Log recorded on Cycle 05.12.79.43
Author: Lady Washu. Lady Tokimi. Lady Tsunami.
Heading: History. Unlocked on Cycle 54.68.12.45
The planet Washu chose to be the location of her bedroom was one that had the same twenty-four hour day period as Earth. Only because it would be easier for her to keep her sleeping patterns synced with the rest of the residents in the house. Searching for a planet with exactly the same orbital pattern as Earth was meticulous, due of the millions of variables involved, but she knew that the universe was never ending and it was only a matter of time before it began to repeat itself.
The planet was a gas planet, and her room was levitating on a platform one hundred kilometers from the surface. Out the window Washu could see the gray clouds gradually turn turquoise as the planet's star rose over the horizon. Washu always found herself waking up moments before the sunrise. She didn't intend to, but it certainly didn't bother her.
Washu's nightgown was shaped like an oversized T-shirt with crab patterns in the cloth. Ryoko's was identical, except it had blue hedgehogs instead of crabs. Ryoko was still asleep in her arms. Her head rested on Washu's chest and she hugged her mother like a giant pillow. Washu smiled as she listened to her daughter's breathing. These were the moments Washu lived for.
Ryoko yawned and with her eyes still closed she asked, "Is it morning?"
Washu kissed her on the forehead and said, "It is."
She started running her fingers through Ryoko's hair and Ryoko snuggled in closer, absorbing as much of her mother's affection as she could. She couldn't help but to feel as if every fiber of her mother's body was designed especially for her, from the shape of her hands that held her to the familiar smell of her skin. Ryoko sighed in deep content.
The clouds out the window became a richer blue, and Washu said, "Ryoko, look at these clouds, they're beautiful."
Washu tried to nudge Ryoko to look but Ryoko whined in fierce protest and she clutched Washu tighter.
Washu laughed. "Fine have it your way." She then asked, "Were you able to get enough sleep? I was worried that you might stay awake all night because of your nap."
"I'm okay," said Ryoko.
Being the mother she was, Washu double-checked Ryoko's memory just to be sure. She slept for two hours, and laid awake for the other seven. Washu was incapacitated the whole time, since she pushed herself through the day with no naps.
Washu wiggled her toes, which only reached as far as Ryoko's waist, "Alright... it's time to get up..."
Ryoko whined.
"C'mon sweetie, the day is starting without us."
Washu started to get up but Ryoko was attached too tightly. Washu groaned, "Really-... gotta-... get going here..." She managed to make it off the bed, but it didn't help her problem of being stuck to Ryoko who refused to move. Washu giggled and kissed Ryoko on the cheek. Ryoko released her mother instantly as if it were the key to her locked arms.
Ryoko sat up, yawned, and rubbed her eyes. "Hey mom, there's something bad I have to tell you."
Washu was sifting through the clothes in her dresser and she paused to listen. "What is it?"
"Well, you're not going to like it, and... well ... I think... uh... "
Washu smiled. "It's okay, I won't get mad."
"I think I lost one of your gems."
Washu laughed. "Lost one? How did you manage to do that?"
Ryoko shook her head. "Well I didn't really lose it, it's more like I can't figure out which one of my gems is yours."
Silenced, Washu placed a finger on her chin and asked, "You've confused mine with your own? What do you mean?"
"Let me show you." Ryoko sat at the edge of the bed and held out her hands. The gems in her wrists glowed a soft blue and appeared in the palms of her hands. "I wanted to make extra gems-you know... just in case. A little while after the first gem was finished I couldn't feel a difference, so I went deep into the forest and took them both off and neither exploded. I even flew all the way over to that huge island on the other side of the ocean to see if one would explode from being so far away, but they were both still there when I came back."
Washu felt tears in her eyes. "Ryoko... that's so wonderful!"
"Wonderful? But I don't know which one is yours-"
Washu threw her arms around Ryoko and hugged her tightly. "It doesn't matter, Ryoko. Your gem is just as powerful as mine in every way. I can feel it! My little baby is growing up so fast! First she was learning to walk now she's making her own gems."
Ryoko blushed. "So you mean... this one... is... just as strong?"
"Oh yes! In fact when you learn to make a second and third gem you may find that your more capable with your own gems than with mine. You'll be more compatible with them, and they'll be more compatible with each other."
Ryoko nodded. "Oh yeah, I tried to make another one but it was so unstable I could feel it ready to explode even when it was close to me. I ended up just tossing it."
"The second gem is far more difficult to create than the first, and the third is even more so. If you keep practicing I'm sure you'll get it in no time. Of course you don't have to make three, and you don't have to settle for three either. Your aunt Tsunami only uses two gems." Then Washu giggled and said, "But that crazy Tokimi actually has FIVE gems."
Ryoko gasped. "Five? What the hell does she even use that kind of power for?"
Washu smiled. "It's her security blanket. Her realm is power, meaning that in her original mortal life she born into a very weak body, and she was surrounded by people who oppressed her physical potential. You see, the mortal life that preceded my sisters and I challenged us based on what our realm was to be. As a mortal Tokimi was very weak, now she is the Goddess of power. Neither Tsunami nor I could possibly imagine the depth of understanding she has when it comes to achieving great power."
Ryoko slowly nodded. "... I didn't know they had mortal lives too. What about Tsunami? What was her life like?"
"Tokimi and I couldn't compare to Tsunami's understanding of peace. Her mortal life was a very brutal one. In fact a lot of what she experienced you could understand... probably more than Tokimi or myself even. She was born into a life where those around her forced her to be destructive. However the difference from you is that Kagato never successfully broke your will, he always needed the gems to force you to work for him. Over time Tsunami submitted to those who abused her, and she was consciously loyal to them. On the outside she was less of a victim and more of a tyrant, but in reality she was only scared. The shining moment of her life was the moment understood the value of peace and companionship. Having come such a long way, she understands the need for peace more than any other soul in the universe. As a result, she only has two gems."
Ryoko's mental conception of Tsunami changed dramatically. After Tokimi's description of how she ended up in Kagato's hands, Ryoko always thought of her as childish. Where she did whatever she pleased to get her way, even when it was at someone else's expense. However Tsunami planned Kagato knowing on a personal level the kind of pain Ryoko would suffer. Ryoko thought aloud, "She must really love Tenchi."
Washu sat next to Ryoko and looked at her directly. "She wants you to protect him. She's afraid of the kind of power needed to compete with Z, or else she would have protected him herself. She loves him so much that she was willing to let him love and be loved by another woman who could keep him safe. I don't think I'm wrong in saying that's also something you can relate to."
Ryoko nodded solemnly. "Yes... before Kagato came I was very close giving Aeka my best wishes and leaving Earth all together. He would have been protected as Royalty, and he would have never been involved with Kagato. But Kagato came before I was able to decide what to do."
Ryoko shook off her frown and tried to laugh. "It feels weird talking about Tenchi like this. I always thought of him as my knight in shining armor, but now that I'm able to create my own gems I guess I'm just as strong as he is. And I also want to add that I don't really like the idea of Tsunami letting Tenchi and me be together. It makes Tenchi appear to be just a person to be loved and nothing more."
Washu laughed. "You're already sounding like you have your realm mastered!"
"What is my realm, anyway?"
Washu shook her head. "I can't say just yet. You're getting smart enough where if you knew the purpose of your life you would be able to derive the future, and that's something you're not quite ready for."
"Alright, that's fine. I'm not really in any kind of rush anyway. It reminds me though; I don't think I ever heard what your realm was, and what was your mortal life like?"
It was quiet in the room for a long time before Ryoko realized her mother wasn't going to respond. "Mom?"
"My life...?" Washu looked at Ryoko with a bland mixture of expressions that canceled each other out, causing her to be strangely unreadable. Ryoko even felt their mental link narrow to near closure, which she didn't even think possible.
"Mom... I'll understand if you don't want to say. It's not a problem."
Deep relief took Washu and she hugged her daughter tightly. "Thank you. I'm not ready to tell you yet, it means a lot that you understand..."
"Really? It's not like I could have forced you to say it."
Washu nodded, "That's true, but you're not my little baby anymore, you're becoming my peer. I'll need your understanding just as much as you need mine."
Ryoko blushed. "Mom... "
"I still want to tell you about myself, but just not right now. Right now lets worry about making it to breakfast."
Ryoko laughed and said, "That sounds great."
Washu hopped from the bed and turned to Ryoko. "I was wondering, is it alright if I borrow you're gem? I'd like to study it and compare it to my own."
Ryoko nervously scratched her forehead. "I wouldn't mind, but I can't make any temporary gems right now... and if I have no gems with me, I'm... well... pretty flimsy."
Washu laughed. "You may not be at you're peek but you'll be stronger than everyone on this planet. Don't worry, it'll only be for a few days... and I'm always watching out for you. Besides, you have you're night and shining armor... You'll be fine."
Slowly Ryoko started to nod. "Wellllllllllllll, alright I guess so." She levitated the two gems to her mother who imbedded them into her wrists. Ryoko saw her expression become distant and looked as if she were about to faint. "Mom? Are you okay?"
Washu breathed deeply and said, "Yeah... I just forgot what it was like."
Ryoko laughed. "It's a nice rush."
Washu continued to breath deeply. "... Yes..."
The sound of a phone interrupted them, and Ryoko said, "What the hell is that? You actually have a phone in here?"
Washu stuck out her tongue. "Is that hard to believe? You don't really think I spend all my time in the lab, do you? I'm an 'active-member-of-society' thank you very much!"
Ryoko rolled her eyes while Washu picked up the phone. "Hello?"
A surprised expression took Washu's face as she heard the voice on the other line. Wash said, "Hold on one second," and holding her hand over the receiver she said to Ryoko, "I'm sorry honey, I have to take this one privately. You don't mind, do you?"
"Wait, who is it?" Ryoko asked.
"I tell you at dinner time, okay?"
"Oh alright..." Ryoko started to leave, and as she did she peeked into Washu's mind to see if she could find out what she wanted to know.
*Washu: None of that now...*
*Ryoko: Fine, fine... I'm going...*
After Ryoko left Washu said into the phone. "I'm sorry about that, she was in the room........... So, can you do it today?.............................. That's great....................... The best time to meet her is 1:29 on the dot. Stand in front of the cave at exactly 1:29 and she'll talk to you. Good luck holding her attention, she probably wont be interested in standing around and chatting.......................................... Yes, yes, 1:29 by you're watch exactly............................... Yes, by your watch. Trust me I know these things.................................................... Yes, I want to talk to you right after you meet her, okay?..................... Alright................... bye now."
Washu hung up the phone and continued getting ready for breakfast.
*-----------------------------*
Aeka kept her eyes fixed to the ground as she swept the stone path in front of the shrine. She couldn't figure out why Tenchi never said anything to her after all this time. Her only hope was that he just recently developed his feelings for Ryoko. If he had loved Ryoko from the start and simply never told Aeka she was not the one, she knew she would never be able to forgive him.
Katsuhito's voice shook her from her thought. "Is something wrong, Aeka?"
She never saw him approach, and he was standing right next to her. Meekly she said, "No... I'm okay."
"You look tired. Why don't you take the day off? It's a Thursday anyway, not many people come during the week."
"Oh, thank you," said Aeka. She sounded more desperate than she would have liked so she added, "If that's alright..."
Katsuhito smiled. "It certainly is. I have some things to take care of at the house, we can walk there together."
She felt more like being alone, and she said, "Thank you, but I think I'll stay up here for now."
Katsuhito nodded and started on his way. "Alright. I will see you some other time then."
Aeka waved and went to sit on the front porch of the shrine. Again, the question pounded into her mind like a ringing in her ears,
*Aeka: If he never loved me to begin with, why didn't he tell me?*
Unable to help herself she burst into tears. She ran to the steps to flee to the Onsen, but halfway down the steps she could see Katsuhito talking with a visitor to the shrine. She couldn't get to the Onsen from where she was, and she couldn't stay at the shrine and risk being seen by a complete stranger. While looking for another place to go she saw Ryoko's cave and ran to the entrance.
Aeka stumbled past the gate, which had remained unlocked since Tenchi opened it. Her crying sounded louder with the echo of the cave, and she went deeper inside to be sure she couldn't be heard. She came to a burning torch and stopped to sit near its light. She wept with no inhibition.
She forced herself look to try and see the bright side, but she couldn't bring herself to a conclusion other than the worse case imaginable. She knew if Tenchi truly was undecided between herself and Ryoko, he would have told her the moment he realized Ryoko was the one. However, Tenchi never said a word to either of them about his feelings, even after it was clear on whom he liked.
*Aeka: He must have known... what other explanation is there?*
She couldn't believe that Tenchi never told her. In the beginning she merely had a crush on him. If she had known he would never love her it would have ended there when it was harmless. Over the years her crush turned into love. A cold spark of contempt dried her tears when she thought of how easily her pain could have been avoided if only Tenchi hadn't lied. She couldn't help but to think,
*Aeka: It's Tenchi's fault.*
With that thought, Aeka was able to rationalize her feelings. It gave definition to her pain, making it easier to handle. Even though it wasn't the complete reason, it was enough to allow Aeka to stop crying. It reminded her of what Ryoko said about scolding Tenchi for playing with her feelings. It didn't sound like such a bad idea anymore, and she decided to do just that the next time she saw him.
When she stood she felt the warmth of the torch keenly on her cheek. The sharp contrast made Aeka realize how cold she was and she buried her hands in her sleeves to try and warm up. She noticed how strange it was for the torch to be lit in the first place, since she always thought no one came into the cave. She concluded the explanation was probably as simple as her brother renewing the torches every morning.
She was now curious to see what else was in the cave, and she carefully walked to another light around the corner. After passing three torches, she came to an opening the size of the Masaki house. A large bolder was in the center of the area, and all of the walls were decorated with religious markings and symbols. Aeka thought, this must be what Yosho built to scare people away.
She walked around the boulder and found a section of the wall that was flat and square, with an obvious crack splitting it down the middle. Aeka walked over to the space and look through it. It was black immediately on the other side of the wall, as if she were looking into a starless vacuum.
She leaned her head in to try and detect any hint of what was beyond the wall, but she only saw black on all sides. Even when she looked to her left and right her view remained exactly the same, so much that the turning of her neck felt like a phantom sensation. With the loss of sight her other senses became overwhelmed. For a brief moment Aeka thought she felt herself falling forward and she shrieked while throwing herself back.
Grumbling at her overreaction, Aeka climbed back to her feet and went to investigating the space in the wall with more caution than before. She leaned her head through again but she still only saw black.
"That's strange," she wondered aloud. A moment later she heard her voice echo back, revealing to her that this wasn't a simple gap in the wall, but a deep catacomb. Blind to the chasm in front of her, Aeka nearly fainted as Agoraphobia swept through her. She grasped the corner of the wall and slowly guided herself as far away from the space in the wall as her arm could reach. She fell to her knees and fought off her hyperventilating.
When her dizziness passed, her need to see what was past the wall became an absolute must. She took the nearest torch and shoved it clumsily into the gap. To her relief, the chasm was revealed to be a narrow passage with a steep incline. When she looked more closely she could make out grooves on the floor. She easily recognized it as Juraian architecture.
"Down there must be..."
*Aeka: I have to see It.*
*-----------------------------*
Ryoko materialized at the peek of the Shine steps and glanced around for Aeka. She volunteered to search for her when Sasami began to worry about her absence. Lunchtime had come and Aeka hadn't been seen since breakfast. Ryoko figured she was probably hiding under a tree somewhere crying her eyes out, and being the only person who knew why she thought it best that she found her first.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone standing at the mouth of the cave. Making an effort to remember to walk like a normal human being, Ryoko painstakingly covered the distance on foot. It was a woman that Ryoko faintly remembered seeing before. Her dark gray hair was combed back into a tie, and even though she was aged, there was still a look of youth about her. Ryoko asked, "Hey there, did you happen to see a girl with purple hair?"
The woman smiled and said, "A girl with purple hair? Oh you must mean Aeka, right?"
"You know her name?"
"I come here all the time, you see. You were... Ryo... ko? Right? I always enjoy talking with Lord Katsuhito and every once and a while he'll mention one of your names."
Ryoko grew pale. "He does?"
The woman laughed and said, "There's nothing to worry about, he only has the best of things to say."
"Well that's a relief. Why do you come here so much anyway?"
"I like to stop by because... heh, I doubt a sensible girl like yourself would believe me if I said."
Ryoko smirked. "Try me, I can believe some pretty crazy stuff."
"Well alright, I'll tell you. You know they called me senile for saying it, but I've got a psychic connection with spirits. Ever since my parents brought me here as a little girl, I could always tell there was something dreadfully wrong with this cave. I've heard the old legend about the legendary warrior sealing a demon inside, but personally I thought it was all a bunch of hogwash. Whenever I stood here I could tell that this was no jail protecting us from a devil. I could hear the spirits here grieving, and it wasn't the grieving of an imprisoned demon I can tell you that!"
"Oh," Ryoko put quietly.
"It got me curious about this cave, so by the time I was in high school I started doing some research about it's history. I found out about other legends besides the one told here, and they're all very tragic."
Curious, Ryoko asked, "What other legends?"
"Well my memory isn't what it used to be, so I can't tell all of them. I couldn't even tell you when they were created, but I know that they were all created at different times, sometimes hundreds of years between one another. I remember one being the oldest, before the shrine was even built here. The legend says during the winter, if you listened to the cave closely enough, you could hear the sound of a girl weeping. There is another that says that if any man with taint in his heart should enter the deep into the cave, he will never return. There were also legends telling of a guardian protecting his one true love who was trapped inside the cave."
Ryoko blushed, "What?! How did THAT one get started?"
"I don't think I could remember..."
Ryoko nervously asked, "Is there... uh... more... to the legend?"
"I believe it told something about a demon who rampaged through heaven, making a mockery of it. The gods were furious, of course, and they sent their strongest guardian to stop the demon. When the guardian met with the demon he saw that, in its rampage, an angel had become caught in the demon's jaws. The guardian fought to free the angel, and in their ongoing battle they fell to the earth. Eventually the guardian was able to separate the demon from the angel, so that he could destroy the demon with all of his might. The guardian called to the gods to return both and the angel to heaven, but the gods refused. They had watched the battle from heaven far away, and to them the angel looked as if it were a piece of the demon. The gods asked the guardian to seal away the angel until they could decide whether or not she was the same as the demon. The guardian had no choice but to do as the gods requested. To show his dissatisfaction with the gods, he renounced himself as a guardian of heaven and chose to live on Earth as a mortal."
With wide eyes Ryoko said, "Wow, that's really accurate for a legend."
The woman smiled, "Yes it is."
A minute passed without a word spoken as Ryoko studied the old woman. Finally she said, "You're a Juraian."
She nodded. "I am. There are many Juraians who live amongst Earthlings here, our Lady Funaho is one such example."
"Why did you make it seem like you were just an earthling?"
"I've always wanted to meet you, Ryoko, but I've always been too nervous. It's pretty embarrassing thing for an old woman to admit to being shy, so when you started speaking with me I pretended to be and Earthling. I hope you'll forgive me."
Ryoko shrugged. "It's no problem I guess."
"There's a bit more to it than that. You see, I'm also a doctor... a Psychologist. You're mother asked me to speak with you, and if it's alright with you I'd like to try and talk about some things with you."
Ryoko was silent for the moment. She never recalled anything about a doctor in her mother's memory and it startled her that she would keep this from her. "Um... I really don't think it's necessary. I mean... there's nothing really wrong with me and I wouldn't want to take up your time."
The woman smiled. "It's alright, I have plenty of time today. I've actually met with your mother many times when she was a patient of mine. I helped her work out some of her anxieties, but she's no longer my patient. We still keep in touch, and she asked me as a friend to try and talk to you. It's up to you, Ryoko. If you don't want to talk with me that's perfectly fine, but if you do I would be happy to listen."
Ryoko fell silent again, unable to decide either way. She expected to hear the relaxing voice of her mother speak to her mind, gently encouraging her to go ahead with it, but Ryoko heard nothing. She expected one of the other goddesses try to tip her mind in either direction, but her indecision remained undisturbed. She waited nearly a minute to test the goddesses and her mother, and still they did not interfere with her choice. She was truly in control of this moment, and the thrill was too great to ignore. Smiling she said, "Sure... "
"That's wonderful. Then I suppose I should fully introduce myself. My name is Yuko Kobayashi, and I am six hundred and fifty seven years old."
Ryoko rubbed her chin. "You weren't alive when it happened..."
Yuko nodded. "That is true. Some criticize me for my opinions because I did not live the incident personally, but I think--as well as several others--that I am offering a more realistic view on what happened. Opposed to the enflamed tales from those who are still grieving inside."
"So were you making all of those legends up just to break the ice?"
"The legends were real, and they were started by my parents and other Juraians like them. They were a small group who were here before Yosho came. They helped him build the cave and the shrine."
Ryoko said, "That's odd, I don't remember more coming until after I was in the cave... It was just Yosho for a long time."
Yuko laughed and said, "Well that's how the romance found its way into the legend. They used to say that Yosho was so protective of you he never let anyone see you, not even his fellow Juraians. And when Yosho announced he would stay on Earth to protect you from Kagato's return, everyone in the Juraian community assumed that he must have fallen in love with you."
Ryoko crossed her arms stiffly. "Well I'm not exactly a fan of Yosho. He betrayed me more than anyone else."
Startled, Yuko said, "Dear, don't you know he was the only person pleading in your defense?" She reached out and took Ryoko's hand, holding it with care. "Every Juraian here on Earth has terrible shame for what has happened to you. You have every right to be angry with Juraians everywhere, but please don't be angry with Yosho."
An anxious feeling squeezed Ryoko's lungs. "He left me inside. I hated being put in there in the first place, but I at least understood why. What I didn't understand was why he left me there."
"You say you understand why you were put inside, but you don't understand why Yosho left you there?"
Ryoko shrugged. "Well... yeah."
"Why do you think you were put inside?"
Ryoko paused and turned her side to Yuko. "Well... you know... what I did."
"Weren't you being controlled by Kagato through the gems?"
"Yeah I guess."
"Then what did you do?"
Ryoko glanced at Yuko for a brief moment and then looked away. "... Maybe so people felt like something was being done. What were they going to do? Just sit on their asses and say 'oh well'?"
"But what did you do that makes you think they were right for putting you in the cave?"
Ryoko turned to face her again. She wanted to call the whole thing off and never say another word about it, but at the same time she wanted to know why it was bothering her so much for this little old woman to ask such a simple question. Finally she said, "I don't know."
Yuko nodded. "That's a legitimate answer. But you still feel that it was somewhat justified?"
"I guess. I was okay with staying in there a little while until everyone cooled off... but Yosho wouldn't release me even after weeks passed."
"I believe he was trying to protect you. It may sound crude since the cave itself caused you so much pain, but imagine how vulnerable you would be out in the open. Yosho could never be with you at all time, and the moments he would be away they could have stolen you and their cruelty would not end."
Ryoko shook her head. "You say that as if I'm helpless. I could have taken care of myself."
"Remember that you did not have your alternative gems created yet, and since returning you your original gems was far too risky even for you, you're power would have been greatly limited. By the way, Ryoko... I don't think I know the extent of your power without your gems. How strong would you have been?"
A grim expression took Ryoko's face. "I... I would still be able to fly and teleport... but... I would have been weak... like... normal weak."
"I see."
Ryoko threw her arms up and said, "That settles it then. I know why I was put in there, and I know why I was kept in there. Thanks for your help..."
Yuko giggled and said, "That's very nice, but would it be alright if we kept talking?"
"Sure why not?"
"That's great," said Yuko smiling. "I would like to go back to why you thought you should have gone in the cave in the first place."
"What's there to talk about? I said I didn't know. Besides, wouldn't you people be the ones telling me why I went into the cave?"
"You're confusing two different things. The reason why you were put into the cave is different from the reason why you thought you were put into the cave."
Ryoko crossed her arms. "Alright, how am I supposed to tell you what I think when I don't really know myself?"
Yuko paused and nodded. "Okay, lets start at a different place, alright?"
Ryoko simply shrugged.
"You know I've observed you on several occasions before and after meeting with your mother, and I noticed that you're quite the trouble maker. Why do you like teasing people the way you do?"
"It's harmless fun."
"Harmless you say? Even when it brings trouble back onto you? I've even sometimes seen you purposely do something to make Tenchi angry with you. Would you do that for attention or was it something else?"
"I don't know... I don't really mind it when Tenchi's angry with me. I'm really just looking for fun... nothing else."
Yuko said, "What about the things you repeatedly do that you know Tenchi doesn't like? It only brings upon him telling you how bad you are, but you continue to do it."
With a half smile, Ryoko laughed and said, "Being bad is the most fun. It's cool to be bad."
Yuko looked Ryoko directly and asked, "Do you think you're a bad person, Ryoko?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"It's a simple question. Do you think you're a bad person?"
Ryoko tried not to think about it consciously, because it felt strange to do. "Of course not..." she said.
Yuko asked, "Is that true?"
Ryoko was silent for a moment. She said, "Well...um..." Her eyes itched, but when she rubbed them the itching didn't go away. Her eyes began to mist and thought aloud, "Why...?"
Yuko replied, "Yes?"
"Why... why am I..." Ryoko placed her thumb and finger over her brows and tried to force back the tears, but when it became clear that they were going to come whether she wanted them to or not, she said, "Why am I crying?"
*-----------------------------*
Aeka's first step past the wall landed in ice water that penetrated her sandal and sock as if she weren't wearing them. Undeterred, she continued deeper while making sure not to step in the grooves. She reached the part of the passage with the steep incline, and began experimenting with different ways to safely descend.
While reaffirming her grip on the torch, she placed a toe of one foot into a groove and slowly put transferred her weight onto it. When she was confident her footing would hold she lowered her other foot to find another groove. When she couldn't feel one out, she leaned back to look with the torch.
Her current footing was operating with an extremely low tolerance of movement, and when she turned her body, the groove thoughtlessly dropped her and she went sliding down. Everything became black as the torch slipped from her hand and became extinguished, but she was only in darkness for a moment. A blue light made the bottom of the passage visible and she could see it rushing towards her. She tried to orient herself for a smooth landing but she wasn't fast enough. She cried out in pain as her left foot stiffly absorbed the collision.
From her position sprawled across the floor, Aeka stubbornly resolved to at least do what she came down there to do. She lifted her head to see the alter that held Ryoko, knowing at first glance that this was a Juraian crucifixion chamber.
"Oh my lord..."
She didn't bother straining her neck to see any more. The sight of a crucifixion chamber is grafted into the memory of every Juraian old enough to know what one was. It was the ultimate punishment officially practiced by her people, and it was reserved for extreme circumstances. In all of Juraian history, no one who has been crucified has ever lived longer than minutes, which is far too short of a period for a one to die from the injury the crucifixion caused. Pain was always the cause of death.
She groaned, "Seven hundred years... Seven hundred years..."
Aeka never knew what had transpired on Earth the day Yosho defeated Ryoko. When she announced she would search for him as soon as he left, her mother tried to talk her out of such a vein mission. She was confident that Yosho would be contacting Jurai when he was victorious, and she told Aeka that she should wait before doing anything irrational. Her mother's advice didn't help, and Aeka went searching for Yosho anyway. She never was able to learn about Yosho's stay on Earth because of her suspended animation, and as a result she lost seven hundred years of her life wondering aimlessly about space.
Now that she knew the manor in which Ryoko was imprisoned, she could guess what might have happened after the battle. Considering how Kagato controlled Ryoko with her gems, she thought that there must have been a dispute over what was to be done. Aeka remembered seeing her father and brother exchanging only a few words with one anther when they came to visit. It worried her that there might be a conflict between them she didn't know about. She knew that she had to ask Yosho or Ryoko about what happened, but right now she had to figure out how to get out of the cave. The frigid air was starting to seep past her clothes and she knew she couldn't stay there for long.
She sat herself upright and felt her left ankle. It was sprained badly and hurt just to touch it. Aeka couldn't imagine ascending the incline with only one foot, especially since descending with both feet was such a failure. Despite the odds against her, Aeka was confident she could help herself.
She clasped her hands together and manipulated her Jurai energy to focus on healing her ankle. She could feel the injury mending, as it should. However, the energy felt sluggish and far too ineffective to heal her within a reasonable time. It was the shaking in her hands what made her lose focus, but when she tried to steady them her entire body begin to shiver. Slowly the energy flow became increasingly difficult to maintain. After a minute passed she was shivering too violently to use her power. She was now truly stuck.
"Oh no."
*-----------------------------*
Yuko was silent. She already knew what was wrong with Ryoko and the path she would have to take to solve it. She's had helped many patients just like her before. "It's alright to cry... Keep talking... tell me what comes to mind..."
"... I guess I don't care that I do... I just don't know why I am." She turned away from Yuko and said, "... I'm suddenly crying for no reason... I'm sorry, I must look like a fool."
"You don't look like a fool. Don't try to fight it... just relax."
Ryoko breathed deeply, but through the tears it sounded like a shudder. "Jeez, what's wrong with me all of a sudden? Normally I don't burst into tears at random like this..."
Yuko nodded. "That's fine, it doesn't bother me. Let's keep talking. Tell me what you're thinking about right now... "
"I'm thinking about why I started crying for no reason... Maybe I need to see Washu... Maybe I sprung a leak."
Yuko smiled and said, "That could be true. It might be just a simple mistake. I don't mind you crying, I do hope we'll keep talking."
Ryoko tried to dry her eyes but it was a vein attempt; Her tears didn't stop. "Yeah sure, what were we talking about?"
"I had asked you how you felt about yourself, and you said... "
Ryoko bit her lower lip as the tension in her eyes thickened. "I said I was fine... "
"Yes that's right."
Ryoko faced Yuko and said, "I don't mean to change subjects on you, but I have to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"Why did I... " Ryoko's crying unexpectedly increased and she was momentarily unable to speak. Eventually she said, "Sorry, forget it."
"What is it, Ryoko? What did you want to ask me?"
"I wanted to know... " Again Ryoko was unable to talk because of her crying, and with nothing better to do she buried her head in her hands. It frustrated her that every time she wanted to say something she was physically incapable, and as the moment drew out, her frustration turned to anger. Without warning she screamed through her tears, "Why the hell am I crying so much? I can't talk without crying! I'm so sick of crying, it's all I've been doing for the last two days! I hate crying, and I hate crying for no reason! Why the hell am I crying?... And why the hell did I have to stay in the cave for seven hundred years? I wasn't going to do anything bad! I never wanted to do anything bad! Why was everyone so mad at me? I didn't do anything! How do I have anything to do with Jurai? I don't even know what Jurai looks like! I don't even know where it is! I couldn't get there even if I wanted to! Why did I have to stay in the cave for seven hundred years?"
Yuko paused before saying, "Ryoko, no one has ever had good reason to be angry with you. The people who blamed you for their misfortune were mistaken, and you mustn't take their mistake to heart."
"I just want to understand why everyone hates me. I thought I was bad for some reason..."
"Not everybody hates you, Ryoko... you don't believe that do you?"
Her crying intensified and searched for a nearby stone to sit on. "Why else did I go in the cave? I must be horrible somehow, why else is everyone mad at me? They all hated me, especially those men... they hurt me... they wouldn't have done it if I wasn't bad. I can't figure out what I've done... what did I do? Was it just me?"
Yuko went to her and rested her hands on Ryoko's shoulders. "You're not a bad person."
"But those men wouldn't stop! I told them I didn't do anything, but they kept hitting me and yelling at me..."
"They were mistaken... it's not your fault... "
Ryoko reached out and hugged Yuko, crying into her. "But... but... what they did! They... they touched me... They took off my clothes and all of them touched me. I told them to stop but they wouldn't listen. They tried to put it in my mouth... I couldn't get away... I couldn't get away... I had to open my mouth or they would hit me. Why were they doing that? I didn't do anything wrong! I never attacked Jurai! I kept telling them that but they kept pushing it in my face... Even though I didn't do anything wrong... I still did it for them... they said I was a slut... It's true... I did it on my own for no reason... I did it to all of them over and over whenever they wanted... I even swallowed it... I'm nothing but a filthy slut!"
Yuko hugged Ryoko back. "You're not, Ryoko. You were scared. It wasn't your fault."
"But I did it! I did it over and over! They would stand in front of me and I would be waiting with my mouth open like a stupid bitch waiting to be fed. I don't deserve to live!"
"You know that isn't true, Ryoko. It wasn't your fault."
"It's true! It's true because it's the only reason why Tenchi likes me. He likes me because I'm so easy. He could have had me whenever he wanted... it's not like I would have said no... I'm such a whore! It's true because I would have done it easily! That makes it true! I'm a worthless whore!"
Yuko patted Ryoko on the back. "There, there... just keep crying... crying is good..."
Ryoko thought for sure that this was the end of everything. Now that the truth about her is out she knew they would condemn her, and maybe even put her back inside the cave. "I'm such an embarrassment! Nobody wants me going outside the house anymore because they're embarrassed of me. They're embarrassed because I always look like a whore... I am a whore... I wouldn't push other guys away if I didn't belong to Tenchi. I'm such a whore!"
"Ryoko... you're none of those things... please don't say that."
"I'm so sorry mom... I'm so sorry! I'm a failure... "
Yuko continued to hold her silently. She had never seen a person despise themselves this much, and it made her think of what Washu had said about Ryoko not being able to kill herself. It was possible that she never encountered such a person before because they had committed suicide before she could meet with them.
Ryoko cried for exactly twenty-three minutes. It was one of Yuko's practices to time how long it took her patients to stop crying, it helped her analyze them on a more statistical level. Twenty-three minutes was above average, but it was less than what Yuko predicted. When Ryoko's tears finally came to a close, she could hear Ryoko's throat swallowing, a sign that she was suppressing emotions. Ryoko slowly pulled away from Yuko's embrace. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
"You're not wasting my time. You're a very charming young woman whose come to believe some nasty things about herself."
"But all of it is true... it is!"
Yuko rested her hand on Ryoko's brow and said, "Ryoko, there's something I'd like to try that might help you. It's actually a very old method but it still works... if you're willing, that is."
"... What is it?"
"A long time ago, about four thousand years, the humans who lived here began noticing their Juraian ancestry. Although their abilities are lax because of their distance from the First Tree, they still retain the essence of power within all Juraians. What they noticed was that they could control how energy flowed through their bodies, and conduct this energy for therapeutic healing. After thousands of years they have nearly perfected the method, and they have come to call it 'Acupuncture'."
Ryoko sniffed and asked, "Isn't that where they stick needles everywhere?"
Yuko nodded. "Since Earthlings were unfamiliar with the use of their Jurai power, they found that channels of energy could be redirected using needles, which behaved as physical switch stations for their energy. I have no need for such crude methods, I can do this for you using my Jurai power."
"Would it work? I'm not Juraian... what if my energy doesn't flow the same?"
Startled, Yuko said, "You're not Juraian? That cannot be... I can feel your energy, and it is unmistakably Juraian. You're mother was Juraian, and she lived their for most of her life."
Ryoko appeared just as confused as Yuko. "I don't know... I just... " She stood and paced away from Yuko. "Maybe I am! I don't know... "
Realizing that she frightened her, Yuko said, "Ryoko, please don't go. I could very well be wrong, there's no need to be frightened. In any case, I believe this technique should work on you. Even if you aren't Juraian, I can sense that you're energy is similar enough that you're body will respond properly."
Ryoko looked back to Yuko and shivered as a gust of wind caught her soaked face. "I-I... guess... "
Yuko paused and then said, "Alright, I'll need you to sit down over here."
Ryoko nodded and returned to the stone she was sitting on.
"I need you to trust me, and repeat everything I say."
"Alright...."
With one hand, Yuko placed her index and ring finger between Ryoko's eyes, spacing them by the bridge of her nose. She then centered her middle finger on Ryoko's forehead just above her brow line. With here other hand she cupped the back of her head and held the positions. She pushed a current of energy through her fingers that she received with the hand behind Ryoko's head. "Say 'I am a bad person...'"
"I am a bad person."
"... I don't deserve anyone's love..."
"I don't deserve anyone's love."
"... I don't deserve to live."
"I don't deserve to live."
"Now I want you to hold those thoughts in you head."
Yuko held her position and kept the current running while Ryoko thought about the words. Ryoko didn't feel anything from saying them and she wondered what that meant about her.
Yuko said, "Don't worry, the process always starts with those three. Now I need you to say 'I am a good person...' "
"Uh... I... am a good person."
"... I am not a slut..."
"I'm... I'm not a slut."
"... I deserve to be loved."
"I deserve to be loved."
Another moment passed while she repeated the words in her head. As expected, Yuko's energy was being resisted by Ryoko's subconscious, and she increased the current in response. Ryoko felt the points on her face go numb. Emotions with no language swirled in her mind, and she felt tears swelling in her eyes. She said, "I'm sorry if I'm screwing this up..."
"You're doing wonderful, Ryoko... " She paused briefly before continuing. "Now say... 'Tenchi does not think I am a whore...' "
"Tenchi does not think I'm a whore."
"... he loves me for who I am..."
"He loves me... for who I am."
"... and he respects my body and my love."
"He respects my... body... and..." A sob stopped her and she couldn't start again.
Yuko strained to push past Ryoko's subconscious and she said, "Please say it, Ryoko. You have to say it."
"He... He respects my love..."
Ryoko's mind felt as though it were ripping at the point of Yuko's middle finger, and she struggled to hold her head still.
Yuko's hand behind Ryoko's head patted her gently. "You're almost there... just a few more to go..."
She cried, "No... I don't want to do anymore... "
"You can do it Ryoko... You have to try. Say, 'What happened in the cave wasn't my fault...' "
"What happened... in the cave... wasn't my fault."
"... I only did what I did because I was scared..."
"I only... I only did it because... I was scared."
"... I forgive the men that abused me."
"I... I forgive the men... that.... abused me."
Yuko felt all resistances vanish and she released her head. Ryoko threw her arms around her and sobbed with no inhibition. The end of these tears came sooner than the ones from before, and where her last tears diminished like a valve being fought to closure, these tears faded like a tap running dry.
After a long moment of silence Yuko asked, "How do you feel?"
"... Kind of empty. Is that right?"
Yuko nodded. "Yes, you've emptied a lot of negative feelings..."
"So... what... am I fixed or something?"
"I don't think anyone can ever be truly 'fixed', but I think we've accomplished some major repairs. How do you feel about yourself now?"
Ryoko shrugged. "I don't know..." She paused and then added, "Is that a bad thing?"
Yuko smiled and shook her head. "It's perfectly normal. A lot of you're preconceptions about yourself have been washed away, so naturally you have no opinions about yourself. You're starting fresh."
"I won't turn into someone else, will I?"
Yuko shook her head with a laugh. "I should hope not! You're still Ryoko and you always will be Ryoko no matter what. If you be yourself and are honest with you're feelings, you'll remember who you were seven hundred years ago."
Ryoko slowly nodded, understanding what she meant. She then said, "About those things I said... I couldn't believe what I was saying even as it was happening. It's like they came out on their own. How come I never knew that I felt that way about myself? I mean... I had no idea that I considered myself to be a... yanno..."
Yuko sat down on a rock close by and looked at Ryoko at eye level. "It was a subconscious thought that made you believe those things without realizing it. You made a judgment about yourself when you did what you did in the cave, you judged yourself to be someone who distributes herself openly."
After a moment Ryoko said, "I'm not... Well I... I would never..."
Yuko smiled. "Yes, that's right. You're mother tells me you were a very shy little girl, and I bet that's still true. The true purpose of my profession is to help people recover from the pain of living life, and bring them as close as possible to the perfection that they were at birth. We may grow old and learn many things, but we will always be the same person we were when we were born."
Ryoko looked to the ground as she thought about what Yuko said. "... Heh... I'm still the same person... It feels strange to think about."
"Yes... you are Ryoko Hakubi, please never forget that."
Ryoko smiled as she tested the name. ".. Hakubi... I remember that..."
"You should try and see if you can remember other things. You know your mother says that you memory was never erased, only suppressed... by you."
"Me?"
"Yes... She suspects it has something to do with Kagato. I would like to talk with you about him..."
Ryoko's eyes widened before she forced a laugh. "Kagato? ... Heh... we don't need to talk about him. There's nothing really to say."
Yuko smiled. "If you insist. For now I think you should rest, and think about what we've talked about." Yuko then stood and straightened her clothes.
Ryoko said, "Thank you."
"Thank you for allowing me to help you. It has been a true honor."
Ryoko smiled modestly, unsure of how to respond.
Yuko said, "Well, I believe it is time for me to be on my way."
Ryoko stood and said, "No, you don't need to go."
"I insist. Also, weren't you looking for Princess Aeka?"
Ryoko flinched at her error. "Uh, yeah I was... "
"Then I wouldn't want to keep you any longer. I hope to see you again some time, not too long alright?"
"Yeah, seeya." Ryoko waved as Yuko slowly starting her way to the shrine steps.
*-----------------------------*
Washu was sitting on a bench in one of the resting points along the shrine steps, and her gaze was fixed on the stones below her. She saw a pair of feet stand in front of her, and she looked to see that it was Yuko.
Yuko saw red in Washu's eyes and she asked, "Washu, have you been crying?"
Washu lowered her head back to the stones below her. "I heard all of it, you know. It isn't like I eavesdropped on purpose, our minds are connected and I would have heard it no matter how far I went. I'm sorry, I know those are supposed to be confidential."
Yuko sat next to Washu. "It's alright. Considering the circumstances I think that can be overlooked."
Washu rubbed the last bit of moisture from her eyes. "How come she never told me? I had no idea she was so depressed. Even with our connection I never sensed any of this."
"Didn't you say that if Ryoko knew how, she could keep certain things from you like how you keep certain things from her?"
Washu nodded. "Yeah, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't know how to do that yet."
"Our subconscious is a very powerful thing, and while I don't know very much about the science of behind it, I can guess her subconscious found a way to hide it from you. It might be similar how it hid from Ryoko's own knowing."
Washu covered her eyes with her hand exactly the same way Yuko saw Ryoko do earlier. "For being a genius I'm feeling really stupid right now. I thought the technology was perfect... I thought I was hearing all of her thoughts. I only asked you to speak with her so she could talk to you about things she was too nervous to talk with me about. I didn't know she hated herself... "
Yuko saw Washu tremble and she pulled head to rest on her shoulder. "Oh dear, it'll be alright, Washu. No one can be perfect. There's no way you could have known such things if you didn't have the connection with your daughter, you shouldn't blame yourself for not seeing it."
"... I must have sounded like such an idiot... 'Yes, Mother, I can do it. I can raise a child. Let me have a baby, it wont be that hard.' I just know she's going to turn to my sisters and say, 'See... this is how you're not supposed to raise a child.'"
Yuko shook her head. "Oh no, Washu, she wouldn't say that. I think you're doing a wonderful job."
Washu dried her eyes. "You're just being nice. If things weren't so horrible I might believe you... "
"I think the worst is over for you and her. There is still a long way to go, but it will only get better from here. However, I can tell she won't be ready to talk about Kagato for a great deal of time."
Hesitantly, Washu asked, "Do you think that she... still wants to kill herself?"
"I don't think she wishes to die anymore. I can only base that on my experience in the matter, so I cannot guarantee it to be fact. It all depends on how deeply Kagato wounded her."
Washu faintly smiled. "I trust you." A moment later she added, "I was really surprised how quickly she responded to you're questions. I didn't think you would get so far so quickly."
Yuko nodded. "She was ready to tell me. I don't think what I've done was that amazing."
Washu lifted her head off Yuko's shoulder and said, "The way you sounded... it was really incredible. You're a miracle worker, I'm so lucky to have found you."
Yuko smiled. "It wasn't luck. I noticed you were having some trouble and I thought I would give you a hand. It's what I'm here for."
Washu glanced at Yuko with a questioning look. What she said didn't make any sense to her. There was no way Yuko could have known about Washu before she met her.
Yuko smiled and patted Washu on the head. "I hope you still recognize you're old mother, even if I am in this new body."
Washu's eyes went wide as she realized whom she was talking to. "Mom..." Washu threw her arms around her mother. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too. I had a feeling you were going to need my help, so I decided to live as Yuko Kobayashi. You have my phone number, so you can call me whenever you need my help, or if you just want to talk."
"Mom, why did you live as a Juraian on Earth? You'll die soon... "
Yuko laughed. "This old body still has a few hundred years left in it. I won't be leaving you early, when I go it'll be at exactly the right time. You don't have to worry about me; I've birthed and died a thousand times. Dying may sound terrible from you're perspective... this is only you're second life, you'll get better at it with practice."
Washu pulled away from her Mother and rubbed her eyes. "Thank you for coming to see me. It'll be really nice to have someone to lean on again."
"You know you can always talk to me, even if I'm not living as someone close by."
Washu nodded. "I know... I guess I just get caught up in things."
Yuko caught a glance of her watch and said, "Oh my, I really must be going. I told Yuu I would be home before 2:30."
"Yuu?"
"He's a charming man I met three hundred years ago. Before I knew it I was married to him. How time does fly..."
Washu laughed. "Married too? You waste no time enjoying ever aspect of life."
"Of course... I made it, after all." Yuko placed her hand on Washu's shoulder. "This reminds me of something I wanted to ask you. When are you going to forgive that rotten boy that broke you're heart?"
Washu blinked. "Well, uh..."
"If it's really troubling you then you can call me later on."
"Mikamo... he really hit a soft spot... I don't think I can forgive him quite yet."
Yuko nodded. "Yes, I can tell. You bear more of a grudge against him than you do Kagato."
Washu glanced away and didn't respond.
Yuko rose to her feet and said, "I think I must be leaving. Please call me, Washu. I really want to help you with this."
Washu shifted her eyes towards her mother and quietly said, "I will, Mom."
Yuko leaned down and kissed Washu on the cheek. "I love you."
"... Love you."
Yuko patted Washu on the shoulder one last time before leaving.
*-----------------------------*
At the top of the hill, Ryoko stretched and breathed deeply, smelling the air as if it were candy. Her mind never felt so stable and clear, it was like viewing the world through a new window. She wanted to go find Washu and tell her everything on her mind, but she promised Sasami she would find Aeka.
She glanced around one more time to see if there were any obvious hints towards her whereabouts, and in doing so she noticed the gate in front of the cave was slightly ajar.
On closer examination it was clear a person had opened it and Ryoko considered entering the cave to see if Aeka was there.
There's no reason for Aeka to go in there, she thought.
Another thought battled her first thought. What if she is in there? Is it worth skipping only because you thought it was unlikely?
Do you feel her Jurai energy nearby? I know I sure don't. Lets move along already!
Feeling her energy or not feeling it doesn't amount to much and you know it. You're spending more time arguing over it than it would take to fly through real quick and see for yourself.
Fine, then we'll hit it on the way back, okay?
Why not right now? You're sanding right here.
Because I don't feel like it.
You're scared.
"I'm not scared!" Ryoko shouted, startling herself at the same time. Echoes of her voice bounced through the cave and the word "scared" repeated until gradually fading to nothing.
With a rigid arm, Ryoko tipped the gate so that it fell open on its own. She marched into the cave without a second thought about her fears. She knew the way well, and it wasn't long before she arrived at the first chamber.
Hesitantly, she called Aeka's name. "A-Aeka?" It came out as a timid squeak, and the walls made sure she heard it several times before letting it rest. She felt herself shaking, despite her tolerance of freezing temperatures.
I'm not afraid of anything in this cave, and if I want to make myself known I'm going to do it god damnit!
"Aeka!?! Are you here!?!"
There was silence following her echoes, but to Ryoko's ear it wasn't perfect silence. There was something bumping the atoms in the air nearby but she couldn't make out what it was. She knew she was going to have to search everywhere now, and when she saw the black gap in the wall leading down to her prison her stomach fell to her feet.
She started walking towards the gap, although it felt more like she was being pushed and she couldn't do anything to stop. She leaned her head through the gap and again called Aeka's name, this time quivering as she said it. "A-a..e-ek...a?"
She then heard, "Ryoko," from below. It was Aeka, and Ryoko could tell she was freezing.
Ryoko's fears vanished, knowing that she would never be able to save Aeka if she continued to let them get the best of her. She flew down the slope and landed softly at the bottom.
She saw Aeka scrunched up in a ball on the floor and she and went to her. "What the hell are you doing down here?" She lifted Aeka's body and sat her upright.
"A...c..ce..dent.."
Ryoko clutched her tightly, trying to give her as much warmth as she could. "But why stay down here?"
"... A..nk..le"
Ryoko noticed how she was more careful with her left ankle, and figured it was a sprain. "I'm going to teleport you out of here, okay? Close your eyes as much as you can... the light is going to hurt."
"Wai..t- Plea..se.. just take... me to the bath"
Ryoko paused briefly to silently acknowledge the request. She then lifted off and vanished.
Aeka felt scorching air around her. Her eyes burned no matter how tightly she shut them and she pulled at Ryoko's clothes to help block the sun.
Ryoko said, "Okay, okay, hold on.." She shifted Aeka so that her eyes rested into her shoulder, blocking out most light. "We're here... I'm going to put you into the water now, okay?"
"A-Alright..."
"... Here we go. It's going to feel very warm." With Aeka still in her arms, Ryoko lowered herself into the water. When the water reached Aeka she gasped at the burning temperature.
Still blind, Aeka felt Ryoko pulling off her clothes. "What are you doing!?"
"They've got to come off or you'll take longer to thaw out. C'mon princess... No reason to be shy, its only me."
Aeka tested to see if her eyes were adjusted, but the light was too much when she peeled away from Ryoko's shoulder the slightest bit. She sighed and said, "I'm so ashamed."
Ryoko started cupping water in her hands and pouring it across Aeka's back. "Why's that?"
"I barged into your cave just because I was curious. I injured myself in doing so and became stranded. And what I saw only made things worse."
"Oh? Was there something unexpected about it?"
"They crucified you... we crucified you... I couldn't imagine how much worse that made things... "
Aeka felt Ryoko shrug and heard her say, "... Don't worry about it. I never held a grudge against you. You were in space when it all happened, right?"
"I was. I-I really don't know what happened that day. When I first came to Earth I didn't know about your gems and how they controlled you... I thought you were actually in league with Kagato. That's why I attacked you with little warning."
"It's alright, Aeka. You actually did a good thing. If you hadn't stopped me I would have gone back to Kagato myself. I probably would have killed Tenchi, too."
Aeka forced herself to sit upright and see Ryoko through her squeezed eyelids. "What? Kill Tenchi... and return to Kagato?"
"When I first came out of the cave I was... very... messed up. It's hard to explain but, when I saw Tenchi grow up I didn't interpret my feelings correctly. I didn't know that I was feeling love; I just knew I wanted to play with him. It never occurred to me that I was playing too rough. I would have never expected to kill him, even though I almost did. Even when he attacked me back I still thought it was a game. It was only when he cut off my hand that I realized he was fighting for his life. I was a little embarrassed, so I made it out to be no big deal and disappeared."
Aeka's eyes were now able to see clearly, and she saw Ryoko's sullen expression. "I had no idea that you two fought like that. When did this happen?"
"It was only an hour before you showed up, actually. I felt you approaching so I waited for Tenchi at his house to try and escape with him. I don't know what I was thinking... I knew after a while I would have just gone back to Kagato. Tenchi would have been abandoned somewhere or killed."
"I don't understand... why would you have gone back to him? I thought you hated him."
Ryoko nodded lightly. "I did hate him. I hated him every single moment I was alive."
"Then why go back?"
Ryoko starred at Aeka, trying to think of the easiest way to explain it. She said, "... Fear."
"Oh... "
"Don't sweat it, princess. You saved me, in a sense, and you saved Tenchi."
Aeka shrugged. "... I don't see how I saved you... "
Ryoko put her hand on her shoulder. "You did. You stopped me from hurting myself. That's no different than stopping other people from hurting me."
Aeka slowly started to nod. "I suppose... However, I wasn't exactly thinking along those lines at the moment."
Ryoko smiled and said, "We'll just look past that detail." A moment later she added, "Are you feeling better? You were freezing when I found you."
"Yeah I think I'll be okay. Thank you... I could have died."
Ryoko stumbled over her words, saying, "Heh- well- uh- don't thank me. You're my friend, and... I-I'll always save you, no matter what."
Aeka saw her blush and she knew she must have been doing the same. Trying to move the subject along she said, "Oh! You're clothes! You've been wearing them the whole time."
Ryoko laughed. "It's no problem... I wanted to take a bath anyway."
While Ryoko pulled off her garments Aeka said, "If you're okay with it, I'd like to know what happened when you fought my brother that day."
Ryoko's movements slowed as she thought of what she was asking her. "I... uh... won't go into details, but I can tell you what happened."
"Please, anything you can say I would like to know."
Ryoko eased back into the warm water with a sigh. "I might as well tell you how it happened from my perspective. What I remember last was sitting in my room on the Souja. Then I blinked, and I saw Yosho's sword embedded into my throat, lifting me off the ground. At first I was in shock, because Kagato usually never released control of me during the mission. Usually I blink and find myself still in my room, but beaten from what I assume was me fighting. This time it was different, and I quickly realized what had happened. My gems were removed and Kagato had no control over me."
"What did you do?"
Ryoko paused before continuing. "At first I was happy. I thought if someone could beat me, then they could probably beat Kagato too. I'll just say that I was thanking Yosho... a lot."
Aeka silently said, "Oh. Were you... kissing him, and things like that?"
Ryoko glanced at her. "No, I wasn't. I didn't know what a kiss was back then. I didn't know much about genders either, since the only other person I've ever known was Kagato. Whenever I asked him why I didn't look like him he always said it was because my current form was 'convenient', and there was no need to change it."
"Oh..."
Ryoko continued, "Anyway, once Yosho figured out what was going on, he helped me heal my wounds. He asked me who I was and where I came from, and I told him what I knew. And..."
A moment after Ryoko trailed off Aeka said, "Yes? What is it?"
Ryoko quickly blurted out, "And then he called you're dad, and they fought for a few days, and I went into the cave, the end."
Aeka gave an awkward smile. "Was it really so bad?"
"Bad isn't quite the right word for it. It was just... not something to be shared casually."
"Oh, I see... Thank you for telling me what you could."
Ryoko shrugged. "No problem. In my opinion, I think Yosho should tell you what happened. He's probably the right person to break it to you."
Aeka eyes narrowed. "Why should he be the one to tell me? And what do you mean 'break it to me'?"
Ryoko looked away and itched her nose. "Uh... I think he should tell you."
Aeka crossed her arms. "Have it your way. I suppose I'll find out what the big deal is when I ask him."
Ryoko nodded and smiled. "Yeah... I wouldn't want a repeat of last night. I felt really bad after that..."
Aeka sat forward as her spine went rigid. "A repeat of last night? Is that why you want Yosho to tell me? Does it have anything to do with what you wanted Tenchi to tell me?"
"Oh God... me and big mouth," She said while sinking into the water.
"I can't believe this... are you saying that Yosho loves you too!?"
"If it makes you feel any better, I don't love him back. He's a complete asshole."
Aeka stood in outrage. "You mean he does love you? This is unbelievable!! This is probably why he broke our engagement! This is probably why he never returned to Jurai! It was all because of you!"
Ryoko jumped to her feet and grabbed Aeka's shoulders. "Listen! I didn't want this to happen! Before I hated him I didn't know what love was, so it wasn't my fault he started to like me. Trust me, Aeka; he's NOT worth the effort. He's a lying two faced bastard!"
Aeka tried to control her rage by forcing deep breathing. She had to remind herself that this new information did not change her situation, and that Yosho wouldn't have married her whether or not she knew his purposes. Once before she privately grieved her loss and now she had to do so again. Except this time the path was familiar, and she traveled it faster. "I... I'll be okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Yosho did not want my hand in marriage, and nothing you have said has changed that. I should only feel grief if my situation worsens, and it has remained the same."
Ryoko gave Aeka a quick hug and went back to her place before. "I'm glad, Aeka. I honestly don't mean to keep doing this to you..."
Aeka sighed and sat back into the water. "It would be unfair to blame you for something like that. I'm not unreasonable where I would accuse you of wrongdoing just to satisfy my own peace of mind."
Ryoko slowly nodded. She then asked, "What do you see in him, anyways?"
Irritated, Aeka turned things back onto Ryoko. "Why do you not like him? If I were in you're position I would be forced to break Tenchi's heart to be with him."
"I don't like him because he left me in the cave for seven hundred years. He had no choice to put me in there in the first place, because other Juraians were threatening his life. But they left after a few years and there was no reason for me to stay inside. He's horrible."
After a short silence, Aeka said, "Since I was uninvolved with those events, I cannot properly defend his intentions... but I know that he is not a man that is cruel on purpose. "
"Whatever. Until he explains himself, he's just as bad as those other bastards. Ironic that he killed them to save me. What was he saving me from, anyway? All he did was replace my clothes and clean my face, he still left me inside even after that."
At first Aeka didn't know who she was referring to, but she soon realized that she meant the farmers that invaded her cave. "I... I wish I could tell you, honestly I do. I understand what it feels like for misfortune to happen for no apparent reason, but... you mustn't compare Yosho to the vile that hurt you. They were simply Earthling farmers, correct? They couldn't have known the situation, and even though it was us who... issued to the order to place you in the cave, I have no doubt that even my father would have defended you just the same."
Ryoko tilted her head. "I don't know, Aeka. I don't think your dad would have defended me. He probably would have lined up with the rest of them."
"H-How could you say that? Even if he lost his sense after what happened, he's not the kind of man to do something so... so repulsive! My father is a very respectable man."
Ryoko sat forward to project her voice better. "Look, I'm only saying he didn't like me very much. I'm surprised he didn't attack me on sight when he came to visit a few years ago."
Aeka found it difficult to defend her position with little knowledge of what happened. She knew her father was a better man than Ryoko was making him out to be, but she could only offer her word and nothing else. "Maybe... maybe he just needed time. Yosho told him about the gems, right?"
"Yeah, he told him. Your dad understood it just fine, but he was so pissed off he didn't really care that I was being controlled."
Aeka slowly nodded. "I'm not excusing his decision... but I think that is why you were put into the cave. He understood that you were being controlled... that's why I cannot see him wishing to cause you harm directly. For that mater, I don't see how any Juraian could place personal blame on you for what happened."
Ryoko winced on the inside as she tried to think of a way to tell Aeka she was wrong. "Aekaaaa... I don't think every Juraian is as rational as you make them sound. Some of them still think I'm to blame."
"Don't be absurd. How could they make such a mistake? Was the news of how you were being manipulated spread? Or was that classified? I hardly think it's a difficult concept to grasp..."
Ryoko laughed nervously. "You'd think that... but some people are stubborn. I don't think it was kept a secret, I don't see why it would have been. Unless, that is, they wanted to use me as a scapegoat just to appease the people of Jurai." Ryoko saw Aeka get ready to explode, and she quickly added, "... but I don't think it was kept secret... because I've met a Juraian, and they were very nice to me."
Aeka's expression cooled. "You see? Juraians are not so barbaric as to take out their angst on another person in such a filthy way."
"Well... uh... Aeka... I really don't think everyone is so nice..."
"Not another word of it! The Earthlings were acting out of ignorance, and there is no comparison to Yosho."
A long pause passed before Ryoko narrowly folded her arms and said, "Aeka, the men who abused me in the cave were Juraian."
*-----------------------------*
Tenchi entered the arcade where he was supposed to meet Amagasaki. It still looked exactly the same as it did years ago when they were still in High School. Even the games themselves were unchanged, which helped explain why the arcade was empty. They were all at least two years outdated and no one would be interested.
He didn't see Amagasaki anywhere near by, so he went to the front desk to ask if the clerk had seen anyone. "Excuse me..." Tenchi said hesitantly. The clerk was faced away and he appeared involved in something. "Has anyone stopped by recently? Someone who's kind of short... and uh... wide..."
The clerk spun around and glared at him. "Tenchi you nimrod! It's me! Amagasaki!"
Tenchi could only stand and blink. The man standing before him wasn't the overweight greasy kid he remembered from high school, he was physically fit and freshly groomed. "What?! Amagaski?! Jeez, man, what did you do to yourself?"
"I realized how foolish it was too let my physical appearance slip, so I worked to become the sexy beast I know I am!"
Tenchi sweat nervously. "Uh... you're really proud of yourself, aren't you..."
"Of course! The ladies love me... far more than that little operation of yours at yours house."
"I wouldn't really call it an 'operation'..."
Amagasaki held up his hand. "No need to explain. My shift is almost over, so we can go to that restaurant across the street to talk."
"What are we talking about?"
Amagasaki grinned. "So much..."
Ten minutes later Tenchi was sipping a cola in the restaurant. It was a quiet place that served burgers and fries, nothing special. Being as empty as it was, Tenchi found it strange that Amagasaki chose a seat in the farthest and darkest corner of the establishment.
"So what's up?" Tenchi asked casually.
"It's good to see you, but I really came to talk to you because I desperately need your help."
"What's the problem?"
Amagasaki glanced around suspiciously. "Well, ever since I became the handsome specimen you see before you I have been a complete babe magnet. I actually used to be jealous of you and that house of yours, but not anymore!"
Tenchi forced a smile. "Oh is that so?"
"Yes... I have many female friends and I'm always getting more. As wonderful as women are, they empty my wallet incredibly fast... and as many as I have... my income from the arcade isn't going to be enough."
Tenchi's brows furrowed. "Perhaps you should just find one woman that makes you happy, and not play games with so many at once."
Amagasaki belted out a raucous laugh. "Please Tenchi! That's too much! You're killin' me here!"
"Uh-"
Amagasaki cut him off before Tenchi could say more. "Let's stay focused... My problem is that my savings are slowly dwindling. Now I'm not asking you to bail me out... well, sort of... I'm more asking if you would like to make a business arrangement."
"What do you mean business arrangement?"
"I think I might be able to arrange it so the girls earn their stay. You see these girls are very fond of me, so much that they really like to try and look cool in front of me. When I take them to my apartment they're always a bit shy at first... but without too much trouble I can always get them to do pretty much anything at all. It's like an art form. At the best part is I only have to do it once. The next time I see them they're easy lays."
Anger boiled inside of Tenchi, but he fought to control it. "Amagasaki... you're personal business is your own even though I may not agree with it. I have no idea what this is leading to, but you better explain very fast before I lose my patience."
"Well excuse me! Some of us aren't so lucky to have five girls dropped on our lap like you did! Some of us had to go out and work for it. I don't care if you agree with my methods, but don't think you're any better than me."
"Just get on with it! What do you want from me?"
"I'd like to borrow a small bit of money from you to keep my current interests with me. But don't think of it as a loan, think of it as an investment... I'll be returning your funds and then some within a few months. I'm confident in my abilities..."
Tenchi only became more confused. "Lend you money? But I can barely pay for my own expenses. I'm in no position to lend you money."
"Oh please, don't throw that line at me. You must be pulling it in by the millions with that house of yours. If you give me just fifty thousand yen I'll have enough time to slowly get these girls used to the idea. They just need to get used to it, and once they do the money starts flowing."
It suddenly occurred to Tenchi that Amagasaki was trying to prostitute girls. He stood up and started to leave.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going!?"
"I really don't want to make a scene, so I'm going to pretend I never spoke to you today. You had better not act out anything you've suggested, or I will kill you."
Amagasaki stood and faced Tenchi. "It's just like you to be a greedy bastard and horde the market like that! You've got plenty of money! Especially with those girls of yours! I've seen them myself... you've got all the bases covered as far as fetishes go."
"It isn't like that! Come to my house and see for yourself if you have to!"
Amagasaki wasn't about to give up. "Stop throwing those lines around! You know damn well what I'm talking about. You probably make so much money off of them you could retire now! And you've got that blue haired one... you can tell a mile away she's a total sleaze. Hell, you probably make a fortune off of her alone. Why don't you just lend me her for a little while until I can get on my feet."
"Lend her to you?! You bastard! You don't know what you're saying!"
"Don't be so possessive! If you don't want to do that then why not have her take on a few at the same time? People pay even more for that kind of stuff... and I bet the bitch would love it! You could give the extra money to me--"
Tenchi suddenly found himself tightening his grip around Amagasaki's throat. Amagasaki fell too his knees, too shocked to react. "You bastard! You don't even understand! I'm not running any kind of business! I could never make them do something so shameful! How dare you disgrace them like that! How dare you disgrace Ryoko! She would kill you herself if she heard what you said! I should kill you!"
By now Amagasaki's face was blue and he was beginning to lose consciousness. The single waiter on duty had been standing by the entire time pleading with Tenchi to release him, but Tenchi didn't even notice him. The only thing that Tenchi was thinking about was strangling every last breath from Amagasaki.
The chef of the restaurant, who happened to be Juraian, recognized Tenchi and knew that only he would be strong enough to stop him. He rushed to the scene and pulled Tenchi off of Amagasaki, using all of his Jurai power just to do so. Tenchi struggle against him and the chef knew he wouldn't be able to hold him forever. Desperate, he hissed into Tenchi's ear. "Prince Tenchi, please restrain yourself! You'll kill him!"
Instantly Tenchi halted. He backed away from the chef and looked him with silent shock. Tenchi knew that Juraians lived on Earth, but he never expected to encounter one. It was a thought that distracted him long enough to regain control. Tenchi said, "Thank you... I... I'm sorry..."
The chef tipped his head and said, "I'm sorry my lord, but I am going to have to call the authorities..."
Tenchi laughed and sat down at the nearest table. "That's fine... I broke the law..."
Five minutes passed and Tenchi's eyes never left the floor. He listened to the paramedics carry Amagasaki away, half of him hoped his injuries wouldn't be too severe, and another half hoped his ambulance would drive off the side of a bridge. There was no shade of gray in his mind. During the commotion, Tenchi noticed a single police car waiting outside. He exited the restaurant and figured this was the moment was supposed to be arrested. However it didn't proceed as he expected. An officer stepped out of the car and held open the back door for Tenchi. He gestured respectfully for him to enter and Tenchi knew that he too must have been Juraian.
Tenchi sat in the back seat of the police car and he was chauffeured to the station.
*-----------------------------*
Aeka cried in outrage, "What?"
"My mom was being considerate when she said they were just farmers. It was true they were all farmers, but they were also Juraian."
"You don't know that they were Juraian. What proof could you have?"
Ryoko's voice became quieter. "They knew exactly how to get inside the cave. How could an Earthling know that I was there so soon after the fight? Besides, they said some mean things to me when they... um.... did what they did...... they said things that made it seem they knew about the attack on Jurai."
Ryoko saw Aeka's expression become mortified and she said, "Aeka, don't feel bad! You didn't do anything wrong! They were acting on their own..."
"Please... let me feel humility for this. The reason our planet grew to be so strong has to do with our key philosophy of working for the good of society. Even with populations becoming as grand as they are, we still maintain a sense of unity. If any Juraian acted in such a way... it reflects on the rest of us. Every Juraian raised on our home world would feel this way, it's our way of life."
Ryoko looked down to the water. "Oh... well... is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"
Sympathetic, Aeka said, "No... you've done enough already. I wonder if my father knows... he's the best person to strengthen our unity and should always know when his people act so disgracefully. I only fear that this might feed more prejudice towards Juraian colonists."
"There's prejudice towards colonists? Wouldn't that disrupt you whole idea about unity?"
"Yes... father is trying hard to keep the people open minded. The issue is actually a very old one, and it was one of the reasons he married Lady Funaho even after he was married to my mother. She was an earthling here when he visited for political reasons. The marriage was arranged to show the people he accepted Juraians despite their origin. It was very important for Yosho to become the next king, because only he-being part Earthling and part Juraian-could truly bring unity back to our society."
Ryoko was silent at first, but she eventually muttered, "I don't like that."
"You don't like what?"
"So you're father made something like a treaty with the colonists... that's fine, but why involve Funaho? Did she even like your father? I mean... it seems like a waste of a human being if her only purpose was to sit around and remind people there's a treaty."
Aeka was quieted by Ryoko's sudden views. She said, "What has made you so outspoken all of a sudden? You've never said anything like this before."
"I don't know, I guess it never occurred to me to say anything. But... I'm saying it now..."
Aeka shrugged. "Well... I don't know the details exactly because it really wasn't my place to know that sort of thing. Funaho never seemed like she was upset or unhappy with her life."
Ryoko laughed. "Well that makes sense. She's a treaty, she's supposed to look happy all the time. Who knows what she's really feeling. By the way, what did your mom have to say bout her husband coming home with a second wife?"
Aeka held her elbows and glanced at Ryoko from the corner of her eye. "I'm beginning to think you're trying to insult me."
Ryoko looked at Aeka out of the corner of her eyes. "Not at all, at least I don't mean to be. I'm just trying to figure out why your dad has two wives. If it sounds like I'm insulting you... well... its probably because I'm pointing out the fact that your dad has two wives."
Aeka bit her lower lip. "It's nothing to be shocked at... it's not an uncommon practice..."
Ryoko rolled her eyes. "Oh excuse me! I didn't' know everyone was doing it these days... that makes it perfectly acceptable!"
"I really wish you wouldn't make jokes about something like this. You're talking about things very important to me and... well... you could be more understanding."
Ryoko watched Aeka glance at her with a very serious tone. She leaned back again and said, "You're right... I guess I am being a little cynical. Sorry."
"Uh... apology accepted."
After a short pause Ryoko said, "So, is that something you could see yourself doing?"
"At one point in time I did think about making allowances like that for the benefit of Jurai, but now I don't think that will happen. Neither of the heirs to the throne cares about me."
"You mean Tenchi and Yosho, right? Tenchi doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would like being king, I don't know if he really considers himself as an heir."
Aeka nodded. "That is true, for both him and Yosho. But eventually they must accept their destiny to rule. No one is rushing them to decide of course, like how my father has been waiting for Yosho for five thousand years. Eventually he will take the throne, and Tenchi will too."
It occurred to Ryoko that most likely she'll still be with him even when he does decide to take the throne. She laughed quietly as the thought of being queen spoiled her. "I have to admit, that will take some time getting used to. Oh, and if Tenchi EVER thought of getting a second wife I would slap him senseless."
Aeka couldn't help but to giggle. "That would be funny to see... but... realistically, you have to understand that there might be a chance that Tenchi will need to take up another wife."
"Well then... realistically he'll wind up with only one wife anyways, because I wouldn't put up with that crap for a second."
Aeka tilted her head and said, "Wellllllllll... If Tenchi became king... you wouldn't be allowed to leave him. It would cause too much disruption and people would lose faith in our leadership."
"Well then I hope he doesn't do anything stupid... but honestly I don't think he would. I trust him and he's a real gentlemen. It's why I love him so much."
Aeka saw it was clear Ryoko wasn't going to see things any other way, so she let it rest. After a short silence Aeka said, "Speaking of Tenchi, did he... say anything to you about... you know?"
"I haven't see him since lunch. He was in a hurry too... he said something about meeting a friend at the arcade. He's still acting like usual..."
Aeka cast her eyes down. "Oh."
There was something on Aeka's mind she had been meaning to ask of Ryoko ever since this morning. Knowing that this was an opportune time she timid said, "Uh... Ryoko?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanted to ask a favor of you. Something personal. If you don't want to do it I won't blame you. I was hoping that... maybe you could..."
"What can I do for you?"
"When Tenchi finally tells you how he feels... could you... keep you're... affection for one another... private? I will understand if this is too much to ask."
Ryoko instantly knew what she was getting at. Seeing Ryoko and Tenchi together would cause Aeka more grief and it would be disrespectful to her feelings for Tenchi to flaunt their love in front of her. Ryoko said, "Of course, Aeka, I completely understand."
Ryoko sat up partially as Aeka suddenly hugged her. "Thank you. It would have been so painful to see you with him... I mean no offense to you Ryoko... I mean... It's difficult to say..."
Hesitantly Ryoko hugged her back. She said, "It's okay, Aeka. You don't need to say another word. I understand completely."
Aeka pulled away from her and sat back down. "Thank you..."
"It's not a problem. In fact I probably would have kept things private anyway... just because..." Ryoko started to blush. "You know... embarrassing stuff like that."
While Aeka did agree with her that such things are meant to be private, she couldn't believe she was hearing Ryoko speak it. "Are you being sarcastic? I'm sorry; it's a bit too subtle... I thought you were serious."
Ryoko scratched her brow with her index finger. "... I am being serious. I mean... kissing in front of everyone? I would just die of embarrassment. I could never do that."
"Umm... really Ryoko your sarcasm is still a bit too subtle. I don't understand your meaning."
Ryoko glanced at Aeka with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not quite sure how else to say it. I'm not joking... I'm being completely honest... The most daring public display I can see myself doing is holding his hand. Anything above that I would have to get some real courage for."
Aeka stared at Ryoko. After a minute passed Ryoko said, "What?"
"You've never been so modest about such things before. Y-you're always showing off your body to him and you've never shown any problems with even... s-sleeping with him! You've even suggested that one time that we share him! I know you weren't being serious... and I'm not saying you're way of showing affection is bad-as unique as it may be-but what your telling me now is ridiculous to believe!"
Ryoko was silent for a moment. It surprised her that reminders of how she used to act were hurtful to hear. She said, "Aeka, I... I uh talked with someone earlier today and I got a lot of things off my chest that I didn't even know were bothering me. I wont go into details, but I will say that I wasn't being myself. I know that may be kind of hard to believe after seeing me tease Tenchi the way I have for four years, but it's true. I'm actually very nervous about how Tenchi will return my feelings. He may be expecting a different person... because I know I'm not going to do some things with him I was planning on doing before."
"Ryoko... I don't know what to say. I've become so used to the way you act that I've come to appreciate your boldness. I'm not sure if I should be happy for you or not... that part of you was so unique... quite honestly I sometimes admired your courage."
Ryoko nodded. "I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not that kind of person. I have no doubt that that a woman could be as free spirited as I was pretending to be... but that's just not me. I know this sounds very shocking... it was shocking to me when I said it myself."
Unsure of what else to say, Aeka asked, "What kind of person are you now?"
"It's not 'now', it's 'was'. I've gotten over what happened with the cave, and I'm back to my normal self again. To answer your question though, I guess what I would really like is someone I can trust, someone who wont be too pushy about kissy stuff, and someone who loves me for who I am and not my body."
Aeka smiled. "Ryoko, that's so sweet. I suppose then that I will say that I am happy for you."
Ryoko blushed and scratched her head. "Thank you."
Interested that she now could relate to Ryoko in such things, Aeka wanted to know even more. "So, do you plan on waiting until you're married before you sleep together or will you do it before?"
Ryoko blushed. "Well... I don't know... I guess it depends on how I feel... I haven't even kissed him yet. I'll probably wait, but if he's really charming about it... maybe... I don't know."
"Wow, you'll even wait until you're married? If it were me I honestly can say I wouldn't be able to wait."
Shocked at what she was hearing, Ryoko gasped, "Aeka!"
"I don't find anything wrong with it. It IS mutual attraction after all." Aeka giggled.
"That's true. Tenchi is a handsome man, but I'm still really nervous because... well... I... uh... never... you know... and uh... in my mom's memory I saw that it... kind of hurts a little... at first."
Baffled, Aeka staggered her words, "W-wait.. what? You've never? But... those men in the cave you spoke of..."
"I'm sure they would have it they could. You know how that crucifixion thing works... vines and roots grow everywhere. I was stuck pretty tight, and they couldn't get down there. It didn't matter though, they got creative..."
"That's understandable, but what about all that time with Kagato? Surely he must have... have..."
With a plane face Ryoko said, "You're asking if he raped me? That's what we're talking about here, right? We both know the only reason I wouldn't be a virgin is if I was raped."
Aeka raised her hand defensively. "I didn't mean it like that, I'm just not sure what to think. You never talk about that openly... and I respect you're need for privacy, only please don't take my assumption the wrong way."
A moment later Ryoko said, "It's alright, I'm not mad. Actually, Kagato never did anything down there. He screwed everything else pretty good, but for some reason he didn't do that. I couldn't tell you why, that man was completely insane. I guess in that regard I'm extremely lucky... after Kagato and those men in the cave you'd really think I would have been raped, but I guess it didn't happen. When I think about all that's been done to me, having my virginity still feels like someone's playing a sick joke on me."
"I-I see..."
After a short pause, Ryoko said, "So anyway, that's why I'm kind of nervous about being with Tenchi. Even when I used to act like it was no big deal I was still nervous deep down."
Aeka was about to respond but she stopped herself when she heard the door to the Onsen slide open. Sasami ran to Aeka and cried, "Aeka! Aeka, are you all right? Where did you go? I was so worried!"
She was embarrassed about getting trapped in the cave, and she didn't want to make her sister worry more than she was. "Well, I uh... was... "
Ryoko noticed this and supplied, "She was walking around the forest and sprained her ankle. I found her resting on the path."
"Yes, that's what happened," added Aeka. "I'm fine, Sasami. There's no need to worry."
"Oh, I'm so happy!" Sasami threw her arms around Aeka and hugged her tightly.
They sudden heard Mihoshi's voice pop up behind them. "Oh my... is everyone taking a bath right now?"
"Sort of..." said Ryoko.
Mihoshi said, "I was going to take one too, but since everyone is here it'll be like a little party!"
Aeka and Ryoko exchanged a private glance, which told one another that their private conversation was at an end. Mihoshi dipped into the water and Sasami followed shortly. The four relaxed in the steamy water and talked about nothing in particular.
*-----------------------------*
When Tenchi arrived he was placed in a temporary cell until word came from Amagasaki about pressing charges. Several hours into his containment his father came to see him.
Tenchi felt him approach, and without looking up he said, "I really screwed up."
"You'll be fine. They told me Amagasaki's injuries weren't that bad, and he's already talking again."
Tenchi was silent, still undecided if that was good or bad.
"What was it, son? What happened?"
Tenchi sighed. "He called Ryoko a whore more or less... well, he said that about everyone, but he really carried on about Ryoko. For an instant I wanted to kill him, and I really thought I was going to, but even before they pulled me away I knew I wouldn't have gone through with it."
Nobuyuki straightened his glasses and said, "I have a feeling this is somehow related to why the police were at our home last week."
Tenchi shrugged. "For some reason Amagaski got that idea about our home stuck in his head. All this time since high school he's been trying to compete with this idea of me. For all we know he may have been the one to start the rumor that lead the police to us."
A moment later Nobuyuki said, "Of all the stupid things men do, that is the one thing I will never understand. When it is our duty to protect women, how does a man conceive the notion to send a woman out to dangerous places and have her make herself vulnerable to complete strangers? I've had the opportunity to meet guys like that and I usually never let them walk out of the room. I make sure they're carried away. I think you did the right thing son, no matter what anyone says."
Tenchi tried to smile, "Thanks, that helps."
"Katsuhito told me about how you reacted to first hearing the news. I have to say I didn't expect that from you. In my opinion if you meet a low life, then give him hell, but its sounding like you're more upset about people's accusations than anything else. There's no need to take other people's ignorance so personally, son. We all know you're not that kind of person."
There was something about that on Tenchi's mind, but he couldn't say it. When he tried to speak, the words suddenly became blurred and he couldn't remember what they were. "Uh... yeah... I know dad."
"You shouldn't worry about it too much, you're more level headed than I when I was your age."
"What do you mean?"
Hesitantly, Nobuyuki said, "Let's just say that when it came to disposing of men that threatened you're mother... I've gone through with it. I'm glad you're not as dense as you're old man."
"Dad! You actually--"
Nobuyuki silenced him with a cold glare. "Careful, boy, or I might join you in there."
"... What happened?"
"We were only in high school, it was before you're mother and I eloped. Of course I was hers the moment I saw her back in our freshmen year, but she didn't notice me much. But there was one guy who noticed my liking her... a real asshole who also was interested in your mother. A lot of people didn't trust him... and when by our junior year you're mother made it clear to him she wanted me instead. The guy didn't take the rejection very well. The official story is that one of my friends told me that him and your mother were going hiking in the hills south of the school. They were pretty rocky, and there were a few steep cliffs. I was worried that they might need help, so I tried to see where they went. When I found them they had slipped and fell off a ledge. The other guy was dead when I got there... but you're mother was lucky... she only had a bruised eye and her clothes were slightly ripped."
Tenchi saw the grim expression on his father's face and he said, "Dad... don't congratulate me... I probably would have done the same if someone did that to Ryoko."
Nobuyuki was silent until he noticed that Tenchi had is sword with him. "Tenchi..." He nodded towards the hilt. "You don't plan on using that, do you?"
"No, not at all. I was just thinking about some things..."
"Thinking about what?"
Tenchi forced himself to bring the subject out. "I was wondering... why do you think Ryoko stays here?"
Nobuyuki fought down a laugh. "Tenchi... don't be stupid..."
"I was looking at this thing, and I saw that it still has two of Ryoko's gems inside. It got me thinking about how her love for me was so sudden and so unexplained. You think she might be staying with me because she has no choice?"
Nobuyuki said, "Not at all. It's easy to tell when someone is doing one thing and thinking something else. It would have been quite apparent if she despised you in secret, but that's certainly not the case. I don't think I've ever seen a person love someone as much as she loves you. But... if you're really worried then just ask her tomorrow. It's about time you told her how you felt anyway."
After a short pause Tenchi said, "Yeah... I should probably do that..."
"Did you ever consider just giving her the gems? It's not like we can't trust her..."
Tenchi didn't answer; he only stared at the hilt. Nobuyuki said, "Son? What do you think about returning the gems?"
Tenchi spoke slowly and softly. "I guess I can try that." After a long pause he said, "Dad... I'm sorry, but I've been lying... what I mean is, the way I'm making this sound isn't entirely honest. I've been aware of the gems inside the hilt the entire time. I... I'm so ashamed of myself... but I've purposely kept them there. After Kagato was gone there was no real reason for me to keep them, I only did it because I was afraid Ryoko would leave me." He lifted his head to look at his father, knowing there were tears in his eyes. "She loved me so much for no apparent reason. At times her love feels desperate, as if I held the key to her survival. Maybe she was afraid... maybe... that's the only reason why she loves me, because she's afraid of me.
"When I fought with Kagato there was a moment where I was sure I was going to die. I know what it's like to be torn down to the most basic level of human thought, where all you can do is think about is survival. When you're at that level everything becomes secondary. You start to believe things about yourself you didn't think possible. It's how those bastards get women to prostitute themselves. They tear them down to where their very survival is threatened and they'll do anything to live. They'll believe that what they do is the only way to survive, and they'll be forever loyal. I know that's how they do it, because I've been doing something just like it to Ryoko.
"She gave her love and body to me so easily that it didn't seem right, and she's so loyal that I'm frightened for her. She must be so afraid for her life she'll do anything to get me to love her, to guarantee her gems were eventually returned to her. What else am I supposed to think? She was trying to have sex with me within days after I met her. No one could make that kind of a decision so quickly without other factors being involved. Even after I realized this I still kept the gems. I'm sorry, dad, but those rumors are so close to being the truth they might as well be."
As Tenchi lost composure Nobuyuki wanted to stand him up and hug him as a father should, but the cold bars between them held him back. Eventually he thought of something to say. "Are you saying you've been inconsiderate of her feelings?"
"I haven't..."
"Are you abusive towards her?"
"Dad... of course not."
"Have you been using her vulnerability towards you to you're advantage?"
"... I've been working to keep that from happening."
"Then I don't see the comparison. Considering the situation you've proven yourself to be more of a gentleman than any other man I've known, including myself. You have to remember what kind of life she's been given. She's very vulnerable right now, and she's going to do things that aren't in her own best interest. After four years you've respected her space even if she did not."
"But... dad... I kept the gems. I can't excuse that."
"Son... you said yourself that you were afraid that she would leave you. I know how terrible it is to have that fear, especially about someone you love. Speaking from one man to another, I would never hold something like that against you. This is all a reflection of how much you love her, you shouldn't be ashamed to have these fears."
Tenchi dropped his head and shook it side to side. "I just don't know... I still think she's afraid of me."
"What I think you should do is go to her and give her the gems back. If by some chance you're right, and she only loved you because she was afraid, be a gentlemen to the very end... Be happy that she now has control over her own life. I don't think that's the case, but either way... you must return the gems."
Tenchi looked at his father's expression. He had seen it a thousand times throughout his entire life. It was the look Nobuyuki always had when he was giving him an order. Tenchi said, "I understand, dad. I made a mistake by keeping the gems."
"It was a mistake, but one that came from a legitimate fear. No one is blaming you for it, but you still must correct it. In either case, you did put Ryoko in a difficult position. Had I known I would have talked to you sooner."
Tenchi was about to respond, but he stopped himself as he heard footsteps approach.
It was a police officer, and Tenchi recognized him as the Juraian that drove him to the station. He said, "There's a message from the hospital for you... "
He handed it to Tenchi through the bars. The letter was hand written, and it said one simple line: "I won't be pressing charges, and I'm sorry for the mistake."
Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief. "He's not pressing charges."
Nobuyuki jumped to his feet. "That's wonderful!" He then turned to the officer and said, "Alright! There are no charges, let my son out of there!"
The officer shook his head. "Sorry, sir, but even if there are no charges we have to hold him for the night for disturbing the peace. I can't do anything about it."
"Dad, its okay. I don't think I'm ready to go back home anyway. I've got a lot of things to think about."
"Are you sure, son?"
"Yeah, if anyone asks, just tell them I stayed at my friend's place. I don't want to worry them."
Hesitantly Nobuyuki nodded. "Alright. I'll be at work tomorrow morning, so you'll have to catch a bus home."
"That's fine."
Nobuyuki turned to leave, but he stopped and said, "I'm proud of you son."
Tenchi didn't answer, and his father left with the officer in silence.
*-----------------------------*
Ryoko sat in a pile of carrot shaped pillows on the third floor of the Masaki household. Dinner was still a few hours away and she didn't have much to do. She considered seeing her mother to tell her about Yuko, but she found Washu's mind to be strangely distracted. Ryoko had come to learn that when her thoughts became bubbly like this she was thinking hard about something and preferred not to be disturbed.
She decided to take a short nap while the sun was still up. As her eyes gradually shut, she felt as if she had done this before. It wasn't the fact that she was napping on the carrot pillows like the day before, it was something entirely different. She soon realized that the familiar feeling was in her mind. She vaguely remembered have this state of peace once before. After a moment of thought she recognized the feeling as the one she felt inside of Zero, the robot that merged with her almost two years ago.
The several days after they became one, Ryoko despised Zero for being so open towards everyone. Even though they were in the same body, Ryoko tried to separate herself from Zero within her mind. Although she saw herself as one person, she could always tell when her inner thoughts were those of Zero or those of Ryoko.
Suddenly, Ryoko found herself sleeping, despite how active her thoughts were. She gently cradled her dream, knowing the slightest disturbance would spill her consciousness into slumber. Her eyes that were closed now saw the room from a different perspective, standing at the top of the stairs. She saw herself sleeping, and walked over to sit close by.
At first she was afraid she might awaken if she talked to herself, but since it were her dream with her rules, she decided that wouldn't going to happen. "Hello?"
Ryoko saw herself open her eyes and look gaze silently. After a moment Ryoko asked, "Are you Zero?"
She replied, "If you want me to be."
Ryoko decided for that to be so.
Zero sat more upright and asked, "Did you need something from me?"
Questions flew though Ryoko's mind that she didn't know she had, and she spoke the first one that made sense to her. "How come you could be me better than I?"
"Do you mean when I first cloned you?"
"Yes. When I look at you're memory of those days, I know now you were acting how I really am. You didn't put up walls like how I used to. How did you do that? You copied my memory exactly, didn't you?"
Zero looked to the ceiling as she thought of an answer. "I really hope what I say doesn't upset you. The reason I was able to forgive everyone that hurt me was because of the program that operated the robot I used to be. As a robot, my purpose was to be to assume identities for infiltration. My creator understood that some of the persons I may copy will have memories that could compromise my performance, and after several thousand years of research, he was able to create an algorithm that could instantaneously heal any psychological trauma while still keeping the host's personality and memory intact."
Ryoko was unsure if she found that upsetting. "I never liked the idea of people simplifying my feelings..."
Zero shook her head. "Oh no, Ryoko. They weren't simplified at all. I painstakingly calculated every single operation of the procedure the moment your DNA was accessed by my CPU. Healing your mind for me was just as painful as it will be for you. The only difference is that the operation was completed so quickly there were no signs of it ever occurring. They were... the most painful attoseconds of my life. That was the one flaw of my design... if you would call it a flaw. Whenever I assumed an identity, the steps I took to repair their mind would be saved into my permanent memory. This way my calculations would become more efficient over time. However, by remembering the procedures that I used to repair the hundreds of human minds I came in contact with, a small part of me became human, even as a robot."
Ryoko slowly nodded. "... I guess I understand." A moment later she asked, "If we're the same person, wouldn't that apply for both of us? I felt more peaceful when we first merged, but it wasn't long before I forgot about you, and it was like we never merged at all."
"If I were still a robot I would gladly run the operation a second time for you, but I am no longer a machine. I became a human, I should rather say... I became you. When we merged I with you I tried to show you that what happened wasn't you're fault, but you ignored me. Eventually I gave up, knowing you'll learn this for yourself on your own time." Zero smiled and added, "... Although I did give you an extra shove this morning."
Ryoko's eyes narrowed. "You were the one said those things..."
Zero shook her head, "We are the same person, Ryoko. You said it just as much as I said it. I added my wisdom to yours when we merged, and when Yuko asked those questions you grudgingly accepted my advice to be honest."
Ryoko was silent for a long time. Eventually she said, "So... you're me."
Zero laughed. "Yes! But you already knew that."
"I know... what I meant is... you're what I'll become... maybe."
"What makes you think that?"
Ryoko shrugged. "Well, you said you've healed all of your trauma, so I guess that means you're good as new."
Zero tilted her head. "I suppose. You still must remember that we are the same person. Even now I can feel you in my mind, and your presence there is just as strong as mine. I'm sure you can feel me in your mind, can't you?"
Ryoko slowly nodded. "Yeah, you're there."
"So you already know what it will be like to be free of your fears."
Ryoko shrugged. "I can imagine..."
"That's not your imagination, that's me telling you what it will be like. I'm also telling you what you need to do in order to free yourself."
Ryoko folded her arms tightly. "Yeah, I know. I have to tell someone what he did to me... but... that's so hard to do!"
Zero nodded. "I know... trust me I know..."
"I can't tell people that... what if it's too much for them? Not even Mom wants to know everything... you know how she starts crying every time she looks in my memories."
Zero clutched her side. "I don't know. I think... I think that's different."
Ryoko wasn't sure what to make of Zero's response. "You think...?"
"I don't know everything! Do you? I only was able to move past Kagato and the cave because of my programming when I was still a robot. Everything since then is new to me and... well... I don't know."
Ryoko paused and looked out the window. It was now night, even though the sun was up minutes before. "I must really be in a deep sleep for time to move so quickly..."
Ryoko looked back to where Zero was sitting and found the space vacant. "Zero?" She stood to see if she went someplace nearby, but she couldn't be seen. "... Zero?"
Ryoko found herself unable to breath, and the walls groaned as they shifted inward. They became so compact that her shoulders touched either side. She wanted to scream but she could not take in a breath to do so. In the excruciating silence, she heard foot steps approaching. She threw herself back but was somehow incapable of teleporting through these walls. The impact knocked her to the ground, and when she tried to stand her legs did not respond. The wall in front of her stretched back, creating a narrow hallway.
The footsteps stopped, and the wall on the far end tilted open like a door. A cold gust hit Ryoko, and she realized that she was naked. Her mind screamed, Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up. A silhouette of a man in a cape appeared briefly in the doorway. Then as the door was closed he vanished in the absolute darkness.
Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up...
Aeka threw herself from her futon when a scream pierced the night. She sat upright and listened vigilantly, making sure it wasn't her imagination. Seconds later, she heard a door open and shut, and light footsteps ran up the first floor stairs. There were heavier foot steps nearly falling down the second floor stairs, and when they footsteps met Aeka heard, "Mama!"
"It's okay... I've got you... shh... you're okay... you're okay..."
Aeka quickly gathered what was going on. Ryoko had a nightmare and Washu came to her aid. She slowly and silently crept back into her futon, but she found it difficult to fall back to sleep. She could faintly hear Ryoko weeping several meters from her door. The last thing she could do was close her eyes and fall asleep.
Aeka saw glimpses of her sister, Sasami, crawling towards her. She opened her covers and wrapped her arms around her sister. She felt Sasami's tears drop onto her neck and she heard her whisper, "It's my fault."
Aeka couldn't imagine what she meant. There was no way she could be responsible for Ryoko's nightmare. She wanted to ask her sister why she felt so bad, but she didn't have the same courage to whisper in the near silence.
Ryoko's weeping gradually faded, and there was a long moment where nothing could be heard. Aeka felt her eyes grow heavy. She almost fell back asleep, but a sound of crying began again, keeping her awake. After a moment of listening, Aeka thought this weeping sounded different than before. She then heard a voice she didn't expect. Ryoko said, "Mama... please don't cry."
Sasami clutched Aeka tightly.
"I-I'm sorry... I... I never knew... he did that to you..."
There was a pause before Ryoko said, "It's okay. It didn't hurt... once I got used to it."
Washu crying increased. "... my baby..... my baby...."
Author: Lady Washu. Lady Tokimi. Lady Tsunami.
Heading: History. Unlocked on Cycle 54.68.12.45
The planet Washu chose to be the location of her bedroom was one that had the same twenty-four hour day period as Earth. Only because it would be easier for her to keep her sleeping patterns synced with the rest of the residents in the house. Searching for a planet with exactly the same orbital pattern as Earth was meticulous, due of the millions of variables involved, but she knew that the universe was never ending and it was only a matter of time before it began to repeat itself.
The planet was a gas planet, and her room was levitating on a platform one hundred kilometers from the surface. Out the window Washu could see the gray clouds gradually turn turquoise as the planet's star rose over the horizon. Washu always found herself waking up moments before the sunrise. She didn't intend to, but it certainly didn't bother her.
Washu's nightgown was shaped like an oversized T-shirt with crab patterns in the cloth. Ryoko's was identical, except it had blue hedgehogs instead of crabs. Ryoko was still asleep in her arms. Her head rested on Washu's chest and she hugged her mother like a giant pillow. Washu smiled as she listened to her daughter's breathing. These were the moments Washu lived for.
Ryoko yawned and with her eyes still closed she asked, "Is it morning?"
Washu kissed her on the forehead and said, "It is."
She started running her fingers through Ryoko's hair and Ryoko snuggled in closer, absorbing as much of her mother's affection as she could. She couldn't help but to feel as if every fiber of her mother's body was designed especially for her, from the shape of her hands that held her to the familiar smell of her skin. Ryoko sighed in deep content.
The clouds out the window became a richer blue, and Washu said, "Ryoko, look at these clouds, they're beautiful."
Washu tried to nudge Ryoko to look but Ryoko whined in fierce protest and she clutched Washu tighter.
Washu laughed. "Fine have it your way." She then asked, "Were you able to get enough sleep? I was worried that you might stay awake all night because of your nap."
"I'm okay," said Ryoko.
Being the mother she was, Washu double-checked Ryoko's memory just to be sure. She slept for two hours, and laid awake for the other seven. Washu was incapacitated the whole time, since she pushed herself through the day with no naps.
Washu wiggled her toes, which only reached as far as Ryoko's waist, "Alright... it's time to get up..."
Ryoko whined.
"C'mon sweetie, the day is starting without us."
Washu started to get up but Ryoko was attached too tightly. Washu groaned, "Really-... gotta-... get going here..." She managed to make it off the bed, but it didn't help her problem of being stuck to Ryoko who refused to move. Washu giggled and kissed Ryoko on the cheek. Ryoko released her mother instantly as if it were the key to her locked arms.
Ryoko sat up, yawned, and rubbed her eyes. "Hey mom, there's something bad I have to tell you."
Washu was sifting through the clothes in her dresser and she paused to listen. "What is it?"
"Well, you're not going to like it, and... well ... I think... uh... "
Washu smiled. "It's okay, I won't get mad."
"I think I lost one of your gems."
Washu laughed. "Lost one? How did you manage to do that?"
Ryoko shook her head. "Well I didn't really lose it, it's more like I can't figure out which one of my gems is yours."
Silenced, Washu placed a finger on her chin and asked, "You've confused mine with your own? What do you mean?"
"Let me show you." Ryoko sat at the edge of the bed and held out her hands. The gems in her wrists glowed a soft blue and appeared in the palms of her hands. "I wanted to make extra gems-you know... just in case. A little while after the first gem was finished I couldn't feel a difference, so I went deep into the forest and took them both off and neither exploded. I even flew all the way over to that huge island on the other side of the ocean to see if one would explode from being so far away, but they were both still there when I came back."
Washu felt tears in her eyes. "Ryoko... that's so wonderful!"
"Wonderful? But I don't know which one is yours-"
Washu threw her arms around Ryoko and hugged her tightly. "It doesn't matter, Ryoko. Your gem is just as powerful as mine in every way. I can feel it! My little baby is growing up so fast! First she was learning to walk now she's making her own gems."
Ryoko blushed. "So you mean... this one... is... just as strong?"
"Oh yes! In fact when you learn to make a second and third gem you may find that your more capable with your own gems than with mine. You'll be more compatible with them, and they'll be more compatible with each other."
Ryoko nodded. "Oh yeah, I tried to make another one but it was so unstable I could feel it ready to explode even when it was close to me. I ended up just tossing it."
"The second gem is far more difficult to create than the first, and the third is even more so. If you keep practicing I'm sure you'll get it in no time. Of course you don't have to make three, and you don't have to settle for three either. Your aunt Tsunami only uses two gems." Then Washu giggled and said, "But that crazy Tokimi actually has FIVE gems."
Ryoko gasped. "Five? What the hell does she even use that kind of power for?"
Washu smiled. "It's her security blanket. Her realm is power, meaning that in her original mortal life she born into a very weak body, and she was surrounded by people who oppressed her physical potential. You see, the mortal life that preceded my sisters and I challenged us based on what our realm was to be. As a mortal Tokimi was very weak, now she is the Goddess of power. Neither Tsunami nor I could possibly imagine the depth of understanding she has when it comes to achieving great power."
Ryoko slowly nodded. "... I didn't know they had mortal lives too. What about Tsunami? What was her life like?"
"Tokimi and I couldn't compare to Tsunami's understanding of peace. Her mortal life was a very brutal one. In fact a lot of what she experienced you could understand... probably more than Tokimi or myself even. She was born into a life where those around her forced her to be destructive. However the difference from you is that Kagato never successfully broke your will, he always needed the gems to force you to work for him. Over time Tsunami submitted to those who abused her, and she was consciously loyal to them. On the outside she was less of a victim and more of a tyrant, but in reality she was only scared. The shining moment of her life was the moment understood the value of peace and companionship. Having come such a long way, she understands the need for peace more than any other soul in the universe. As a result, she only has two gems."
Ryoko's mental conception of Tsunami changed dramatically. After Tokimi's description of how she ended up in Kagato's hands, Ryoko always thought of her as childish. Where she did whatever she pleased to get her way, even when it was at someone else's expense. However Tsunami planned Kagato knowing on a personal level the kind of pain Ryoko would suffer. Ryoko thought aloud, "She must really love Tenchi."
Washu sat next to Ryoko and looked at her directly. "She wants you to protect him. She's afraid of the kind of power needed to compete with Z, or else she would have protected him herself. She loves him so much that she was willing to let him love and be loved by another woman who could keep him safe. I don't think I'm wrong in saying that's also something you can relate to."
Ryoko nodded solemnly. "Yes... before Kagato came I was very close giving Aeka my best wishes and leaving Earth all together. He would have been protected as Royalty, and he would have never been involved with Kagato. But Kagato came before I was able to decide what to do."
Ryoko shook off her frown and tried to laugh. "It feels weird talking about Tenchi like this. I always thought of him as my knight in shining armor, but now that I'm able to create my own gems I guess I'm just as strong as he is. And I also want to add that I don't really like the idea of Tsunami letting Tenchi and me be together. It makes Tenchi appear to be just a person to be loved and nothing more."
Washu laughed. "You're already sounding like you have your realm mastered!"
"What is my realm, anyway?"
Washu shook her head. "I can't say just yet. You're getting smart enough where if you knew the purpose of your life you would be able to derive the future, and that's something you're not quite ready for."
"Alright, that's fine. I'm not really in any kind of rush anyway. It reminds me though; I don't think I ever heard what your realm was, and what was your mortal life like?"
It was quiet in the room for a long time before Ryoko realized her mother wasn't going to respond. "Mom?"
"My life...?" Washu looked at Ryoko with a bland mixture of expressions that canceled each other out, causing her to be strangely unreadable. Ryoko even felt their mental link narrow to near closure, which she didn't even think possible.
"Mom... I'll understand if you don't want to say. It's not a problem."
Deep relief took Washu and she hugged her daughter tightly. "Thank you. I'm not ready to tell you yet, it means a lot that you understand..."
"Really? It's not like I could have forced you to say it."
Washu nodded, "That's true, but you're not my little baby anymore, you're becoming my peer. I'll need your understanding just as much as you need mine."
Ryoko blushed. "Mom... "
"I still want to tell you about myself, but just not right now. Right now lets worry about making it to breakfast."
Ryoko laughed and said, "That sounds great."
Washu hopped from the bed and turned to Ryoko. "I was wondering, is it alright if I borrow you're gem? I'd like to study it and compare it to my own."
Ryoko nervously scratched her forehead. "I wouldn't mind, but I can't make any temporary gems right now... and if I have no gems with me, I'm... well... pretty flimsy."
Washu laughed. "You may not be at you're peek but you'll be stronger than everyone on this planet. Don't worry, it'll only be for a few days... and I'm always watching out for you. Besides, you have you're night and shining armor... You'll be fine."
Slowly Ryoko started to nod. "Wellllllllllllll, alright I guess so." She levitated the two gems to her mother who imbedded them into her wrists. Ryoko saw her expression become distant and looked as if she were about to faint. "Mom? Are you okay?"
Washu breathed deeply and said, "Yeah... I just forgot what it was like."
Ryoko laughed. "It's a nice rush."
Washu continued to breath deeply. "... Yes..."
The sound of a phone interrupted them, and Ryoko said, "What the hell is that? You actually have a phone in here?"
Washu stuck out her tongue. "Is that hard to believe? You don't really think I spend all my time in the lab, do you? I'm an 'active-member-of-society' thank you very much!"
Ryoko rolled her eyes while Washu picked up the phone. "Hello?"
A surprised expression took Washu's face as she heard the voice on the other line. Wash said, "Hold on one second," and holding her hand over the receiver she said to Ryoko, "I'm sorry honey, I have to take this one privately. You don't mind, do you?"
"Wait, who is it?" Ryoko asked.
"I tell you at dinner time, okay?"
"Oh alright..." Ryoko started to leave, and as she did she peeked into Washu's mind to see if she could find out what she wanted to know.
*Washu: None of that now...*
*Ryoko: Fine, fine... I'm going...*
After Ryoko left Washu said into the phone. "I'm sorry about that, she was in the room........... So, can you do it today?.............................. That's great....................... The best time to meet her is 1:29 on the dot. Stand in front of the cave at exactly 1:29 and she'll talk to you. Good luck holding her attention, she probably wont be interested in standing around and chatting.......................................... Yes, yes, 1:29 by you're watch exactly............................... Yes, by your watch. Trust me I know these things.................................................... Yes, I want to talk to you right after you meet her, okay?..................... Alright................... bye now."
Washu hung up the phone and continued getting ready for breakfast.
*-----------------------------*
Aeka kept her eyes fixed to the ground as she swept the stone path in front of the shrine. She couldn't figure out why Tenchi never said anything to her after all this time. Her only hope was that he just recently developed his feelings for Ryoko. If he had loved Ryoko from the start and simply never told Aeka she was not the one, she knew she would never be able to forgive him.
Katsuhito's voice shook her from her thought. "Is something wrong, Aeka?"
She never saw him approach, and he was standing right next to her. Meekly she said, "No... I'm okay."
"You look tired. Why don't you take the day off? It's a Thursday anyway, not many people come during the week."
"Oh, thank you," said Aeka. She sounded more desperate than she would have liked so she added, "If that's alright..."
Katsuhito smiled. "It certainly is. I have some things to take care of at the house, we can walk there together."
She felt more like being alone, and she said, "Thank you, but I think I'll stay up here for now."
Katsuhito nodded and started on his way. "Alright. I will see you some other time then."
Aeka waved and went to sit on the front porch of the shrine. Again, the question pounded into her mind like a ringing in her ears,
*Aeka: If he never loved me to begin with, why didn't he tell me?*
Unable to help herself she burst into tears. She ran to the steps to flee to the Onsen, but halfway down the steps she could see Katsuhito talking with a visitor to the shrine. She couldn't get to the Onsen from where she was, and she couldn't stay at the shrine and risk being seen by a complete stranger. While looking for another place to go she saw Ryoko's cave and ran to the entrance.
Aeka stumbled past the gate, which had remained unlocked since Tenchi opened it. Her crying sounded louder with the echo of the cave, and she went deeper inside to be sure she couldn't be heard. She came to a burning torch and stopped to sit near its light. She wept with no inhibition.
She forced herself look to try and see the bright side, but she couldn't bring herself to a conclusion other than the worse case imaginable. She knew if Tenchi truly was undecided between herself and Ryoko, he would have told her the moment he realized Ryoko was the one. However, Tenchi never said a word to either of them about his feelings, even after it was clear on whom he liked.
*Aeka: He must have known... what other explanation is there?*
She couldn't believe that Tenchi never told her. In the beginning she merely had a crush on him. If she had known he would never love her it would have ended there when it was harmless. Over the years her crush turned into love. A cold spark of contempt dried her tears when she thought of how easily her pain could have been avoided if only Tenchi hadn't lied. She couldn't help but to think,
*Aeka: It's Tenchi's fault.*
With that thought, Aeka was able to rationalize her feelings. It gave definition to her pain, making it easier to handle. Even though it wasn't the complete reason, it was enough to allow Aeka to stop crying. It reminded her of what Ryoko said about scolding Tenchi for playing with her feelings. It didn't sound like such a bad idea anymore, and she decided to do just that the next time she saw him.
When she stood she felt the warmth of the torch keenly on her cheek. The sharp contrast made Aeka realize how cold she was and she buried her hands in her sleeves to try and warm up. She noticed how strange it was for the torch to be lit in the first place, since she always thought no one came into the cave. She concluded the explanation was probably as simple as her brother renewing the torches every morning.
She was now curious to see what else was in the cave, and she carefully walked to another light around the corner. After passing three torches, she came to an opening the size of the Masaki house. A large bolder was in the center of the area, and all of the walls were decorated with religious markings and symbols. Aeka thought, this must be what Yosho built to scare people away.
She walked around the boulder and found a section of the wall that was flat and square, with an obvious crack splitting it down the middle. Aeka walked over to the space and look through it. It was black immediately on the other side of the wall, as if she were looking into a starless vacuum.
She leaned her head in to try and detect any hint of what was beyond the wall, but she only saw black on all sides. Even when she looked to her left and right her view remained exactly the same, so much that the turning of her neck felt like a phantom sensation. With the loss of sight her other senses became overwhelmed. For a brief moment Aeka thought she felt herself falling forward and she shrieked while throwing herself back.
Grumbling at her overreaction, Aeka climbed back to her feet and went to investigating the space in the wall with more caution than before. She leaned her head through again but she still only saw black.
"That's strange," she wondered aloud. A moment later she heard her voice echo back, revealing to her that this wasn't a simple gap in the wall, but a deep catacomb. Blind to the chasm in front of her, Aeka nearly fainted as Agoraphobia swept through her. She grasped the corner of the wall and slowly guided herself as far away from the space in the wall as her arm could reach. She fell to her knees and fought off her hyperventilating.
When her dizziness passed, her need to see what was past the wall became an absolute must. She took the nearest torch and shoved it clumsily into the gap. To her relief, the chasm was revealed to be a narrow passage with a steep incline. When she looked more closely she could make out grooves on the floor. She easily recognized it as Juraian architecture.
"Down there must be..."
*Aeka: I have to see It.*
*-----------------------------*
Ryoko materialized at the peek of the Shine steps and glanced around for Aeka. She volunteered to search for her when Sasami began to worry about her absence. Lunchtime had come and Aeka hadn't been seen since breakfast. Ryoko figured she was probably hiding under a tree somewhere crying her eyes out, and being the only person who knew why she thought it best that she found her first.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone standing at the mouth of the cave. Making an effort to remember to walk like a normal human being, Ryoko painstakingly covered the distance on foot. It was a woman that Ryoko faintly remembered seeing before. Her dark gray hair was combed back into a tie, and even though she was aged, there was still a look of youth about her. Ryoko asked, "Hey there, did you happen to see a girl with purple hair?"
The woman smiled and said, "A girl with purple hair? Oh you must mean Aeka, right?"
"You know her name?"
"I come here all the time, you see. You were... Ryo... ko? Right? I always enjoy talking with Lord Katsuhito and every once and a while he'll mention one of your names."
Ryoko grew pale. "He does?"
The woman laughed and said, "There's nothing to worry about, he only has the best of things to say."
"Well that's a relief. Why do you come here so much anyway?"
"I like to stop by because... heh, I doubt a sensible girl like yourself would believe me if I said."
Ryoko smirked. "Try me, I can believe some pretty crazy stuff."
"Well alright, I'll tell you. You know they called me senile for saying it, but I've got a psychic connection with spirits. Ever since my parents brought me here as a little girl, I could always tell there was something dreadfully wrong with this cave. I've heard the old legend about the legendary warrior sealing a demon inside, but personally I thought it was all a bunch of hogwash. Whenever I stood here I could tell that this was no jail protecting us from a devil. I could hear the spirits here grieving, and it wasn't the grieving of an imprisoned demon I can tell you that!"
"Oh," Ryoko put quietly.
"It got me curious about this cave, so by the time I was in high school I started doing some research about it's history. I found out about other legends besides the one told here, and they're all very tragic."
Curious, Ryoko asked, "What other legends?"
"Well my memory isn't what it used to be, so I can't tell all of them. I couldn't even tell you when they were created, but I know that they were all created at different times, sometimes hundreds of years between one another. I remember one being the oldest, before the shrine was even built here. The legend says during the winter, if you listened to the cave closely enough, you could hear the sound of a girl weeping. There is another that says that if any man with taint in his heart should enter the deep into the cave, he will never return. There were also legends telling of a guardian protecting his one true love who was trapped inside the cave."
Ryoko blushed, "What?! How did THAT one get started?"
"I don't think I could remember..."
Ryoko nervously asked, "Is there... uh... more... to the legend?"
"I believe it told something about a demon who rampaged through heaven, making a mockery of it. The gods were furious, of course, and they sent their strongest guardian to stop the demon. When the guardian met with the demon he saw that, in its rampage, an angel had become caught in the demon's jaws. The guardian fought to free the angel, and in their ongoing battle they fell to the earth. Eventually the guardian was able to separate the demon from the angel, so that he could destroy the demon with all of his might. The guardian called to the gods to return both and the angel to heaven, but the gods refused. They had watched the battle from heaven far away, and to them the angel looked as if it were a piece of the demon. The gods asked the guardian to seal away the angel until they could decide whether or not she was the same as the demon. The guardian had no choice but to do as the gods requested. To show his dissatisfaction with the gods, he renounced himself as a guardian of heaven and chose to live on Earth as a mortal."
With wide eyes Ryoko said, "Wow, that's really accurate for a legend."
The woman smiled, "Yes it is."
A minute passed without a word spoken as Ryoko studied the old woman. Finally she said, "You're a Juraian."
She nodded. "I am. There are many Juraians who live amongst Earthlings here, our Lady Funaho is one such example."
"Why did you make it seem like you were just an earthling?"
"I've always wanted to meet you, Ryoko, but I've always been too nervous. It's pretty embarrassing thing for an old woman to admit to being shy, so when you started speaking with me I pretended to be and Earthling. I hope you'll forgive me."
Ryoko shrugged. "It's no problem I guess."
"There's a bit more to it than that. You see, I'm also a doctor... a Psychologist. You're mother asked me to speak with you, and if it's alright with you I'd like to try and talk about some things with you."
Ryoko was silent for the moment. She never recalled anything about a doctor in her mother's memory and it startled her that she would keep this from her. "Um... I really don't think it's necessary. I mean... there's nothing really wrong with me and I wouldn't want to take up your time."
The woman smiled. "It's alright, I have plenty of time today. I've actually met with your mother many times when she was a patient of mine. I helped her work out some of her anxieties, but she's no longer my patient. We still keep in touch, and she asked me as a friend to try and talk to you. It's up to you, Ryoko. If you don't want to talk with me that's perfectly fine, but if you do I would be happy to listen."
Ryoko fell silent again, unable to decide either way. She expected to hear the relaxing voice of her mother speak to her mind, gently encouraging her to go ahead with it, but Ryoko heard nothing. She expected one of the other goddesses try to tip her mind in either direction, but her indecision remained undisturbed. She waited nearly a minute to test the goddesses and her mother, and still they did not interfere with her choice. She was truly in control of this moment, and the thrill was too great to ignore. Smiling she said, "Sure... "
"That's wonderful. Then I suppose I should fully introduce myself. My name is Yuko Kobayashi, and I am six hundred and fifty seven years old."
Ryoko rubbed her chin. "You weren't alive when it happened..."
Yuko nodded. "That is true. Some criticize me for my opinions because I did not live the incident personally, but I think--as well as several others--that I am offering a more realistic view on what happened. Opposed to the enflamed tales from those who are still grieving inside."
"So were you making all of those legends up just to break the ice?"
"The legends were real, and they were started by my parents and other Juraians like them. They were a small group who were here before Yosho came. They helped him build the cave and the shrine."
Ryoko said, "That's odd, I don't remember more coming until after I was in the cave... It was just Yosho for a long time."
Yuko laughed and said, "Well that's how the romance found its way into the legend. They used to say that Yosho was so protective of you he never let anyone see you, not even his fellow Juraians. And when Yosho announced he would stay on Earth to protect you from Kagato's return, everyone in the Juraian community assumed that he must have fallen in love with you."
Ryoko crossed her arms stiffly. "Well I'm not exactly a fan of Yosho. He betrayed me more than anyone else."
Startled, Yuko said, "Dear, don't you know he was the only person pleading in your defense?" She reached out and took Ryoko's hand, holding it with care. "Every Juraian here on Earth has terrible shame for what has happened to you. You have every right to be angry with Juraians everywhere, but please don't be angry with Yosho."
An anxious feeling squeezed Ryoko's lungs. "He left me inside. I hated being put in there in the first place, but I at least understood why. What I didn't understand was why he left me there."
"You say you understand why you were put inside, but you don't understand why Yosho left you there?"
Ryoko shrugged. "Well... yeah."
"Why do you think you were put inside?"
Ryoko paused and turned her side to Yuko. "Well... you know... what I did."
"Weren't you being controlled by Kagato through the gems?"
"Yeah I guess."
"Then what did you do?"
Ryoko glanced at Yuko for a brief moment and then looked away. "... Maybe so people felt like something was being done. What were they going to do? Just sit on their asses and say 'oh well'?"
"But what did you do that makes you think they were right for putting you in the cave?"
Ryoko turned to face her again. She wanted to call the whole thing off and never say another word about it, but at the same time she wanted to know why it was bothering her so much for this little old woman to ask such a simple question. Finally she said, "I don't know."
Yuko nodded. "That's a legitimate answer. But you still feel that it was somewhat justified?"
"I guess. I was okay with staying in there a little while until everyone cooled off... but Yosho wouldn't release me even after weeks passed."
"I believe he was trying to protect you. It may sound crude since the cave itself caused you so much pain, but imagine how vulnerable you would be out in the open. Yosho could never be with you at all time, and the moments he would be away they could have stolen you and their cruelty would not end."
Ryoko shook her head. "You say that as if I'm helpless. I could have taken care of myself."
"Remember that you did not have your alternative gems created yet, and since returning you your original gems was far too risky even for you, you're power would have been greatly limited. By the way, Ryoko... I don't think I know the extent of your power without your gems. How strong would you have been?"
A grim expression took Ryoko's face. "I... I would still be able to fly and teleport... but... I would have been weak... like... normal weak."
"I see."
Ryoko threw her arms up and said, "That settles it then. I know why I was put in there, and I know why I was kept in there. Thanks for your help..."
Yuko giggled and said, "That's very nice, but would it be alright if we kept talking?"
"Sure why not?"
"That's great," said Yuko smiling. "I would like to go back to why you thought you should have gone in the cave in the first place."
"What's there to talk about? I said I didn't know. Besides, wouldn't you people be the ones telling me why I went into the cave?"
"You're confusing two different things. The reason why you were put into the cave is different from the reason why you thought you were put into the cave."
Ryoko crossed her arms. "Alright, how am I supposed to tell you what I think when I don't really know myself?"
Yuko paused and nodded. "Okay, lets start at a different place, alright?"
Ryoko simply shrugged.
"You know I've observed you on several occasions before and after meeting with your mother, and I noticed that you're quite the trouble maker. Why do you like teasing people the way you do?"
"It's harmless fun."
"Harmless you say? Even when it brings trouble back onto you? I've even sometimes seen you purposely do something to make Tenchi angry with you. Would you do that for attention or was it something else?"
"I don't know... I don't really mind it when Tenchi's angry with me. I'm really just looking for fun... nothing else."
Yuko said, "What about the things you repeatedly do that you know Tenchi doesn't like? It only brings upon him telling you how bad you are, but you continue to do it."
With a half smile, Ryoko laughed and said, "Being bad is the most fun. It's cool to be bad."
Yuko looked Ryoko directly and asked, "Do you think you're a bad person, Ryoko?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"It's a simple question. Do you think you're a bad person?"
Ryoko tried not to think about it consciously, because it felt strange to do. "Of course not..." she said.
Yuko asked, "Is that true?"
Ryoko was silent for a moment. She said, "Well...um..." Her eyes itched, but when she rubbed them the itching didn't go away. Her eyes began to mist and thought aloud, "Why...?"
Yuko replied, "Yes?"
"Why... why am I..." Ryoko placed her thumb and finger over her brows and tried to force back the tears, but when it became clear that they were going to come whether she wanted them to or not, she said, "Why am I crying?"
*-----------------------------*
Aeka's first step past the wall landed in ice water that penetrated her sandal and sock as if she weren't wearing them. Undeterred, she continued deeper while making sure not to step in the grooves. She reached the part of the passage with the steep incline, and began experimenting with different ways to safely descend.
While reaffirming her grip on the torch, she placed a toe of one foot into a groove and slowly put transferred her weight onto it. When she was confident her footing would hold she lowered her other foot to find another groove. When she couldn't feel one out, she leaned back to look with the torch.
Her current footing was operating with an extremely low tolerance of movement, and when she turned her body, the groove thoughtlessly dropped her and she went sliding down. Everything became black as the torch slipped from her hand and became extinguished, but she was only in darkness for a moment. A blue light made the bottom of the passage visible and she could see it rushing towards her. She tried to orient herself for a smooth landing but she wasn't fast enough. She cried out in pain as her left foot stiffly absorbed the collision.
From her position sprawled across the floor, Aeka stubbornly resolved to at least do what she came down there to do. She lifted her head to see the alter that held Ryoko, knowing at first glance that this was a Juraian crucifixion chamber.
"Oh my lord..."
She didn't bother straining her neck to see any more. The sight of a crucifixion chamber is grafted into the memory of every Juraian old enough to know what one was. It was the ultimate punishment officially practiced by her people, and it was reserved for extreme circumstances. In all of Juraian history, no one who has been crucified has ever lived longer than minutes, which is far too short of a period for a one to die from the injury the crucifixion caused. Pain was always the cause of death.
She groaned, "Seven hundred years... Seven hundred years..."
Aeka never knew what had transpired on Earth the day Yosho defeated Ryoko. When she announced she would search for him as soon as he left, her mother tried to talk her out of such a vein mission. She was confident that Yosho would be contacting Jurai when he was victorious, and she told Aeka that she should wait before doing anything irrational. Her mother's advice didn't help, and Aeka went searching for Yosho anyway. She never was able to learn about Yosho's stay on Earth because of her suspended animation, and as a result she lost seven hundred years of her life wondering aimlessly about space.
Now that she knew the manor in which Ryoko was imprisoned, she could guess what might have happened after the battle. Considering how Kagato controlled Ryoko with her gems, she thought that there must have been a dispute over what was to be done. Aeka remembered seeing her father and brother exchanging only a few words with one anther when they came to visit. It worried her that there might be a conflict between them she didn't know about. She knew that she had to ask Yosho or Ryoko about what happened, but right now she had to figure out how to get out of the cave. The frigid air was starting to seep past her clothes and she knew she couldn't stay there for long.
She sat herself upright and felt her left ankle. It was sprained badly and hurt just to touch it. Aeka couldn't imagine ascending the incline with only one foot, especially since descending with both feet was such a failure. Despite the odds against her, Aeka was confident she could help herself.
She clasped her hands together and manipulated her Jurai energy to focus on healing her ankle. She could feel the injury mending, as it should. However, the energy felt sluggish and far too ineffective to heal her within a reasonable time. It was the shaking in her hands what made her lose focus, but when she tried to steady them her entire body begin to shiver. Slowly the energy flow became increasingly difficult to maintain. After a minute passed she was shivering too violently to use her power. She was now truly stuck.
"Oh no."
*-----------------------------*
Yuko was silent. She already knew what was wrong with Ryoko and the path she would have to take to solve it. She's had helped many patients just like her before. "It's alright to cry... Keep talking... tell me what comes to mind..."
"... I guess I don't care that I do... I just don't know why I am." She turned away from Yuko and said, "... I'm suddenly crying for no reason... I'm sorry, I must look like a fool."
"You don't look like a fool. Don't try to fight it... just relax."
Ryoko breathed deeply, but through the tears it sounded like a shudder. "Jeez, what's wrong with me all of a sudden? Normally I don't burst into tears at random like this..."
Yuko nodded. "That's fine, it doesn't bother me. Let's keep talking. Tell me what you're thinking about right now... "
"I'm thinking about why I started crying for no reason... Maybe I need to see Washu... Maybe I sprung a leak."
Yuko smiled and said, "That could be true. It might be just a simple mistake. I don't mind you crying, I do hope we'll keep talking."
Ryoko tried to dry her eyes but it was a vein attempt; Her tears didn't stop. "Yeah sure, what were we talking about?"
"I had asked you how you felt about yourself, and you said... "
Ryoko bit her lower lip as the tension in her eyes thickened. "I said I was fine... "
"Yes that's right."
Ryoko faced Yuko and said, "I don't mean to change subjects on you, but I have to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"Why did I... " Ryoko's crying unexpectedly increased and she was momentarily unable to speak. Eventually she said, "Sorry, forget it."
"What is it, Ryoko? What did you want to ask me?"
"I wanted to know... " Again Ryoko was unable to talk because of her crying, and with nothing better to do she buried her head in her hands. It frustrated her that every time she wanted to say something she was physically incapable, and as the moment drew out, her frustration turned to anger. Without warning she screamed through her tears, "Why the hell am I crying so much? I can't talk without crying! I'm so sick of crying, it's all I've been doing for the last two days! I hate crying, and I hate crying for no reason! Why the hell am I crying?... And why the hell did I have to stay in the cave for seven hundred years? I wasn't going to do anything bad! I never wanted to do anything bad! Why was everyone so mad at me? I didn't do anything! How do I have anything to do with Jurai? I don't even know what Jurai looks like! I don't even know where it is! I couldn't get there even if I wanted to! Why did I have to stay in the cave for seven hundred years?"
Yuko paused before saying, "Ryoko, no one has ever had good reason to be angry with you. The people who blamed you for their misfortune were mistaken, and you mustn't take their mistake to heart."
"I just want to understand why everyone hates me. I thought I was bad for some reason..."
"Not everybody hates you, Ryoko... you don't believe that do you?"
Her crying intensified and searched for a nearby stone to sit on. "Why else did I go in the cave? I must be horrible somehow, why else is everyone mad at me? They all hated me, especially those men... they hurt me... they wouldn't have done it if I wasn't bad. I can't figure out what I've done... what did I do? Was it just me?"
Yuko went to her and rested her hands on Ryoko's shoulders. "You're not a bad person."
"But those men wouldn't stop! I told them I didn't do anything, but they kept hitting me and yelling at me..."
"They were mistaken... it's not your fault... "
Ryoko reached out and hugged Yuko, crying into her. "But... but... what they did! They... they touched me... They took off my clothes and all of them touched me. I told them to stop but they wouldn't listen. They tried to put it in my mouth... I couldn't get away... I couldn't get away... I had to open my mouth or they would hit me. Why were they doing that? I didn't do anything wrong! I never attacked Jurai! I kept telling them that but they kept pushing it in my face... Even though I didn't do anything wrong... I still did it for them... they said I was a slut... It's true... I did it on my own for no reason... I did it to all of them over and over whenever they wanted... I even swallowed it... I'm nothing but a filthy slut!"
Yuko hugged Ryoko back. "You're not, Ryoko. You were scared. It wasn't your fault."
"But I did it! I did it over and over! They would stand in front of me and I would be waiting with my mouth open like a stupid bitch waiting to be fed. I don't deserve to live!"
"You know that isn't true, Ryoko. It wasn't your fault."
"It's true! It's true because it's the only reason why Tenchi likes me. He likes me because I'm so easy. He could have had me whenever he wanted... it's not like I would have said no... I'm such a whore! It's true because I would have done it easily! That makes it true! I'm a worthless whore!"
Yuko patted Ryoko on the back. "There, there... just keep crying... crying is good..."
Ryoko thought for sure that this was the end of everything. Now that the truth about her is out she knew they would condemn her, and maybe even put her back inside the cave. "I'm such an embarrassment! Nobody wants me going outside the house anymore because they're embarrassed of me. They're embarrassed because I always look like a whore... I am a whore... I wouldn't push other guys away if I didn't belong to Tenchi. I'm such a whore!"
"Ryoko... you're none of those things... please don't say that."
"I'm so sorry mom... I'm so sorry! I'm a failure... "
Yuko continued to hold her silently. She had never seen a person despise themselves this much, and it made her think of what Washu had said about Ryoko not being able to kill herself. It was possible that she never encountered such a person before because they had committed suicide before she could meet with them.
Ryoko cried for exactly twenty-three minutes. It was one of Yuko's practices to time how long it took her patients to stop crying, it helped her analyze them on a more statistical level. Twenty-three minutes was above average, but it was less than what Yuko predicted. When Ryoko's tears finally came to a close, she could hear Ryoko's throat swallowing, a sign that she was suppressing emotions. Ryoko slowly pulled away from Yuko's embrace. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
"You're not wasting my time. You're a very charming young woman whose come to believe some nasty things about herself."
"But all of it is true... it is!"
Yuko rested her hand on Ryoko's brow and said, "Ryoko, there's something I'd like to try that might help you. It's actually a very old method but it still works... if you're willing, that is."
"... What is it?"
"A long time ago, about four thousand years, the humans who lived here began noticing their Juraian ancestry. Although their abilities are lax because of their distance from the First Tree, they still retain the essence of power within all Juraians. What they noticed was that they could control how energy flowed through their bodies, and conduct this energy for therapeutic healing. After thousands of years they have nearly perfected the method, and they have come to call it 'Acupuncture'."
Ryoko sniffed and asked, "Isn't that where they stick needles everywhere?"
Yuko nodded. "Since Earthlings were unfamiliar with the use of their Jurai power, they found that channels of energy could be redirected using needles, which behaved as physical switch stations for their energy. I have no need for such crude methods, I can do this for you using my Jurai power."
"Would it work? I'm not Juraian... what if my energy doesn't flow the same?"
Startled, Yuko said, "You're not Juraian? That cannot be... I can feel your energy, and it is unmistakably Juraian. You're mother was Juraian, and she lived their for most of her life."
Ryoko appeared just as confused as Yuko. "I don't know... I just... " She stood and paced away from Yuko. "Maybe I am! I don't know... "
Realizing that she frightened her, Yuko said, "Ryoko, please don't go. I could very well be wrong, there's no need to be frightened. In any case, I believe this technique should work on you. Even if you aren't Juraian, I can sense that you're energy is similar enough that you're body will respond properly."
Ryoko looked back to Yuko and shivered as a gust of wind caught her soaked face. "I-I... guess... "
Yuko paused and then said, "Alright, I'll need you to sit down over here."
Ryoko nodded and returned to the stone she was sitting on.
"I need you to trust me, and repeat everything I say."
"Alright...."
With one hand, Yuko placed her index and ring finger between Ryoko's eyes, spacing them by the bridge of her nose. She then centered her middle finger on Ryoko's forehead just above her brow line. With here other hand she cupped the back of her head and held the positions. She pushed a current of energy through her fingers that she received with the hand behind Ryoko's head. "Say 'I am a bad person...'"
"I am a bad person."
"... I don't deserve anyone's love..."
"I don't deserve anyone's love."
"... I don't deserve to live."
"I don't deserve to live."
"Now I want you to hold those thoughts in you head."
Yuko held her position and kept the current running while Ryoko thought about the words. Ryoko didn't feel anything from saying them and she wondered what that meant about her.
Yuko said, "Don't worry, the process always starts with those three. Now I need you to say 'I am a good person...' "
"Uh... I... am a good person."
"... I am not a slut..."
"I'm... I'm not a slut."
"... I deserve to be loved."
"I deserve to be loved."
Another moment passed while she repeated the words in her head. As expected, Yuko's energy was being resisted by Ryoko's subconscious, and she increased the current in response. Ryoko felt the points on her face go numb. Emotions with no language swirled in her mind, and she felt tears swelling in her eyes. She said, "I'm sorry if I'm screwing this up..."
"You're doing wonderful, Ryoko... " She paused briefly before continuing. "Now say... 'Tenchi does not think I am a whore...' "
"Tenchi does not think I'm a whore."
"... he loves me for who I am..."
"He loves me... for who I am."
"... and he respects my body and my love."
"He respects my... body... and..." A sob stopped her and she couldn't start again.
Yuko strained to push past Ryoko's subconscious and she said, "Please say it, Ryoko. You have to say it."
"He... He respects my love..."
Ryoko's mind felt as though it were ripping at the point of Yuko's middle finger, and she struggled to hold her head still.
Yuko's hand behind Ryoko's head patted her gently. "You're almost there... just a few more to go..."
She cried, "No... I don't want to do anymore... "
"You can do it Ryoko... You have to try. Say, 'What happened in the cave wasn't my fault...' "
"What happened... in the cave... wasn't my fault."
"... I only did what I did because I was scared..."
"I only... I only did it because... I was scared."
"... I forgive the men that abused me."
"I... I forgive the men... that.... abused me."
Yuko felt all resistances vanish and she released her head. Ryoko threw her arms around her and sobbed with no inhibition. The end of these tears came sooner than the ones from before, and where her last tears diminished like a valve being fought to closure, these tears faded like a tap running dry.
After a long moment of silence Yuko asked, "How do you feel?"
"... Kind of empty. Is that right?"
Yuko nodded. "Yes, you've emptied a lot of negative feelings..."
"So... what... am I fixed or something?"
"I don't think anyone can ever be truly 'fixed', but I think we've accomplished some major repairs. How do you feel about yourself now?"
Ryoko shrugged. "I don't know..." She paused and then added, "Is that a bad thing?"
Yuko smiled and shook her head. "It's perfectly normal. A lot of you're preconceptions about yourself have been washed away, so naturally you have no opinions about yourself. You're starting fresh."
"I won't turn into someone else, will I?"
Yuko shook her head with a laugh. "I should hope not! You're still Ryoko and you always will be Ryoko no matter what. If you be yourself and are honest with you're feelings, you'll remember who you were seven hundred years ago."
Ryoko slowly nodded, understanding what she meant. She then said, "About those things I said... I couldn't believe what I was saying even as it was happening. It's like they came out on their own. How come I never knew that I felt that way about myself? I mean... I had no idea that I considered myself to be a... yanno..."
Yuko sat down on a rock close by and looked at Ryoko at eye level. "It was a subconscious thought that made you believe those things without realizing it. You made a judgment about yourself when you did what you did in the cave, you judged yourself to be someone who distributes herself openly."
After a moment Ryoko said, "I'm not... Well I... I would never..."
Yuko smiled. "Yes, that's right. You're mother tells me you were a very shy little girl, and I bet that's still true. The true purpose of my profession is to help people recover from the pain of living life, and bring them as close as possible to the perfection that they were at birth. We may grow old and learn many things, but we will always be the same person we were when we were born."
Ryoko looked to the ground as she thought about what Yuko said. "... Heh... I'm still the same person... It feels strange to think about."
"Yes... you are Ryoko Hakubi, please never forget that."
Ryoko smiled as she tested the name. ".. Hakubi... I remember that..."
"You should try and see if you can remember other things. You know your mother says that you memory was never erased, only suppressed... by you."
"Me?"
"Yes... She suspects it has something to do with Kagato. I would like to talk with you about him..."
Ryoko's eyes widened before she forced a laugh. "Kagato? ... Heh... we don't need to talk about him. There's nothing really to say."
Yuko smiled. "If you insist. For now I think you should rest, and think about what we've talked about." Yuko then stood and straightened her clothes.
Ryoko said, "Thank you."
"Thank you for allowing me to help you. It has been a true honor."
Ryoko smiled modestly, unsure of how to respond.
Yuko said, "Well, I believe it is time for me to be on my way."
Ryoko stood and said, "No, you don't need to go."
"I insist. Also, weren't you looking for Princess Aeka?"
Ryoko flinched at her error. "Uh, yeah I was... "
"Then I wouldn't want to keep you any longer. I hope to see you again some time, not too long alright?"
"Yeah, seeya." Ryoko waved as Yuko slowly starting her way to the shrine steps.
*-----------------------------*
Washu was sitting on a bench in one of the resting points along the shrine steps, and her gaze was fixed on the stones below her. She saw a pair of feet stand in front of her, and she looked to see that it was Yuko.
Yuko saw red in Washu's eyes and she asked, "Washu, have you been crying?"
Washu lowered her head back to the stones below her. "I heard all of it, you know. It isn't like I eavesdropped on purpose, our minds are connected and I would have heard it no matter how far I went. I'm sorry, I know those are supposed to be confidential."
Yuko sat next to Washu. "It's alright. Considering the circumstances I think that can be overlooked."
Washu rubbed the last bit of moisture from her eyes. "How come she never told me? I had no idea she was so depressed. Even with our connection I never sensed any of this."
"Didn't you say that if Ryoko knew how, she could keep certain things from you like how you keep certain things from her?"
Washu nodded. "Yeah, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't know how to do that yet."
"Our subconscious is a very powerful thing, and while I don't know very much about the science of behind it, I can guess her subconscious found a way to hide it from you. It might be similar how it hid from Ryoko's own knowing."
Washu covered her eyes with her hand exactly the same way Yuko saw Ryoko do earlier. "For being a genius I'm feeling really stupid right now. I thought the technology was perfect... I thought I was hearing all of her thoughts. I only asked you to speak with her so she could talk to you about things she was too nervous to talk with me about. I didn't know she hated herself... "
Yuko saw Washu tremble and she pulled head to rest on her shoulder. "Oh dear, it'll be alright, Washu. No one can be perfect. There's no way you could have known such things if you didn't have the connection with your daughter, you shouldn't blame yourself for not seeing it."
"... I must have sounded like such an idiot... 'Yes, Mother, I can do it. I can raise a child. Let me have a baby, it wont be that hard.' I just know she's going to turn to my sisters and say, 'See... this is how you're not supposed to raise a child.'"
Yuko shook her head. "Oh no, Washu, she wouldn't say that. I think you're doing a wonderful job."
Washu dried her eyes. "You're just being nice. If things weren't so horrible I might believe you... "
"I think the worst is over for you and her. There is still a long way to go, but it will only get better from here. However, I can tell she won't be ready to talk about Kagato for a great deal of time."
Hesitantly, Washu asked, "Do you think that she... still wants to kill herself?"
"I don't think she wishes to die anymore. I can only base that on my experience in the matter, so I cannot guarantee it to be fact. It all depends on how deeply Kagato wounded her."
Washu faintly smiled. "I trust you." A moment later she added, "I was really surprised how quickly she responded to you're questions. I didn't think you would get so far so quickly."
Yuko nodded. "She was ready to tell me. I don't think what I've done was that amazing."
Washu lifted her head off Yuko's shoulder and said, "The way you sounded... it was really incredible. You're a miracle worker, I'm so lucky to have found you."
Yuko smiled. "It wasn't luck. I noticed you were having some trouble and I thought I would give you a hand. It's what I'm here for."
Washu glanced at Yuko with a questioning look. What she said didn't make any sense to her. There was no way Yuko could have known about Washu before she met her.
Yuko smiled and patted Washu on the head. "I hope you still recognize you're old mother, even if I am in this new body."
Washu's eyes went wide as she realized whom she was talking to. "Mom..." Washu threw her arms around her mother. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too. I had a feeling you were going to need my help, so I decided to live as Yuko Kobayashi. You have my phone number, so you can call me whenever you need my help, or if you just want to talk."
"Mom, why did you live as a Juraian on Earth? You'll die soon... "
Yuko laughed. "This old body still has a few hundred years left in it. I won't be leaving you early, when I go it'll be at exactly the right time. You don't have to worry about me; I've birthed and died a thousand times. Dying may sound terrible from you're perspective... this is only you're second life, you'll get better at it with practice."
Washu pulled away from her Mother and rubbed her eyes. "Thank you for coming to see me. It'll be really nice to have someone to lean on again."
"You know you can always talk to me, even if I'm not living as someone close by."
Washu nodded. "I know... I guess I just get caught up in things."
Yuko caught a glance of her watch and said, "Oh my, I really must be going. I told Yuu I would be home before 2:30."
"Yuu?"
"He's a charming man I met three hundred years ago. Before I knew it I was married to him. How time does fly..."
Washu laughed. "Married too? You waste no time enjoying ever aspect of life."
"Of course... I made it, after all." Yuko placed her hand on Washu's shoulder. "This reminds me of something I wanted to ask you. When are you going to forgive that rotten boy that broke you're heart?"
Washu blinked. "Well, uh..."
"If it's really troubling you then you can call me later on."
"Mikamo... he really hit a soft spot... I don't think I can forgive him quite yet."
Yuko nodded. "Yes, I can tell. You bear more of a grudge against him than you do Kagato."
Washu glanced away and didn't respond.
Yuko rose to her feet and said, "I think I must be leaving. Please call me, Washu. I really want to help you with this."
Washu shifted her eyes towards her mother and quietly said, "I will, Mom."
Yuko leaned down and kissed Washu on the cheek. "I love you."
"... Love you."
Yuko patted Washu on the shoulder one last time before leaving.
*-----------------------------*
At the top of the hill, Ryoko stretched and breathed deeply, smelling the air as if it were candy. Her mind never felt so stable and clear, it was like viewing the world through a new window. She wanted to go find Washu and tell her everything on her mind, but she promised Sasami she would find Aeka.
She glanced around one more time to see if there were any obvious hints towards her whereabouts, and in doing so she noticed the gate in front of the cave was slightly ajar.
On closer examination it was clear a person had opened it and Ryoko considered entering the cave to see if Aeka was there.
There's no reason for Aeka to go in there, she thought.
Another thought battled her first thought. What if she is in there? Is it worth skipping only because you thought it was unlikely?
Do you feel her Jurai energy nearby? I know I sure don't. Lets move along already!
Feeling her energy or not feeling it doesn't amount to much and you know it. You're spending more time arguing over it than it would take to fly through real quick and see for yourself.
Fine, then we'll hit it on the way back, okay?
Why not right now? You're sanding right here.
Because I don't feel like it.
You're scared.
"I'm not scared!" Ryoko shouted, startling herself at the same time. Echoes of her voice bounced through the cave and the word "scared" repeated until gradually fading to nothing.
With a rigid arm, Ryoko tipped the gate so that it fell open on its own. She marched into the cave without a second thought about her fears. She knew the way well, and it wasn't long before she arrived at the first chamber.
Hesitantly, she called Aeka's name. "A-Aeka?" It came out as a timid squeak, and the walls made sure she heard it several times before letting it rest. She felt herself shaking, despite her tolerance of freezing temperatures.
I'm not afraid of anything in this cave, and if I want to make myself known I'm going to do it god damnit!
"Aeka!?! Are you here!?!"
There was silence following her echoes, but to Ryoko's ear it wasn't perfect silence. There was something bumping the atoms in the air nearby but she couldn't make out what it was. She knew she was going to have to search everywhere now, and when she saw the black gap in the wall leading down to her prison her stomach fell to her feet.
She started walking towards the gap, although it felt more like she was being pushed and she couldn't do anything to stop. She leaned her head through the gap and again called Aeka's name, this time quivering as she said it. "A-a..e-ek...a?"
She then heard, "Ryoko," from below. It was Aeka, and Ryoko could tell she was freezing.
Ryoko's fears vanished, knowing that she would never be able to save Aeka if she continued to let them get the best of her. She flew down the slope and landed softly at the bottom.
She saw Aeka scrunched up in a ball on the floor and she and went to her. "What the hell are you doing down here?" She lifted Aeka's body and sat her upright.
"A...c..ce..dent.."
Ryoko clutched her tightly, trying to give her as much warmth as she could. "But why stay down here?"
"... A..nk..le"
Ryoko noticed how she was more careful with her left ankle, and figured it was a sprain. "I'm going to teleport you out of here, okay? Close your eyes as much as you can... the light is going to hurt."
"Wai..t- Plea..se.. just take... me to the bath"
Ryoko paused briefly to silently acknowledge the request. She then lifted off and vanished.
Aeka felt scorching air around her. Her eyes burned no matter how tightly she shut them and she pulled at Ryoko's clothes to help block the sun.
Ryoko said, "Okay, okay, hold on.." She shifted Aeka so that her eyes rested into her shoulder, blocking out most light. "We're here... I'm going to put you into the water now, okay?"
"A-Alright..."
"... Here we go. It's going to feel very warm." With Aeka still in her arms, Ryoko lowered herself into the water. When the water reached Aeka she gasped at the burning temperature.
Still blind, Aeka felt Ryoko pulling off her clothes. "What are you doing!?"
"They've got to come off or you'll take longer to thaw out. C'mon princess... No reason to be shy, its only me."
Aeka tested to see if her eyes were adjusted, but the light was too much when she peeled away from Ryoko's shoulder the slightest bit. She sighed and said, "I'm so ashamed."
Ryoko started cupping water in her hands and pouring it across Aeka's back. "Why's that?"
"I barged into your cave just because I was curious. I injured myself in doing so and became stranded. And what I saw only made things worse."
"Oh? Was there something unexpected about it?"
"They crucified you... we crucified you... I couldn't imagine how much worse that made things... "
Aeka felt Ryoko shrug and heard her say, "... Don't worry about it. I never held a grudge against you. You were in space when it all happened, right?"
"I was. I-I really don't know what happened that day. When I first came to Earth I didn't know about your gems and how they controlled you... I thought you were actually in league with Kagato. That's why I attacked you with little warning."
"It's alright, Aeka. You actually did a good thing. If you hadn't stopped me I would have gone back to Kagato myself. I probably would have killed Tenchi, too."
Aeka forced herself to sit upright and see Ryoko through her squeezed eyelids. "What? Kill Tenchi... and return to Kagato?"
"When I first came out of the cave I was... very... messed up. It's hard to explain but, when I saw Tenchi grow up I didn't interpret my feelings correctly. I didn't know that I was feeling love; I just knew I wanted to play with him. It never occurred to me that I was playing too rough. I would have never expected to kill him, even though I almost did. Even when he attacked me back I still thought it was a game. It was only when he cut off my hand that I realized he was fighting for his life. I was a little embarrassed, so I made it out to be no big deal and disappeared."
Aeka's eyes were now able to see clearly, and she saw Ryoko's sullen expression. "I had no idea that you two fought like that. When did this happen?"
"It was only an hour before you showed up, actually. I felt you approaching so I waited for Tenchi at his house to try and escape with him. I don't know what I was thinking... I knew after a while I would have just gone back to Kagato. Tenchi would have been abandoned somewhere or killed."
"I don't understand... why would you have gone back to him? I thought you hated him."
Ryoko nodded lightly. "I did hate him. I hated him every single moment I was alive."
"Then why go back?"
Ryoko starred at Aeka, trying to think of the easiest way to explain it. She said, "... Fear."
"Oh... "
"Don't sweat it, princess. You saved me, in a sense, and you saved Tenchi."
Aeka shrugged. "... I don't see how I saved you... "
Ryoko put her hand on her shoulder. "You did. You stopped me from hurting myself. That's no different than stopping other people from hurting me."
Aeka slowly started to nod. "I suppose... However, I wasn't exactly thinking along those lines at the moment."
Ryoko smiled and said, "We'll just look past that detail." A moment later she added, "Are you feeling better? You were freezing when I found you."
"Yeah I think I'll be okay. Thank you... I could have died."
Ryoko stumbled over her words, saying, "Heh- well- uh- don't thank me. You're my friend, and... I-I'll always save you, no matter what."
Aeka saw her blush and she knew she must have been doing the same. Trying to move the subject along she said, "Oh! You're clothes! You've been wearing them the whole time."
Ryoko laughed. "It's no problem... I wanted to take a bath anyway."
While Ryoko pulled off her garments Aeka said, "If you're okay with it, I'd like to know what happened when you fought my brother that day."
Ryoko's movements slowed as she thought of what she was asking her. "I... uh... won't go into details, but I can tell you what happened."
"Please, anything you can say I would like to know."
Ryoko eased back into the warm water with a sigh. "I might as well tell you how it happened from my perspective. What I remember last was sitting in my room on the Souja. Then I blinked, and I saw Yosho's sword embedded into my throat, lifting me off the ground. At first I was in shock, because Kagato usually never released control of me during the mission. Usually I blink and find myself still in my room, but beaten from what I assume was me fighting. This time it was different, and I quickly realized what had happened. My gems were removed and Kagato had no control over me."
"What did you do?"
Ryoko paused before continuing. "At first I was happy. I thought if someone could beat me, then they could probably beat Kagato too. I'll just say that I was thanking Yosho... a lot."
Aeka silently said, "Oh. Were you... kissing him, and things like that?"
Ryoko glanced at her. "No, I wasn't. I didn't know what a kiss was back then. I didn't know much about genders either, since the only other person I've ever known was Kagato. Whenever I asked him why I didn't look like him he always said it was because my current form was 'convenient', and there was no need to change it."
"Oh..."
Ryoko continued, "Anyway, once Yosho figured out what was going on, he helped me heal my wounds. He asked me who I was and where I came from, and I told him what I knew. And..."
A moment after Ryoko trailed off Aeka said, "Yes? What is it?"
Ryoko quickly blurted out, "And then he called you're dad, and they fought for a few days, and I went into the cave, the end."
Aeka gave an awkward smile. "Was it really so bad?"
"Bad isn't quite the right word for it. It was just... not something to be shared casually."
"Oh, I see... Thank you for telling me what you could."
Ryoko shrugged. "No problem. In my opinion, I think Yosho should tell you what happened. He's probably the right person to break it to you."
Aeka eyes narrowed. "Why should he be the one to tell me? And what do you mean 'break it to me'?"
Ryoko looked away and itched her nose. "Uh... I think he should tell you."
Aeka crossed her arms. "Have it your way. I suppose I'll find out what the big deal is when I ask him."
Ryoko nodded and smiled. "Yeah... I wouldn't want a repeat of last night. I felt really bad after that..."
Aeka sat forward as her spine went rigid. "A repeat of last night? Is that why you want Yosho to tell me? Does it have anything to do with what you wanted Tenchi to tell me?"
"Oh God... me and big mouth," She said while sinking into the water.
"I can't believe this... are you saying that Yosho loves you too!?"
"If it makes you feel any better, I don't love him back. He's a complete asshole."
Aeka stood in outrage. "You mean he does love you? This is unbelievable!! This is probably why he broke our engagement! This is probably why he never returned to Jurai! It was all because of you!"
Ryoko jumped to her feet and grabbed Aeka's shoulders. "Listen! I didn't want this to happen! Before I hated him I didn't know what love was, so it wasn't my fault he started to like me. Trust me, Aeka; he's NOT worth the effort. He's a lying two faced bastard!"
Aeka tried to control her rage by forcing deep breathing. She had to remind herself that this new information did not change her situation, and that Yosho wouldn't have married her whether or not she knew his purposes. Once before she privately grieved her loss and now she had to do so again. Except this time the path was familiar, and she traveled it faster. "I... I'll be okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Yosho did not want my hand in marriage, and nothing you have said has changed that. I should only feel grief if my situation worsens, and it has remained the same."
Ryoko gave Aeka a quick hug and went back to her place before. "I'm glad, Aeka. I honestly don't mean to keep doing this to you..."
Aeka sighed and sat back into the water. "It would be unfair to blame you for something like that. I'm not unreasonable where I would accuse you of wrongdoing just to satisfy my own peace of mind."
Ryoko slowly nodded. She then asked, "What do you see in him, anyways?"
Irritated, Aeka turned things back onto Ryoko. "Why do you not like him? If I were in you're position I would be forced to break Tenchi's heart to be with him."
"I don't like him because he left me in the cave for seven hundred years. He had no choice to put me in there in the first place, because other Juraians were threatening his life. But they left after a few years and there was no reason for me to stay inside. He's horrible."
After a short silence, Aeka said, "Since I was uninvolved with those events, I cannot properly defend his intentions... but I know that he is not a man that is cruel on purpose. "
"Whatever. Until he explains himself, he's just as bad as those other bastards. Ironic that he killed them to save me. What was he saving me from, anyway? All he did was replace my clothes and clean my face, he still left me inside even after that."
At first Aeka didn't know who she was referring to, but she soon realized that she meant the farmers that invaded her cave. "I... I wish I could tell you, honestly I do. I understand what it feels like for misfortune to happen for no apparent reason, but... you mustn't compare Yosho to the vile that hurt you. They were simply Earthling farmers, correct? They couldn't have known the situation, and even though it was us who... issued to the order to place you in the cave, I have no doubt that even my father would have defended you just the same."
Ryoko tilted her head. "I don't know, Aeka. I don't think your dad would have defended me. He probably would have lined up with the rest of them."
"H-How could you say that? Even if he lost his sense after what happened, he's not the kind of man to do something so... so repulsive! My father is a very respectable man."
Ryoko sat forward to project her voice better. "Look, I'm only saying he didn't like me very much. I'm surprised he didn't attack me on sight when he came to visit a few years ago."
Aeka found it difficult to defend her position with little knowledge of what happened. She knew her father was a better man than Ryoko was making him out to be, but she could only offer her word and nothing else. "Maybe... maybe he just needed time. Yosho told him about the gems, right?"
"Yeah, he told him. Your dad understood it just fine, but he was so pissed off he didn't really care that I was being controlled."
Aeka slowly nodded. "I'm not excusing his decision... but I think that is why you were put into the cave. He understood that you were being controlled... that's why I cannot see him wishing to cause you harm directly. For that mater, I don't see how any Juraian could place personal blame on you for what happened."
Ryoko winced on the inside as she tried to think of a way to tell Aeka she was wrong. "Aekaaaa... I don't think every Juraian is as rational as you make them sound. Some of them still think I'm to blame."
"Don't be absurd. How could they make such a mistake? Was the news of how you were being manipulated spread? Or was that classified? I hardly think it's a difficult concept to grasp..."
Ryoko laughed nervously. "You'd think that... but some people are stubborn. I don't think it was kept a secret, I don't see why it would have been. Unless, that is, they wanted to use me as a scapegoat just to appease the people of Jurai." Ryoko saw Aeka get ready to explode, and she quickly added, "... but I don't think it was kept secret... because I've met a Juraian, and they were very nice to me."
Aeka's expression cooled. "You see? Juraians are not so barbaric as to take out their angst on another person in such a filthy way."
"Well... uh... Aeka... I really don't think everyone is so nice..."
"Not another word of it! The Earthlings were acting out of ignorance, and there is no comparison to Yosho."
A long pause passed before Ryoko narrowly folded her arms and said, "Aeka, the men who abused me in the cave were Juraian."
*-----------------------------*
Tenchi entered the arcade where he was supposed to meet Amagasaki. It still looked exactly the same as it did years ago when they were still in High School. Even the games themselves were unchanged, which helped explain why the arcade was empty. They were all at least two years outdated and no one would be interested.
He didn't see Amagasaki anywhere near by, so he went to the front desk to ask if the clerk had seen anyone. "Excuse me..." Tenchi said hesitantly. The clerk was faced away and he appeared involved in something. "Has anyone stopped by recently? Someone who's kind of short... and uh... wide..."
The clerk spun around and glared at him. "Tenchi you nimrod! It's me! Amagasaki!"
Tenchi could only stand and blink. The man standing before him wasn't the overweight greasy kid he remembered from high school, he was physically fit and freshly groomed. "What?! Amagaski?! Jeez, man, what did you do to yourself?"
"I realized how foolish it was too let my physical appearance slip, so I worked to become the sexy beast I know I am!"
Tenchi sweat nervously. "Uh... you're really proud of yourself, aren't you..."
"Of course! The ladies love me... far more than that little operation of yours at yours house."
"I wouldn't really call it an 'operation'..."
Amagasaki held up his hand. "No need to explain. My shift is almost over, so we can go to that restaurant across the street to talk."
"What are we talking about?"
Amagasaki grinned. "So much..."
Ten minutes later Tenchi was sipping a cola in the restaurant. It was a quiet place that served burgers and fries, nothing special. Being as empty as it was, Tenchi found it strange that Amagasaki chose a seat in the farthest and darkest corner of the establishment.
"So what's up?" Tenchi asked casually.
"It's good to see you, but I really came to talk to you because I desperately need your help."
"What's the problem?"
Amagasaki glanced around suspiciously. "Well, ever since I became the handsome specimen you see before you I have been a complete babe magnet. I actually used to be jealous of you and that house of yours, but not anymore!"
Tenchi forced a smile. "Oh is that so?"
"Yes... I have many female friends and I'm always getting more. As wonderful as women are, they empty my wallet incredibly fast... and as many as I have... my income from the arcade isn't going to be enough."
Tenchi's brows furrowed. "Perhaps you should just find one woman that makes you happy, and not play games with so many at once."
Amagasaki belted out a raucous laugh. "Please Tenchi! That's too much! You're killin' me here!"
"Uh-"
Amagasaki cut him off before Tenchi could say more. "Let's stay focused... My problem is that my savings are slowly dwindling. Now I'm not asking you to bail me out... well, sort of... I'm more asking if you would like to make a business arrangement."
"What do you mean business arrangement?"
"I think I might be able to arrange it so the girls earn their stay. You see these girls are very fond of me, so much that they really like to try and look cool in front of me. When I take them to my apartment they're always a bit shy at first... but without too much trouble I can always get them to do pretty much anything at all. It's like an art form. At the best part is I only have to do it once. The next time I see them they're easy lays."
Anger boiled inside of Tenchi, but he fought to control it. "Amagasaki... you're personal business is your own even though I may not agree with it. I have no idea what this is leading to, but you better explain very fast before I lose my patience."
"Well excuse me! Some of us aren't so lucky to have five girls dropped on our lap like you did! Some of us had to go out and work for it. I don't care if you agree with my methods, but don't think you're any better than me."
"Just get on with it! What do you want from me?"
"I'd like to borrow a small bit of money from you to keep my current interests with me. But don't think of it as a loan, think of it as an investment... I'll be returning your funds and then some within a few months. I'm confident in my abilities..."
Tenchi only became more confused. "Lend you money? But I can barely pay for my own expenses. I'm in no position to lend you money."
"Oh please, don't throw that line at me. You must be pulling it in by the millions with that house of yours. If you give me just fifty thousand yen I'll have enough time to slowly get these girls used to the idea. They just need to get used to it, and once they do the money starts flowing."
It suddenly occurred to Tenchi that Amagasaki was trying to prostitute girls. He stood up and started to leave.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going!?"
"I really don't want to make a scene, so I'm going to pretend I never spoke to you today. You had better not act out anything you've suggested, or I will kill you."
Amagasaki stood and faced Tenchi. "It's just like you to be a greedy bastard and horde the market like that! You've got plenty of money! Especially with those girls of yours! I've seen them myself... you've got all the bases covered as far as fetishes go."
"It isn't like that! Come to my house and see for yourself if you have to!"
Amagasaki wasn't about to give up. "Stop throwing those lines around! You know damn well what I'm talking about. You probably make so much money off of them you could retire now! And you've got that blue haired one... you can tell a mile away she's a total sleaze. Hell, you probably make a fortune off of her alone. Why don't you just lend me her for a little while until I can get on my feet."
"Lend her to you?! You bastard! You don't know what you're saying!"
"Don't be so possessive! If you don't want to do that then why not have her take on a few at the same time? People pay even more for that kind of stuff... and I bet the bitch would love it! You could give the extra money to me--"
Tenchi suddenly found himself tightening his grip around Amagasaki's throat. Amagasaki fell too his knees, too shocked to react. "You bastard! You don't even understand! I'm not running any kind of business! I could never make them do something so shameful! How dare you disgrace them like that! How dare you disgrace Ryoko! She would kill you herself if she heard what you said! I should kill you!"
By now Amagasaki's face was blue and he was beginning to lose consciousness. The single waiter on duty had been standing by the entire time pleading with Tenchi to release him, but Tenchi didn't even notice him. The only thing that Tenchi was thinking about was strangling every last breath from Amagasaki.
The chef of the restaurant, who happened to be Juraian, recognized Tenchi and knew that only he would be strong enough to stop him. He rushed to the scene and pulled Tenchi off of Amagasaki, using all of his Jurai power just to do so. Tenchi struggle against him and the chef knew he wouldn't be able to hold him forever. Desperate, he hissed into Tenchi's ear. "Prince Tenchi, please restrain yourself! You'll kill him!"
Instantly Tenchi halted. He backed away from the chef and looked him with silent shock. Tenchi knew that Juraians lived on Earth, but he never expected to encounter one. It was a thought that distracted him long enough to regain control. Tenchi said, "Thank you... I... I'm sorry..."
The chef tipped his head and said, "I'm sorry my lord, but I am going to have to call the authorities..."
Tenchi laughed and sat down at the nearest table. "That's fine... I broke the law..."
Five minutes passed and Tenchi's eyes never left the floor. He listened to the paramedics carry Amagasaki away, half of him hoped his injuries wouldn't be too severe, and another half hoped his ambulance would drive off the side of a bridge. There was no shade of gray in his mind. During the commotion, Tenchi noticed a single police car waiting outside. He exited the restaurant and figured this was the moment was supposed to be arrested. However it didn't proceed as he expected. An officer stepped out of the car and held open the back door for Tenchi. He gestured respectfully for him to enter and Tenchi knew that he too must have been Juraian.
Tenchi sat in the back seat of the police car and he was chauffeured to the station.
*-----------------------------*
Aeka cried in outrage, "What?"
"My mom was being considerate when she said they were just farmers. It was true they were all farmers, but they were also Juraian."
"You don't know that they were Juraian. What proof could you have?"
Ryoko's voice became quieter. "They knew exactly how to get inside the cave. How could an Earthling know that I was there so soon after the fight? Besides, they said some mean things to me when they... um.... did what they did...... they said things that made it seem they knew about the attack on Jurai."
Ryoko saw Aeka's expression become mortified and she said, "Aeka, don't feel bad! You didn't do anything wrong! They were acting on their own..."
"Please... let me feel humility for this. The reason our planet grew to be so strong has to do with our key philosophy of working for the good of society. Even with populations becoming as grand as they are, we still maintain a sense of unity. If any Juraian acted in such a way... it reflects on the rest of us. Every Juraian raised on our home world would feel this way, it's our way of life."
Ryoko looked down to the water. "Oh... well... is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"
Sympathetic, Aeka said, "No... you've done enough already. I wonder if my father knows... he's the best person to strengthen our unity and should always know when his people act so disgracefully. I only fear that this might feed more prejudice towards Juraian colonists."
"There's prejudice towards colonists? Wouldn't that disrupt you whole idea about unity?"
"Yes... father is trying hard to keep the people open minded. The issue is actually a very old one, and it was one of the reasons he married Lady Funaho even after he was married to my mother. She was an earthling here when he visited for political reasons. The marriage was arranged to show the people he accepted Juraians despite their origin. It was very important for Yosho to become the next king, because only he-being part Earthling and part Juraian-could truly bring unity back to our society."
Ryoko was silent at first, but she eventually muttered, "I don't like that."
"You don't like what?"
"So you're father made something like a treaty with the colonists... that's fine, but why involve Funaho? Did she even like your father? I mean... it seems like a waste of a human being if her only purpose was to sit around and remind people there's a treaty."
Aeka was quieted by Ryoko's sudden views. She said, "What has made you so outspoken all of a sudden? You've never said anything like this before."
"I don't know, I guess it never occurred to me to say anything. But... I'm saying it now..."
Aeka shrugged. "Well... I don't know the details exactly because it really wasn't my place to know that sort of thing. Funaho never seemed like she was upset or unhappy with her life."
Ryoko laughed. "Well that makes sense. She's a treaty, she's supposed to look happy all the time. Who knows what she's really feeling. By the way, what did your mom have to say bout her husband coming home with a second wife?"
Aeka held her elbows and glanced at Ryoko from the corner of her eye. "I'm beginning to think you're trying to insult me."
Ryoko looked at Aeka out of the corner of her eyes. "Not at all, at least I don't mean to be. I'm just trying to figure out why your dad has two wives. If it sounds like I'm insulting you... well... its probably because I'm pointing out the fact that your dad has two wives."
Aeka bit her lower lip. "It's nothing to be shocked at... it's not an uncommon practice..."
Ryoko rolled her eyes. "Oh excuse me! I didn't' know everyone was doing it these days... that makes it perfectly acceptable!"
"I really wish you wouldn't make jokes about something like this. You're talking about things very important to me and... well... you could be more understanding."
Ryoko watched Aeka glance at her with a very serious tone. She leaned back again and said, "You're right... I guess I am being a little cynical. Sorry."
"Uh... apology accepted."
After a short pause Ryoko said, "So, is that something you could see yourself doing?"
"At one point in time I did think about making allowances like that for the benefit of Jurai, but now I don't think that will happen. Neither of the heirs to the throne cares about me."
"You mean Tenchi and Yosho, right? Tenchi doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would like being king, I don't know if he really considers himself as an heir."
Aeka nodded. "That is true, for both him and Yosho. But eventually they must accept their destiny to rule. No one is rushing them to decide of course, like how my father has been waiting for Yosho for five thousand years. Eventually he will take the throne, and Tenchi will too."
It occurred to Ryoko that most likely she'll still be with him even when he does decide to take the throne. She laughed quietly as the thought of being queen spoiled her. "I have to admit, that will take some time getting used to. Oh, and if Tenchi EVER thought of getting a second wife I would slap him senseless."
Aeka couldn't help but to giggle. "That would be funny to see... but... realistically, you have to understand that there might be a chance that Tenchi will need to take up another wife."
"Well then... realistically he'll wind up with only one wife anyways, because I wouldn't put up with that crap for a second."
Aeka tilted her head and said, "Wellllllllll... If Tenchi became king... you wouldn't be allowed to leave him. It would cause too much disruption and people would lose faith in our leadership."
"Well then I hope he doesn't do anything stupid... but honestly I don't think he would. I trust him and he's a real gentlemen. It's why I love him so much."
Aeka saw it was clear Ryoko wasn't going to see things any other way, so she let it rest. After a short silence Aeka said, "Speaking of Tenchi, did he... say anything to you about... you know?"
"I haven't see him since lunch. He was in a hurry too... he said something about meeting a friend at the arcade. He's still acting like usual..."
Aeka cast her eyes down. "Oh."
There was something on Aeka's mind she had been meaning to ask of Ryoko ever since this morning. Knowing that this was an opportune time she timid said, "Uh... Ryoko?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanted to ask a favor of you. Something personal. If you don't want to do it I won't blame you. I was hoping that... maybe you could..."
"What can I do for you?"
"When Tenchi finally tells you how he feels... could you... keep you're... affection for one another... private? I will understand if this is too much to ask."
Ryoko instantly knew what she was getting at. Seeing Ryoko and Tenchi together would cause Aeka more grief and it would be disrespectful to her feelings for Tenchi to flaunt their love in front of her. Ryoko said, "Of course, Aeka, I completely understand."
Ryoko sat up partially as Aeka suddenly hugged her. "Thank you. It would have been so painful to see you with him... I mean no offense to you Ryoko... I mean... It's difficult to say..."
Hesitantly Ryoko hugged her back. She said, "It's okay, Aeka. You don't need to say another word. I understand completely."
Aeka pulled away from her and sat back down. "Thank you..."
"It's not a problem. In fact I probably would have kept things private anyway... just because..." Ryoko started to blush. "You know... embarrassing stuff like that."
While Aeka did agree with her that such things are meant to be private, she couldn't believe she was hearing Ryoko speak it. "Are you being sarcastic? I'm sorry; it's a bit too subtle... I thought you were serious."
Ryoko scratched her brow with her index finger. "... I am being serious. I mean... kissing in front of everyone? I would just die of embarrassment. I could never do that."
"Umm... really Ryoko your sarcasm is still a bit too subtle. I don't understand your meaning."
Ryoko glanced at Aeka with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not quite sure how else to say it. I'm not joking... I'm being completely honest... The most daring public display I can see myself doing is holding his hand. Anything above that I would have to get some real courage for."
Aeka stared at Ryoko. After a minute passed Ryoko said, "What?"
"You've never been so modest about such things before. Y-you're always showing off your body to him and you've never shown any problems with even... s-sleeping with him! You've even suggested that one time that we share him! I know you weren't being serious... and I'm not saying you're way of showing affection is bad-as unique as it may be-but what your telling me now is ridiculous to believe!"
Ryoko was silent for a moment. It surprised her that reminders of how she used to act were hurtful to hear. She said, "Aeka, I... I uh talked with someone earlier today and I got a lot of things off my chest that I didn't even know were bothering me. I wont go into details, but I will say that I wasn't being myself. I know that may be kind of hard to believe after seeing me tease Tenchi the way I have for four years, but it's true. I'm actually very nervous about how Tenchi will return my feelings. He may be expecting a different person... because I know I'm not going to do some things with him I was planning on doing before."
"Ryoko... I don't know what to say. I've become so used to the way you act that I've come to appreciate your boldness. I'm not sure if I should be happy for you or not... that part of you was so unique... quite honestly I sometimes admired your courage."
Ryoko nodded. "I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not that kind of person. I have no doubt that that a woman could be as free spirited as I was pretending to be... but that's just not me. I know this sounds very shocking... it was shocking to me when I said it myself."
Unsure of what else to say, Aeka asked, "What kind of person are you now?"
"It's not 'now', it's 'was'. I've gotten over what happened with the cave, and I'm back to my normal self again. To answer your question though, I guess what I would really like is someone I can trust, someone who wont be too pushy about kissy stuff, and someone who loves me for who I am and not my body."
Aeka smiled. "Ryoko, that's so sweet. I suppose then that I will say that I am happy for you."
Ryoko blushed and scratched her head. "Thank you."
Interested that she now could relate to Ryoko in such things, Aeka wanted to know even more. "So, do you plan on waiting until you're married before you sleep together or will you do it before?"
Ryoko blushed. "Well... I don't know... I guess it depends on how I feel... I haven't even kissed him yet. I'll probably wait, but if he's really charming about it... maybe... I don't know."
"Wow, you'll even wait until you're married? If it were me I honestly can say I wouldn't be able to wait."
Shocked at what she was hearing, Ryoko gasped, "Aeka!"
"I don't find anything wrong with it. It IS mutual attraction after all." Aeka giggled.
"That's true. Tenchi is a handsome man, but I'm still really nervous because... well... I... uh... never... you know... and uh... in my mom's memory I saw that it... kind of hurts a little... at first."
Baffled, Aeka staggered her words, "W-wait.. what? You've never? But... those men in the cave you spoke of..."
"I'm sure they would have it they could. You know how that crucifixion thing works... vines and roots grow everywhere. I was stuck pretty tight, and they couldn't get down there. It didn't matter though, they got creative..."
"That's understandable, but what about all that time with Kagato? Surely he must have... have..."
With a plane face Ryoko said, "You're asking if he raped me? That's what we're talking about here, right? We both know the only reason I wouldn't be a virgin is if I was raped."
Aeka raised her hand defensively. "I didn't mean it like that, I'm just not sure what to think. You never talk about that openly... and I respect you're need for privacy, only please don't take my assumption the wrong way."
A moment later Ryoko said, "It's alright, I'm not mad. Actually, Kagato never did anything down there. He screwed everything else pretty good, but for some reason he didn't do that. I couldn't tell you why, that man was completely insane. I guess in that regard I'm extremely lucky... after Kagato and those men in the cave you'd really think I would have been raped, but I guess it didn't happen. When I think about all that's been done to me, having my virginity still feels like someone's playing a sick joke on me."
"I-I see..."
After a short pause, Ryoko said, "So anyway, that's why I'm kind of nervous about being with Tenchi. Even when I used to act like it was no big deal I was still nervous deep down."
Aeka was about to respond but she stopped herself when she heard the door to the Onsen slide open. Sasami ran to Aeka and cried, "Aeka! Aeka, are you all right? Where did you go? I was so worried!"
She was embarrassed about getting trapped in the cave, and she didn't want to make her sister worry more than she was. "Well, I uh... was... "
Ryoko noticed this and supplied, "She was walking around the forest and sprained her ankle. I found her resting on the path."
"Yes, that's what happened," added Aeka. "I'm fine, Sasami. There's no need to worry."
"Oh, I'm so happy!" Sasami threw her arms around Aeka and hugged her tightly.
They sudden heard Mihoshi's voice pop up behind them. "Oh my... is everyone taking a bath right now?"
"Sort of..." said Ryoko.
Mihoshi said, "I was going to take one too, but since everyone is here it'll be like a little party!"
Aeka and Ryoko exchanged a private glance, which told one another that their private conversation was at an end. Mihoshi dipped into the water and Sasami followed shortly. The four relaxed in the steamy water and talked about nothing in particular.
*-----------------------------*
When Tenchi arrived he was placed in a temporary cell until word came from Amagasaki about pressing charges. Several hours into his containment his father came to see him.
Tenchi felt him approach, and without looking up he said, "I really screwed up."
"You'll be fine. They told me Amagasaki's injuries weren't that bad, and he's already talking again."
Tenchi was silent, still undecided if that was good or bad.
"What was it, son? What happened?"
Tenchi sighed. "He called Ryoko a whore more or less... well, he said that about everyone, but he really carried on about Ryoko. For an instant I wanted to kill him, and I really thought I was going to, but even before they pulled me away I knew I wouldn't have gone through with it."
Nobuyuki straightened his glasses and said, "I have a feeling this is somehow related to why the police were at our home last week."
Tenchi shrugged. "For some reason Amagaski got that idea about our home stuck in his head. All this time since high school he's been trying to compete with this idea of me. For all we know he may have been the one to start the rumor that lead the police to us."
A moment later Nobuyuki said, "Of all the stupid things men do, that is the one thing I will never understand. When it is our duty to protect women, how does a man conceive the notion to send a woman out to dangerous places and have her make herself vulnerable to complete strangers? I've had the opportunity to meet guys like that and I usually never let them walk out of the room. I make sure they're carried away. I think you did the right thing son, no matter what anyone says."
Tenchi tried to smile, "Thanks, that helps."
"Katsuhito told me about how you reacted to first hearing the news. I have to say I didn't expect that from you. In my opinion if you meet a low life, then give him hell, but its sounding like you're more upset about people's accusations than anything else. There's no need to take other people's ignorance so personally, son. We all know you're not that kind of person."
There was something about that on Tenchi's mind, but he couldn't say it. When he tried to speak, the words suddenly became blurred and he couldn't remember what they were. "Uh... yeah... I know dad."
"You shouldn't worry about it too much, you're more level headed than I when I was your age."
"What do you mean?"
Hesitantly, Nobuyuki said, "Let's just say that when it came to disposing of men that threatened you're mother... I've gone through with it. I'm glad you're not as dense as you're old man."
"Dad! You actually--"
Nobuyuki silenced him with a cold glare. "Careful, boy, or I might join you in there."
"... What happened?"
"We were only in high school, it was before you're mother and I eloped. Of course I was hers the moment I saw her back in our freshmen year, but she didn't notice me much. But there was one guy who noticed my liking her... a real asshole who also was interested in your mother. A lot of people didn't trust him... and when by our junior year you're mother made it clear to him she wanted me instead. The guy didn't take the rejection very well. The official story is that one of my friends told me that him and your mother were going hiking in the hills south of the school. They were pretty rocky, and there were a few steep cliffs. I was worried that they might need help, so I tried to see where they went. When I found them they had slipped and fell off a ledge. The other guy was dead when I got there... but you're mother was lucky... she only had a bruised eye and her clothes were slightly ripped."
Tenchi saw the grim expression on his father's face and he said, "Dad... don't congratulate me... I probably would have done the same if someone did that to Ryoko."
Nobuyuki was silent until he noticed that Tenchi had is sword with him. "Tenchi..." He nodded towards the hilt. "You don't plan on using that, do you?"
"No, not at all. I was just thinking about some things..."
"Thinking about what?"
Tenchi forced himself to bring the subject out. "I was wondering... why do you think Ryoko stays here?"
Nobuyuki fought down a laugh. "Tenchi... don't be stupid..."
"I was looking at this thing, and I saw that it still has two of Ryoko's gems inside. It got me thinking about how her love for me was so sudden and so unexplained. You think she might be staying with me because she has no choice?"
Nobuyuki said, "Not at all. It's easy to tell when someone is doing one thing and thinking something else. It would have been quite apparent if she despised you in secret, but that's certainly not the case. I don't think I've ever seen a person love someone as much as she loves you. But... if you're really worried then just ask her tomorrow. It's about time you told her how you felt anyway."
After a short pause Tenchi said, "Yeah... I should probably do that..."
"Did you ever consider just giving her the gems? It's not like we can't trust her..."
Tenchi didn't answer; he only stared at the hilt. Nobuyuki said, "Son? What do you think about returning the gems?"
Tenchi spoke slowly and softly. "I guess I can try that." After a long pause he said, "Dad... I'm sorry, but I've been lying... what I mean is, the way I'm making this sound isn't entirely honest. I've been aware of the gems inside the hilt the entire time. I... I'm so ashamed of myself... but I've purposely kept them there. After Kagato was gone there was no real reason for me to keep them, I only did it because I was afraid Ryoko would leave me." He lifted his head to look at his father, knowing there were tears in his eyes. "She loved me so much for no apparent reason. At times her love feels desperate, as if I held the key to her survival. Maybe she was afraid... maybe... that's the only reason why she loves me, because she's afraid of me.
"When I fought with Kagato there was a moment where I was sure I was going to die. I know what it's like to be torn down to the most basic level of human thought, where all you can do is think about is survival. When you're at that level everything becomes secondary. You start to believe things about yourself you didn't think possible. It's how those bastards get women to prostitute themselves. They tear them down to where their very survival is threatened and they'll do anything to live. They'll believe that what they do is the only way to survive, and they'll be forever loyal. I know that's how they do it, because I've been doing something just like it to Ryoko.
"She gave her love and body to me so easily that it didn't seem right, and she's so loyal that I'm frightened for her. She must be so afraid for her life she'll do anything to get me to love her, to guarantee her gems were eventually returned to her. What else am I supposed to think? She was trying to have sex with me within days after I met her. No one could make that kind of a decision so quickly without other factors being involved. Even after I realized this I still kept the gems. I'm sorry, dad, but those rumors are so close to being the truth they might as well be."
As Tenchi lost composure Nobuyuki wanted to stand him up and hug him as a father should, but the cold bars between them held him back. Eventually he thought of something to say. "Are you saying you've been inconsiderate of her feelings?"
"I haven't..."
"Are you abusive towards her?"
"Dad... of course not."
"Have you been using her vulnerability towards you to you're advantage?"
"... I've been working to keep that from happening."
"Then I don't see the comparison. Considering the situation you've proven yourself to be more of a gentleman than any other man I've known, including myself. You have to remember what kind of life she's been given. She's very vulnerable right now, and she's going to do things that aren't in her own best interest. After four years you've respected her space even if she did not."
"But... dad... I kept the gems. I can't excuse that."
"Son... you said yourself that you were afraid that she would leave you. I know how terrible it is to have that fear, especially about someone you love. Speaking from one man to another, I would never hold something like that against you. This is all a reflection of how much you love her, you shouldn't be ashamed to have these fears."
Tenchi dropped his head and shook it side to side. "I just don't know... I still think she's afraid of me."
"What I think you should do is go to her and give her the gems back. If by some chance you're right, and she only loved you because she was afraid, be a gentlemen to the very end... Be happy that she now has control over her own life. I don't think that's the case, but either way... you must return the gems."
Tenchi looked at his father's expression. He had seen it a thousand times throughout his entire life. It was the look Nobuyuki always had when he was giving him an order. Tenchi said, "I understand, dad. I made a mistake by keeping the gems."
"It was a mistake, but one that came from a legitimate fear. No one is blaming you for it, but you still must correct it. In either case, you did put Ryoko in a difficult position. Had I known I would have talked to you sooner."
Tenchi was about to respond, but he stopped himself as he heard footsteps approach.
It was a police officer, and Tenchi recognized him as the Juraian that drove him to the station. He said, "There's a message from the hospital for you... "
He handed it to Tenchi through the bars. The letter was hand written, and it said one simple line: "I won't be pressing charges, and I'm sorry for the mistake."
Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief. "He's not pressing charges."
Nobuyuki jumped to his feet. "That's wonderful!" He then turned to the officer and said, "Alright! There are no charges, let my son out of there!"
The officer shook his head. "Sorry, sir, but even if there are no charges we have to hold him for the night for disturbing the peace. I can't do anything about it."
"Dad, its okay. I don't think I'm ready to go back home anyway. I've got a lot of things to think about."
"Are you sure, son?"
"Yeah, if anyone asks, just tell them I stayed at my friend's place. I don't want to worry them."
Hesitantly Nobuyuki nodded. "Alright. I'll be at work tomorrow morning, so you'll have to catch a bus home."
"That's fine."
Nobuyuki turned to leave, but he stopped and said, "I'm proud of you son."
Tenchi didn't answer, and his father left with the officer in silence.
*-----------------------------*
Ryoko sat in a pile of carrot shaped pillows on the third floor of the Masaki household. Dinner was still a few hours away and she didn't have much to do. She considered seeing her mother to tell her about Yuko, but she found Washu's mind to be strangely distracted. Ryoko had come to learn that when her thoughts became bubbly like this she was thinking hard about something and preferred not to be disturbed.
She decided to take a short nap while the sun was still up. As her eyes gradually shut, she felt as if she had done this before. It wasn't the fact that she was napping on the carrot pillows like the day before, it was something entirely different. She soon realized that the familiar feeling was in her mind. She vaguely remembered have this state of peace once before. After a moment of thought she recognized the feeling as the one she felt inside of Zero, the robot that merged with her almost two years ago.
The several days after they became one, Ryoko despised Zero for being so open towards everyone. Even though they were in the same body, Ryoko tried to separate herself from Zero within her mind. Although she saw herself as one person, she could always tell when her inner thoughts were those of Zero or those of Ryoko.
Suddenly, Ryoko found herself sleeping, despite how active her thoughts were. She gently cradled her dream, knowing the slightest disturbance would spill her consciousness into slumber. Her eyes that were closed now saw the room from a different perspective, standing at the top of the stairs. She saw herself sleeping, and walked over to sit close by.
At first she was afraid she might awaken if she talked to herself, but since it were her dream with her rules, she decided that wouldn't going to happen. "Hello?"
Ryoko saw herself open her eyes and look gaze silently. After a moment Ryoko asked, "Are you Zero?"
She replied, "If you want me to be."
Ryoko decided for that to be so.
Zero sat more upright and asked, "Did you need something from me?"
Questions flew though Ryoko's mind that she didn't know she had, and she spoke the first one that made sense to her. "How come you could be me better than I?"
"Do you mean when I first cloned you?"
"Yes. When I look at you're memory of those days, I know now you were acting how I really am. You didn't put up walls like how I used to. How did you do that? You copied my memory exactly, didn't you?"
Zero looked to the ceiling as she thought of an answer. "I really hope what I say doesn't upset you. The reason I was able to forgive everyone that hurt me was because of the program that operated the robot I used to be. As a robot, my purpose was to be to assume identities for infiltration. My creator understood that some of the persons I may copy will have memories that could compromise my performance, and after several thousand years of research, he was able to create an algorithm that could instantaneously heal any psychological trauma while still keeping the host's personality and memory intact."
Ryoko was unsure if she found that upsetting. "I never liked the idea of people simplifying my feelings..."
Zero shook her head. "Oh no, Ryoko. They weren't simplified at all. I painstakingly calculated every single operation of the procedure the moment your DNA was accessed by my CPU. Healing your mind for me was just as painful as it will be for you. The only difference is that the operation was completed so quickly there were no signs of it ever occurring. They were... the most painful attoseconds of my life. That was the one flaw of my design... if you would call it a flaw. Whenever I assumed an identity, the steps I took to repair their mind would be saved into my permanent memory. This way my calculations would become more efficient over time. However, by remembering the procedures that I used to repair the hundreds of human minds I came in contact with, a small part of me became human, even as a robot."
Ryoko slowly nodded. "... I guess I understand." A moment later she asked, "If we're the same person, wouldn't that apply for both of us? I felt more peaceful when we first merged, but it wasn't long before I forgot about you, and it was like we never merged at all."
"If I were still a robot I would gladly run the operation a second time for you, but I am no longer a machine. I became a human, I should rather say... I became you. When we merged I with you I tried to show you that what happened wasn't you're fault, but you ignored me. Eventually I gave up, knowing you'll learn this for yourself on your own time." Zero smiled and added, "... Although I did give you an extra shove this morning."
Ryoko's eyes narrowed. "You were the one said those things..."
Zero shook her head, "We are the same person, Ryoko. You said it just as much as I said it. I added my wisdom to yours when we merged, and when Yuko asked those questions you grudgingly accepted my advice to be honest."
Ryoko was silent for a long time. Eventually she said, "So... you're me."
Zero laughed. "Yes! But you already knew that."
"I know... what I meant is... you're what I'll become... maybe."
"What makes you think that?"
Ryoko shrugged. "Well, you said you've healed all of your trauma, so I guess that means you're good as new."
Zero tilted her head. "I suppose. You still must remember that we are the same person. Even now I can feel you in my mind, and your presence there is just as strong as mine. I'm sure you can feel me in your mind, can't you?"
Ryoko slowly nodded. "Yeah, you're there."
"So you already know what it will be like to be free of your fears."
Ryoko shrugged. "I can imagine..."
"That's not your imagination, that's me telling you what it will be like. I'm also telling you what you need to do in order to free yourself."
Ryoko folded her arms tightly. "Yeah, I know. I have to tell someone what he did to me... but... that's so hard to do!"
Zero nodded. "I know... trust me I know..."
"I can't tell people that... what if it's too much for them? Not even Mom wants to know everything... you know how she starts crying every time she looks in my memories."
Zero clutched her side. "I don't know. I think... I think that's different."
Ryoko wasn't sure what to make of Zero's response. "You think...?"
"I don't know everything! Do you? I only was able to move past Kagato and the cave because of my programming when I was still a robot. Everything since then is new to me and... well... I don't know."
Ryoko paused and looked out the window. It was now night, even though the sun was up minutes before. "I must really be in a deep sleep for time to move so quickly..."
Ryoko looked back to where Zero was sitting and found the space vacant. "Zero?" She stood to see if she went someplace nearby, but she couldn't be seen. "... Zero?"
Ryoko found herself unable to breath, and the walls groaned as they shifted inward. They became so compact that her shoulders touched either side. She wanted to scream but she could not take in a breath to do so. In the excruciating silence, she heard foot steps approaching. She threw herself back but was somehow incapable of teleporting through these walls. The impact knocked her to the ground, and when she tried to stand her legs did not respond. The wall in front of her stretched back, creating a narrow hallway.
The footsteps stopped, and the wall on the far end tilted open like a door. A cold gust hit Ryoko, and she realized that she was naked. Her mind screamed, Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up. A silhouette of a man in a cape appeared briefly in the doorway. Then as the door was closed he vanished in the absolute darkness.
Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up...
Aeka threw herself from her futon when a scream pierced the night. She sat upright and listened vigilantly, making sure it wasn't her imagination. Seconds later, she heard a door open and shut, and light footsteps ran up the first floor stairs. There were heavier foot steps nearly falling down the second floor stairs, and when they footsteps met Aeka heard, "Mama!"
"It's okay... I've got you... shh... you're okay... you're okay..."
Aeka quickly gathered what was going on. Ryoko had a nightmare and Washu came to her aid. She slowly and silently crept back into her futon, but she found it difficult to fall back to sleep. She could faintly hear Ryoko weeping several meters from her door. The last thing she could do was close her eyes and fall asleep.
Aeka saw glimpses of her sister, Sasami, crawling towards her. She opened her covers and wrapped her arms around her sister. She felt Sasami's tears drop onto her neck and she heard her whisper, "It's my fault."
Aeka couldn't imagine what she meant. There was no way she could be responsible for Ryoko's nightmare. She wanted to ask her sister why she felt so bad, but she didn't have the same courage to whisper in the near silence.
Ryoko's weeping gradually faded, and there was a long moment where nothing could be heard. Aeka felt her eyes grow heavy. She almost fell back asleep, but a sound of crying began again, keeping her awake. After a moment of listening, Aeka thought this weeping sounded different than before. She then heard a voice she didn't expect. Ryoko said, "Mama... please don't cry."
Sasami clutched Aeka tightly.
"I-I'm sorry... I... I never knew... he did that to you..."
There was a pause before Ryoko said, "It's okay. It didn't hurt... once I got used to it."
Washu crying increased. "... my baby..... my baby...."
