyuki calmly walked out of the room and slid the door closed before heading down the hall to his son's room. After Tenchi's understandable outburst, his father thought it was about time they had a heart to heart talk.
The middle-aged man knocked on the door, only to receive no reply. He knocked a second time, although a tad harder than the first.
A muffled 'go away' was said from the other side.
"It's your father," Nobuyuki answered mildly. "May I come in?"
Several moments of silence passed as he waited for his only child to either give him the brush off or acknowledge his presence. Nobuyuki was fully prepared to be sent away again when the sound of the door latch turning gave him hope. Slowly the door began to slide open, but only a crack.
"I'd really like to be alone right now, please."
"I'm sorry to hear that son, 'cause I think we need to talk."
Gradually, Tenchi opened the door wide enough for his father to enter. As soon as Nobuyuki was inside, Tenchi quickly closed the door and locked it again.
"Well," Nobuyuki began, "we've had quite a day, haven't we?"
Tenchi just stood there with his arms crossed at the chest, his hair disheveled as was his clothing, like he had just been tossing around in his bed.
"Listen, I know you're under a lot of stress right now..."
"You don't know the half of it." Tenchi interjected, the pitch of his voice making it perfectly clear that he was in no mood to relive the past day and a half.
"I'm sure I don't." Nobuyuki turned to face his son's desk and pulled out the chair, taking a seat so that his arms crossed over the backrest. "But what you said downstairs kinda scared me."
Tenchi raised his head slightly so he could look into his father's eyes. "What do you mean?"
"That you said you wished you'd never came back."
Sighing heavily, the young man stalked across the room and sat on his bed, contemplating the words he had said downstairs being repeated by his father.
"Honestly, sometimes I really wish I had stayed with her, away from all of this."
"Why?" Nobuyuki cross-examined.
"You saw what happened downstairs?" Tenchi snapped. "I thought they were better. Sure they were having little arguments, but at least they didn't destroy anything or hurt anyone!"
"Now, now. There's no need to yell."
"I think I have every right to be angry!"
Again, several moments of silence had passed between them before either of them spoke.
"When I was with Haruna, everything was so quiet and calm. It was like a dream come true. No one fighting, nothing being blown up. I know I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I think about it, I was much better off back there."
"I can understand that, I guess." his father replied, now interested in his hands as he wrung them together.
"No you can't." his son answered back
Nobuyuki took a deep breath, intertwining his fingers together before he spoke. "Tenchi, did I ever tell you.. about your mother and I... before she died?" he faltered.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Tenchi questioned, trying to dismiss the notion that the two paths were related.
"Not everything between your mother and I was perfect." his father admitted. "She knew she was dying, I don't know how, but she did. She told me as much a few days before she was gone."
Tenchi didn't acknowledge his father's statement as he went on.
"We fought a lot, even about the stupidest things. About how she could take care of herself, the dishes not being done, damn it she even argued about the color of the blankets on her bed! But you were so small, I doubt you'd remember." Nobuyuki ran his fingers through his already graying hair before he proceeded. "I know it sounds cruel, but back then I prayed that the Gods would just take her away and let it be done." A small tear trickled down his cheek as he finished his sentence.
Tenchi's head shot up to look at his father with a menacing stare. He couldn't believe the things he was hearing, but so upset that he wasn't able to speak.
"Achika was a fighter, right to the end. And when the end came, I pleaded with the deities to return her to me, just so I could hear her scream at me once last time."
Once again, Tenchi hung his head, finally understanding what his father was trying to say. 'How could I have said such a thing?' he berated himself.
"So you see, I do understand. Even though the circumstances are different, the idea is still the same. And when you had said that, it reminded me of that time." More tears began to follow the first. "Anger and frustration makes people say things that they'll regret later, and believe me, regret is not something you want to live with for the rest of your life."
Nobuyuki got up off the chair and placed it back in its original spot, all the while trying to hold back the rest of the tears he had not shed.
Silently, Tenchi stood up as well and walked over to his dad. Without a second thought, he hugged him, a gesture which neither one of them had shared in a long time.
"Thanks Dad."
"S'all right, son. Just doin' my job." Nobuyuki said as he reciprocated his son's actions.
They stayed like that for a few moments; not saying a word as none needed to be said. Finally, the two men let go of each other.
"Guess I'll go downstairs and have a talk with the girls." admitted Tenchi, a humble look replacing the anger that had been there earlier.
"No need."
"Huh? Why not?"
Nobuyuki snickered before answering. "I think Washu has that covered."
Tenchi rolled his eyes at the thought of Washu 'taking care' of the girls, but couldn't help a small giggle himself. "Knowing her, that could definitely be a punishment in itself."
They had only been there for a few minutes, but to them it felt as if hours had passed. The elder princess and the space pirate sat in a secluded section of the lab per Washu's instructions, waiting for the small genius to appear. Exactly why she had demanded that they meet her in there, they weren't exactly sure. All they knew was that it wasn't going to be pleasant.
In a rare display of modesty, Washu walked in; no fan fare was heard, no confetti littered the floor, not even a small robotic replica of herself to announce her arrival. She simply walked in, a look of restrained exasperation clearly evident upon her small face.
Both women, who had been ignoring each other's presence the whole time, watched with intense scrutiny as the deceptively small scientist walked before them and then abruptly stop. Without warning, Aeka and Ryoko yelped in pain as two enormous wooden mallets appeared out of nowhere and cracked against their skulls.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm feeling better already." the red-head beamed.
Two crumpled bodies lay sprawled out on the floor, each moaning incoherently from the punishment they had just received...and deserved.
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Post-chapter blab: Ok, here's ch.5. It's taken me a while to get it out, and for that I apologize. An unfortunate event had taken place just as I began this part of the story, and I'm slowly but surely getting back up to speed. But I won't bother you with the details. I'm sorry if this chapter's not as good as the others, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
I would like to bring to light a subject that's being repeatedly brought to my attention. I am NOT an Aeka hater, never have been, never will be. People assume that because they've only read what's out there (what I've written so far) that I find it amusing to bash a TM! character. I can't blame them really (I think I would too if I only read what was given to me), but I must ask that the hate mail stop. Sure, people have a right to their opinions, but I think name bashing and physical threats are a little extreme, don't you. If you don't like the story, that's fine, but let's be civil about it please. :)
Hew, glad to get that off my chest.
Anyhoo, workin' on #6, but that one will probably be a wait as well; still playing catch up ya know. ;) I still don't know how the story's gonna develop, things like this usually write themselves.
As for Dudeman, well you know I love ya, so let's leave it at that. ;)
Feed back is always welcome, but let's keep the smear campaign down to a dull roar. Thanx.
Mistress-Ryoko
Oh yes, for all of those people out there wondering what "E Bob Plebs Fides; E Jay Plebs Dubium" means, well, it means "In Bob We Trust; In Jay We Doubt" (It's on a t-shirt I got, signed by Kevin Smith, a.k.a. Silent Bob, himself. SWEEEEEEEEEEEET....)