Happiness, Tears and War
Chapter 7
By Geor-sama
The sun bathed the countryside with a serene presence. It seemed that due to its warmth and light, nothing was willing to stir and move, well almost nothing. In a beautiful house with a lake and forest surrounding it, nestled in the shadow of a mountain with a Shinto shrine sitting at its top, a small aqua-haired child moved about the kitchen.
Ukyo awoke to a wonderful smell that he found rather enticing. Still, he was slow to open his eyes. His sleep-hazed mind busied itself trying to place the smell. Then remembering, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. He felt both rested and tired. That was his only problem with assignments on worlds where they didn't have the same day length as Jurai.
He heard his stomach rumble in hunger as he pushed himself off the couch. Maybe he would be able to eat before the family came down. He made his way to where he remembered the dinning room being. He pushed the door opened and stopped, disappointed.
The family was already there and just preparing to eat. He silently berated himself. Oversleeping was inexcusable. He deserved the wait he now faced to eat.
He bowed deeply as he explained, hoping the young prince wouldn't take offense to his lateness.
"I am sorry, Lord Tenchi. I did not mean to offend you by sleeping and ignoring my duty."
Tenchi merely waved off the apology as if he couldn't care less. He motioned for the knight to have a seat.
Ukyo startled slightly. He looked around the table and found that once again the only empty space was next to Mihoshi, who seemed to be looking at him expectantly. Silently, he wondered if this was on purpose or by accident. Either way, he shrugged it off and sat down.
Once he was seated beside Mihoshi, he smiled at her.
"Hi."
Mihoshi blushed slightly as she smiled back.
"Hi."
Not realizing anything peculiar had happened, he turned to his plate and began to eat. He paused for a moment. The silence that had filled the room was unsettling. He knew that Lord Tenchi, Princess Sasami and Lady Ryoko had already begun eating so that couldn't be the reason why. He looked up and became even more confused, Kiyone was staring at him, Washu was smiling at him and Sasami was giggling into her hand.
With trepidation, he looked towards Lord Tenchi and Lady Ryoko.
Ryoko smiled and then giggled into her hand and whispered in Tenchi's ear. The young lord had been oblivious to the events until his fiancée had whispered in his ear. Tenchi paused, his food partway between his mouth and plate and looked around, then focused on the knight. There was a silent tension building that dissipated when Tenchi nodded reassuringly at him, then kissing Ryoko's cheek lovingly, returned to eating.
Ukyo was lost as to what all that had meant. Lacking any other ideas, he turned to look at Mihoshi. The blond quickly looked away from him, focusing on her food. He could see a blush in her cheeks, though. Mentally, he shrugged it off and turned back to his food and again began to eat.
*******
As Tenchi and Ryoko hurriedly made their way to catch the bus, Ukyo, who had been forbidden to follow them, tried to adjust to watching Sasami. He had no duties to speak of, so he had settled for this.
He watched as Sasami went through her regular routine. Clean the dishes, clean the kitchen, and then settle in for some morning TV.
No sooner had he settled against a wall in the living room to watch the little princess, than he heard Kiyone come down the stairs.
He glanced over and watched her as she walked by with an armload of clothes. She was grumbling and avoided looking in the living room.
He saw Mihoshi come down and stop just inside the living room doorway. She blushed and Ukyo silently wondered why. She smiled at him, entered the room and sat down on the side of Sasami closest to him and got engrossed in the show that was on.
Ukyo groaned to himself in the silence that had descended. Partly because he was tired, partly because of the show (which was a soap opera) and partly because he had to find someway to slip into Tenchi and Ryoko's school to watch them.
Even as he considered all of that, Sasami looked over at him and said with a smile,
"Ukyo, why don't you go see Katsuhito?"
Ukyo stood there uncertain. He shouldn't leave her side after all. While he was in her presence, he was responsible for her safety. Yet he was also just given an indirect order to leave her alone.
Even as he tried to decide Sasami continued,
"I have a mad scientist and a galaxy police officer here with me. Don't worry."
He still wasn't convinced. He was about to say he couldn't do that when he glanced at Mihoshi, who had at some point turned to face him.
She rose and, smiling brightly, chimed in,
"Good. You can walk with me. I have to go sweep the shrine while Tenchi's at school."
Mihoshi took his hand and started pulling him out of the room. Ukyo, looking slightly lost, turned back to look at Sasami, whose eyes twinkled knowingly and turned back to the TV. He finally gave in and followed her out of the house.
As the two left, Sasami smiled to herself.
Ukyo quietly ascended the stairs, trying to match Mihoshi's slow, leisurely pace. She was quiet, almost reflective, and Ukyo was lost as to why she seemed to like him so much. He contented himself to watch the surrounding forest. It was green and beautiful…so alive. Like her.
He nearly jumped when Mihoshi spoke.
"Ukyo, what's it like?"
He took a quick look over at her, only to find that he was a step above her. Smiling, he stepped back down to be level with her.
"What's what like?" He asked frowning slightly lost as to what she meant.
She seemed to take on far-away look as she explained,
"Jurai, being a knight, not screwing up."
His frown disappeared and he shrugged; she asked such odd questions. Looking thoughtful he answered,
"Well, Jurai's got huge, sprawling, beautiful forests with vast, aquamarine oceans. The cities are grand and awe inspiring."
He paused and looked at Mihoshi, who seemed impressed. He continued,
"The people are friendly and helpful. We have sense of dignity that few in the universe can match. But, I think the Earth has some things that make all that seem dim."
He finished and smiled kindly at her. He noticed her blush and, for some reason, he felt his own rising up. He quickly looked away and continued hastily,
"As for being a knight, it's hard to describe. We travel where we have to. We fight when we have to. And we relax when we have time. Much like a Galaxy Police officer."
Mihoshi reached out and touched his arm lightly and asked in a small voice,
"Is there any difference?"
Ukyo nodded, noting her hand still rested on his arm. He felt his blush deepen.
"There are a few, but they are so minor that they don't matter."
Mihoshi nodded to herself and let her hand fall back to her side. She stood there in the silence, lost in her thoughts. It was as if something was pushing to be spoken. She heard him shift slightly and it broke her out of her thoughts. She looked over at him and smiled. He was watching her intently; his eyes shadowed with a hint of an emotion that seemed familiar.
"What about not screwing up?" she asked in her gentle voice.
He smiled slightly at her and shook his head as replied.
"When you find out, tell me."
She watched as he turned and started up the stairs again. When he disappeared from sight she frowned and looked around, noting the time and ran to catch up with him. She still had to clean the shrine area.
*******
Washu yawned as she exited her lab. When dawn had arrived, she had left to do some work in her lab. As she walked through the house, she looked around, searching for something. She looked upstairs, in the kitchen and even in the bathroom but couldn't find Sasami anywhere. She walked towards the living room and stopped, watching the little princess watch the TV.
Quietly, Washu looked down at the sudden feeling of a furry object rubbing against her leg. She smiled at Ryo-ohki and the cabbit meowed. Washu squatted suddenly, looking very interested. As if to urge the cabbit on, she reached out and scratched it behind the ears and spoke in a hushed voice.
"What's the matter?"
The cabbit looked pitiful as it "meowed" its answer. The red haired genius nodded in understanding and stood. She fixed her gaze on Sasami as if debating what to do. Then nodding to herself, she walked into the living room making sure to make a lot of noise.
Sasami quickly dried her eyes and turned her head to smile as Washu approached. The genius hopped over the back of the couch and settled in next to her. Sasami found the action reassuring yet odd since Washu had never done that before.
Washu, seeming to notice her interest, looked over at the little girl and smiled.
"So, What'cha watching?"
Sasami glanced at the TV as if to remind herself what she had been watching before she had begun to cry then back at Washu and answered,
"One of Aekea's favorite shows, Young Love."
Washu nodded slightly and smiled as she reached over and pulled out a bowl of chips and offered some to the little princess.
Eating some herself, she spoke, crumbs falling out of her mouth,
"I think I'll watch it with you."
Sasami nodded, surprised but happy. She liked it when she had somebody to watch TV with.
*******
Tenchi frowned as he sat in 2nd period. Today was not his day. The teachers seemed extra cruel and the day was dragging by.
Of course, that wasn't the entire problem. No, there was the fact that that morning, while Ryoko was in the office, Emi, the girl that Ryoko had angered her first day, had approached him.
Of course, being Tenchi, he was polite but she had other ideas. At first, he had thought she would just talk to him and try to weasel information about Ryoko out of him. But when she ran her hand along his arm, he backed away.
He knew what that meant. Ryoko and Aekea fighting over him had taught him well. His only problem was that he backed into a wall. She stepped closer and asked him to come with her but Tenchi found that, since it wasn't Ryoko, he had the nerve to say no. And that was exactly what he did, in the politest most respectful way he could. When she ignored that, he unknowingly fell into Ryoko's style of saying no, mainly by being rude and making sure she got the point.
He thought she might have understood when he told her he 'would rather use a public restroom in a train station with out the slippers than go anywhere with her.' Indeed, she paused and looked hurt and Tenchi had to bite back an apology. It just wasn't in his nature to be so rude.
But apparently she either didn't believe him or didn't care because she was about to try again when Ryoko arrived, beside herself with rage.
So much so that Tenchi had to fight the urge to just let her go. But since that would be dangerous for Emi and the school and would cause a lot of unneeded problems, he seized Ryoko by the arm, took her hand in his and literally drug away a cursing, screaming and deadly ex-space pirate.
He didn't know what Emi had been up to, but he didn't trust her or her friends. Of course, it couldn't be so simple as just leaving. Ryoko had yelled, ranted and raved at him for stopping her from killing the girl. To top matters off, he had to go into the library and, since Ryoko was still ranting, he had to make her promise to wait outside the door for him.
When he heard a commotion outside, he had thought Emi had come to confront Ryoko. But when he opened the door, he found two older guy's hitting on her.
Ryoko seemed to be barely holding herself in check. For which, Tenchi was grateful. However, they were ignoring her indifference and the few polite refusals she gave.
Before he knew what was happening, Tenchi was being dragged away from two thoroughly terrified looking boys. Ryoko, who was calm by this point, found the role reversal hilarious and teased him about it for a while. But tiring of it, she went on to suggest several things they could do to forget about what had happened.
He agreed with quite a few of her suggestions, except for the ones that were impractical and the positions she mentioned that would take a lot of sake to make him feel up to trying. To him, they sounded awkward and slightly painful.
He cleared his head and looked around the class. Noticing the clock on the wall, he found it almost time to go.
Being angry and stressed at school added to his anxieties about Ukyo, the assassination attempt on Aekea, Sasami's safety, his aging and Kiyone and Yuzuzhaa's date. Was it any wonder that he wondered which god he had angered?
*******
Aekea groaned as she opened her eyes. She lay quietly in her huge bed, looking up at the canopy above her head. Reluctantly, she sat up, pushing her blanket off of her and rose.
The suite was made up of a large bedroom, a den and an impressive bathroom, and nice living room. This was truly the room of the First Crown Princess of Jurai.
She dressed quietly then calmly strode to the huge picture window doors leading to her balcony. She opened them and stepped out onto the edge of the balcony and looked out across the landscape. The sun's warm rays streamed down, warming both her and the land. She could see Jurai's hanging garden, in all it's splendor, spread out before her. To the West and directly to her right was the beautiful forest of the city and to the East she could see a lake in a green field with trees along its edges. Directly to the South and in front of the palace was the capitol city. Yet even with all of its beauty, Jurai could not hide the true darkness that was present.
The First Princess, clean, fresh and dressed in an elegant pink and green kimono, simply stood there. Thoughts of her family meandering through her mind, creating a warm feeling deep inside as well as a terrible, painful coldness.
As the door to the suite opened, Aekea turned and reentered the room, closing the balcony doors behind her. One of her knights stood there waiting for her. He bowed his head and spoke,
"The Emperor awaits you in the dining hall, Princess Aekea."
She slowly straightened her kimono, folded her arms within her sleeves and walked forward, keeping her dark pink eyes on the knight. The knight stepped aside and Aekea glided past him without a word.
She was surrounded by the rest of her knights as they walked in the silence of the palace halls. Using the stairs it took them several minutes before they reached the dining hall. The hall was the size of an auditorium with a fifty-foot long, oval table in its center.
The walls were lined with ancient space trees that gave the room a fresh scent.
At first glance, Aekea saw that there were only two places left to sit at the immense table; the others were taken by her family, a couple of strangers and a familiar, silver-haired young man. One of the seats was between her mother and Chijiro who smiled handsomely at her. The other was at the end of the table. Reluctantly, she walked to the seat next to the young lord. Immediately a knight was there to pull the chair back. Aekea seated herself and he returned to his spot against the wall.
Chijiro greeted her. His ice-blue eyes shined with mirth and his silver hair was well groomed and pulled back into a long ponytail. When he spoke, his voice sounded pleasant and friendly.
"Good morning, Princess Aekea. How are you fairing this lovely day?"
She smiled politely as she answered,
"I am fine, Lord Chijiro. How are you?"
He smiled and told her that he was well and they began eating. They ate in silence for several minutes.
As they finished his breakfast he spoke again.
"I was going out to see the Royal garden today. Would you care to join me?"
Aekea looked down at the plate of food before her, mixed emotions racing through her. She finally nodded and answered.
"I have nothing else planned for the day."
"You honor me," he replied. His following smile caused her heart to beat slightly faster.
Chijiro sipped at his wine, ending their conversation.
*******
A small black ship, similar to the one Ukyo had arrived in passed Pluto, slowing slightly. It's lone occupant, which appeared to be a tall red haired Juraian knight, watched his display intently. He frowned as he guided his ship silently towards Earth. He was becoming very serious. A trait he always displayed when he was about to complete a mission. A small, cruel smile crossed his face and he narrowed his eyes. Soon now, he would complete his mission.
*****
Ukyo knocked lightly on the closet door - according to Princess Sasami it was the entrance to Washu's lab. He was nervous, partly because of the stories Sasami, Kiyone and Mihoshi had told him and partly because she was the mother of Lady Ryoko.
He waited a few moments then his uneasiness growing beyond reason he decided that he didn't really need to speak with her. As he turned to leave, the door opened slowly.
With some trepidation, he forced his feelings aside and entered. He was a knight and he had a job to do.
The door closed behind him and he found himself in a black hallway with streaks of green and blue. It unnerved him for a moment but then, adjusting, he started forward. It wasn't long before he found himself standing before another door. He reached out, pushed the door open and stepped through. It closed behind him and disappeared.
He frowned slightly, wasn't this was supposed to be a lab? Why then was it split into two decks, the upper half metallic and the bottom half filled with tress surrounding a pool with a waterfall?
Forgetting for the moment why he was here, he walked to the rail on the upper deck and looked down below him. It was nice but most definitely not a lab.
He felt a presence behind him and he turned slowly; sure he knew whom it was. He was right. Before him sat a red haired mad scientist. She was studying him intently. Her green catlike eyes intense, as if trying to see into his soul. He shifted nervously under her continued inspection and was beginning to wonder if this had been such a good idea when she finally spoke.
"Ukyo, isn't it?"
He nodded slightly and then, looking around, asked what to her must be a stupid question.
"How do you get any work done here?'
She smiled politely at him and lifted her hand and suddenly her holo-computer appeared in front of her. She began to type as she answered absently,
"This is only Level One of my lab. I have five levels, they are spread out over five planets in a different dimension, Level Five is highly restricted and Level One is general access."
Ukyo nodded slightly impressed, and suddenly worried that if she wanted to make him disappear that she could do it with out a trace.
Without looking up, she spoke, her voice slightly teasing,
"I don't believe you came to see me just to ask me about my labs."
Ukyo nodded and answered.
"I was wondering... You see, I have to protect Prince Tenchi and Lady Ryoko and I can't since I am not enrolled in their school. So, I was wondering if there was anything you could do to help me with protecting my charges."
Washu didn't even react to his statement, she merely continued to type. He was afraid that he had said something wrong. She hit a couple more keys and then responded.
"I could disguise you to resemble one of the already existing students, but I won't. Not after all that I have done to gain my daughters trust. But, I can enroll you. You would just be another transfer student."
She glanced at him and nodding, turned back to her typing. She began muttering to herself.
Ukyo stood there patiently, until several metal arms strapped him to a table. He tried to struggle but found it useless. A needle extended to his arm and draw blood, no sooner had it done its job than he was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground. He stood there looking half-terrified and half-angry. He started to say something when he saw the look on Washu's face. It was one of authority and bit back his angry words.
Washu typed once more on her holo-computer, then turned to him and spoke.
"Done, you have the same classes as they do and, to cover for your mistakes, you are an exchange student from America."
He started to say something when she waved her hand at him causing a door to open behind him. He looked behind him confused and she explained.
"Please excuse me. Kiyone wishes to see me about something."
Ukyo bowed and left the lab. No sooner had the door closed than another opened and the Galaxy Police detective in question entered. Washu turned slightly towards the door and smiled sweetly. Kiyone noted the large number three on a wall and walked forward to speak with the scientist.
*****
"Please don't..."
Tears were flowing down Mihoshi's face in her sleep. The room was quiet save for Mihoshi's almost silently sobs.
He was standing in the open doorway; she couldn't see his face. All she could see were two slate-gray eyes. He stood, impassively watching her on her knees crying and pleading with him. She reached out towards him but he turned and left without so much as a backwards glance, closing the door behind him. Mihoshi continued to sob uncontrollably; her entire world shattered. She was yanked out of her despair by a loud, annoying beeping.
When the blonde Galaxy Police officer woke up, she looked around. Bewildered as to why she was beeping and crying.
"I'm beeping. Why am I beeping?"
She looked down at her watch, and found it was the source of the beeping, she sat there confused for a moment and then remembering that it meant it was time for patrol. She tapped it to turn it off, but only managed to turn up the volume. She flinched at the increase in sound and furiously jabbed at the watch.
Finally managing to turn off the beeping, Mihoshi was rushing out of the room and up the stairs. She had to change from her pink tank top and yellow pants to her blue and gray uniform.
She had barely finished before she was rushing downstairs, intent only on getting to the ship. She flew by Ukyo and waved. Now smiling happily as she ran out the door. It was only a matter of moments before her cruiser's engines fired and she lifted off.
Ukyo found himself still standing there when Kiyone appeared from the closet door leading to the lab. She too was dressed in her blue and gray uniform. She seemed distracted and unfocused, which to Ukyo meant only one thing: Mihoshi. Kiyone seemed to sharpen up as she spotted him.
Noticed her partner was missing from the couch, she rushed forward and grabbed Ukyo by the front of his uniform. She shook him and said,
"Where is she?! Where did she go?!"
Ukyo stood there for a moment and then gently removed her grip on him. Should he tell her that her partner the ditz just took off for patrol alone? He decided that as long as he seemed clueless, he was fine.
"She just left. I think it involved patrolling."
Kiyone let out a loud, exasperated noise and stalked angrily away from the knight.
*******
Ryoko sat happily next to Tenchi during their lunch period. Indeed, they seemed to be the only ones, other than Yuzukaa, who were happy. Emi and her friends seemed sullen. The guys that had tried to hit on Ryoko seemed brooding. And the rest were upset over an increased workload.
Ryoko felt that Tenchi convincing Kiyone to go on a date with his friend was a very sweet and noble gesture. She knew that he deserved a very special treat for it. Whipped cream and strawberries were definitely in order. She smiled at the thought and rested her hand on Tenchi's leg and squeezed.
The young prince paused in mid-sentence and smiled. He looked over at her and then back at his friend and continued with what he had been saying.
Yuzukaa smiled happily, thoughts of being on a date with Kiyone forcing all other thoughts out of his head, even his geometry homework. She was beautiful, smart, funny and independent; his dream girl. He didn't care how or why Tenchi had got her to go out with him but he was extremely grateful, he would never be able to express it with words. Even the fact that Kiyone insisted on it being a double date with Tenchi and Ryoko didn't bother him. If that was what it took to go out with her, then so be it.
Across the lunchroom, sat a very sullen and brooding Emi. Unlike Yuzukaa, she was not thinking grateful thoughts towards either Tenchi or Ryoko. Instead, she was thinking hateful ones fueled by the fact that her plan to seduce Tenchi and teach Ryoko a lesson had backfired. She still couldn't understand how he could say no to her. She was far more beautiful than Ryoko. Ryoko's hair was not in the least bit attractive, with it being cyan-colored and wild. Her ears were oddly shaped and her eyes were feline and gold. How could he prefer Ryoko to her? It just wasn't logical. 'Of course he's not the only guy that finds her attractive is he?' she thought to herself. No, she knew that others did as well, her brother for one. As did all of his friends. So did Shinichiro and his friends and the rest of the male students, save for possibly Daijiro. For now, all she could do was wait until another opening presented itself.
*******
The assassin turned to his computer and quickly tapped a few keys shutting off all energy signatures. He smiled to himself. The Galaxy Police had just past by, meaning that left the little brat of a princess and her knight. Soon, very soon, everything would be ready and he would complete his mission. He waited another fifteen minutes after the GP cruiser had passed before he powered everything up again and passed Phobos.
*******
It was frighteningly boring to be back on Jurai. Aekea had thought she would love to be back home and while she did enjoy it, it was lonely and boring.
Of course, she wasn't completely alone as Chijiro was there. However, that wasn't much of a consolation. He was just another noble. He was not really in love with her, but with her station and power. At least that's what she told herself consciously, but in a deep and more secret part of her heart and mind, she hoped that to be false. She could feel that he did care about her, that he might just love her. But she still had her doubts.
The only person to every care about her and not her position was Tenchi. But even then, he didn't lover her like she did him.
She quietly sighed to herself, the gardens were beautiful and the air here seemed more peaceful, more relaxed than ever. Despite this, the terror that griped her heart would not completely release itself. It merely relaxed, waiting for the opportunity to consume her again.
She blinked her violet eyes and turning, smiled politely at the young lord beside her; she hadn't heard what he said.
"I am sorry Lord Chijiro, I was momentarily distracted."
He merely smiled softly in response.
"That's quite alright, Princess. I was just saying that this has been a most enjoyable time."
She nodded in agreement and looked around at the garden with a smile.
"Yes, it has. I had almost forgotten how beautiful Jurai's gardens were."
He nodded, rose and extended his hand to her to help her stand up. She stared at it a moment, weighing everything taking his hand might imply and then took it. She rose and smiled in appreciation at him.
They walked quietly along the path through the garden, the young lord, his hands folded behind his back, and Aekea, her hands folded into her sleeves. The silence that had descended deepened as they walked. They stopped at a particularly beautiful, silver tree.
Aekea had so adjusted to the silence that she had almost completely forgotten about the young lord until he spoke, startling her.
"Princess Aekea, you still love him don't you?"
She looked at him, startled that he knew. She studied him for a moment and then nodded. He merely turned back to the tree, studying it and then spoke in a low whisper,
"I understand. I know that you are not fond of me. All that I ask is that you give me a chance."
She considered him for a moment and then, in silence once more, walked with him down the path.
This time it was Aekea's turn to startle him.
"Lord Chijiro, May I ask you a question?"
He nodded and she continued,
"Why?"
The young lord stopped in the middle of the path and frowned, unsure what she was referring to.
"Why what?"
She turned and looked at him, slightly hopeful. She had a lot invested in the question.
"Why did you ask to marry me?"
Understanding filled his face and he smiled in relief as he explained.
"Because, I love you."
Aekea looked shocked. She hadn't expected that response. He loved her. The way he had said it sounded sincere but she still had her doubts.
Oblivious to her reaction he continued.
"When I was younger, before Ryoko attacked, we meet in the royal gardens. Actually, you were playing. I remember that you made a crown for you're brother out of Royal Teardrops. I had managed to get away from my nanny and into the garden where I saw you. You were so cute."
He paused and looking nervous, quickly added,
"Although it is apparent that nothing has changed, save that you get more beautiful with each passing year."
Seeing that she was still watching him, he continued,
"Anyway, I tried to go over to say "hi" but my nanny found me. While that was the last time I saw you, I never forgot you. I knew at that moment that I loved you."
He fell silent, looking embarrassed at the princess. She was blushing slightly, as well as looking stunned. After a few more minutes of uneasy, embarrassed silence, Chijiro turned and started once more down the path.
Aekea stood there a few moments more, her heart beating oddly fast. Frowning, she told herself that, despite what might be stirring in her, she knew he didn't really love her. Still, even as she caught up with him she knew that her confidence in that conviction was shaky.
*******
Tenchi's head laid nestled in Ryoko's lap, his breathing quiet and relaxed. His face was peaceful, serene; unmarred by worry or cares. Ryoko, much like the days before Aekea had left, lay wide-awake, stroking his face gently while watching him sleep. She had found the dream no longer came, his face no longer contorted in anger. Whatever dreams he had now were peaceful ones and Ryoko was thankful for that.
She yawned slightly, this did the trick much like it always had. Watching him sleep relaxed her and let her sleep peacefully, herself. It was hard for Ryoko to believe it, but right now, at this moment, she felt more love for Tenchi than even she ever had before. The time with him at school was very enlightening as well. He was more gentle and considerate than even she could have guessed. Just him going out of his way to help his friend get a date with Kiyone was proof of that.
She looked around the room. She saw his desk - no, it was theirs now; everything in the room was theirs now. Their schoolbooks were lying there open. Pieces of paper were scattered about. Notebooks with their homework awaiting their immediate attention in the morning were there as well. The closet door stood open - his clothes fighting for space with hers now. She had just finished moving her clothes in. It was odd, Tenchi had said as he lugged her clothes inside. How one girl, who had never really had a closet, could have so many dresses and shoes. She had merely smiled sweetly at him and showed him the whipped cream and strawberries. His objections were immediately forgotten.
Ryoko stifled a yawn and closed her eyes still lazily stroking his cheek. She smiled as she finally fell asleep. She needed her rest, as this weekend was the double date.
*****
Tenchi stood in the doorway of the living room waiting patiently for both Ryoko and Kiyone. The rest of the week had blurred by until it was Friday night. Yuzukaa had showed up, well dressed in a pair of black slacks and a long sleeved blue button down shirt. His hair was neatly combed and he was happy as a lark, ready for his date. Tenchi had to smile to himself at the thought.
Tenchi was dressed in a pair of dress jeans and a loose, brown sweater. Dinner and a movie, that was what was planed for tonight. True, Kiyone had doubted if she could keep the date, but with some coaxing from Tenchi, she was convinced to keep the date. She was worried and a bit upset that Mihoshi hadn't returned from her patrol. But since she couldn't do anything about it, she had reluctantly agreed to go through with the aforementioned date.
Sasami was busy fixing dinner for what family would be present for it. Washu was, for once, not in her lab, but keeping a close eye on the little princess along with Ukyo.
Tenchi looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps as did Yuzukaa who stood next to him. Both men were suddenly at a loss for words.
Ryoko was dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans and a very nice midriff sweater. Kiyone was attired in a pair of black pants that were obviously from her Galaxy Police uniform and a long sleeved respectably-loose, green sweater.
Kiyone was wearing a small amount of makeup and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Ryoko, on the other hand, looked as beautiful as usual, without any make up. Her hair naturally wild, as was its wont. Her golden, feline eyes smoldering with an emotion Tenchi knew all to well and one he returned enthusiastically.
Ryoko joined Tenchi and, smiling, took his hand and turned to watch the other couple. Yuzukaa bowed, thanked Kiyone for going out with him and then fell into a nervous smile. Kiyone didn't seemed phased in the least at his reaction. In fact, she seemed a little pleased by it. Tenchi, taking his cue from Ryoko, said goodbye as he led the others out the door to the waiting van.
The dinner was at a nice semi-casual place. It was nowhere near as expensive as the one Tenchi had taken Ryoko to for Christmas, but it was nice. The atmosphere was nice, perfect for a first date. The light matched the attitude in that it was low and easy on the eyes.
Yuzukaa still seemed nervous which oddly seemed to make Kiyone slightly amused. He followed Tenchi's cue and pulled out Kiyone's chair when Tenchi did it for Ryoko. However, as soon as they were seated, he seemed entirely focused on Kiyone and hanging on every word she said. It seemed to make Kiyone warm up to him a little more, which Tenchi was grateful for. Ryoko seemed to be playing idly with a napkin, watching, smiling and leaning over whispering things into Tenchi's ear, which caused him to fumble with his drink.
The waiter came by and Tenchi knew it was a mistake for Yuzukaa to follow his lead and order for Kiyone. Tenchi only did it because Ryoko liked it when he did so. This caused Kiyone to cool towards him but it was smoothed over as he regained favor by hanging on her every word and constantly making eye contact with her. He even took her side against Ryoko.
Ryoko had smirked and Tenchi knew something was going to happen, then it happened. Ryoko made one simple remark about "Stupid GP." Tenchi blinked and frowned then glanced over at Kiyone who looked bewildered. She slowly frowned and responded with "Stupid pirate." Silence descended as the two males watched and waited both wondering what was going on. It was not long before Ryoko and Kiyone were launched into a debate regarding which was better, 'being a space pirate or Galaxy Police officer.'
Tenchi tired desperately to get them drop it and be quiet, especially Ryoko, but neither seemed to be paying attention to him. Things seemed to be about to come to blows. Kiyone said the state of the art GP cruisers could take any ship save for a Jurai military craft. To which, Ryoko rolled her eyes and laughed, "What those buckets of bolts?" Kiyone growled as she responded, "They have type twelve plasma intra-lasers, they can destroy a raditanium hull in a matter of seconds." Ryoko groaned and shook her head.
Tenchi was mouthing speechlessly at them, still trying to get them to quit. Shyly, Yuzukaa spoke, bringing them all to a halt and ending the discussion quite effectively. "I agree with Kiyone, the type twelve plasma intra lasers prove that Galaxy Police cruisers and therefore the Galaxy Police themselves, are much better than space pirating."
All three blinked at him and then quite suddenly, Ryoko giggled and returned her meal as if nothing had happened. Tenchi shared a look with Kiyone who suddenly seemed very warm to her date and Tenchi sighed and went back to his own meal.
But things went down hill towards the end of dinner when Yuzukaa had asked about Mihoshi. He asked why Kiyone was friends with her and remarked that Mihoshi struck him as a ditz. Kiyone's reaction was odd. Instead of agreeing with him, she actually began giving him the cold shoulder, frostily defending her partner. There was really nothing that either Ryoko or Tenchi could do to fix this. So all they did was calm things down and suffer through the silent and cold affair that was the remainder of dinner.
*****
The dark ship glided silently past the red planet's last moon, Deimos, while scanning the surrounding area. It slowed slightly, the assassin plotting a course past the scanners around Earth. There were sensors from Jurai, the natives and the resident universe's greatest scientific genius, Washu. It was the last set of scanners that the assassin was worried about. His ship included some slight modifications, using a technology that another brilliant scientist used (who was unfortunately now incarcerated). So, with the special course and technology, he slipped by, undetected.
The ship slowed as it found it's entry window and slipped into the earth's atmosphere. As it approached the landmass designated as the royal retreat, or Nihon in the native language of Funaho. It fell into a terrain following flight path and skimmed over the ocean. Outside the ship, the world was covered in darkness, making it impossible to see the ship with the naked eye.
There was a smooth and silent stop in the air, then it began its landing procedures. Its chosen landing zone was deep in the forested mountains, well away from the shrine and prying eyes. The dark door hissed quietly open to reveal a tall figure. He was dressed every inch the Juraian knight, save that he wore a black uniform and carried no weapon. His gray eyes scanned the forest with quickly, 'Nothing there.' His red hair was now slicked back; no stray strands anywhere. 'So this is Earth. It has a certain charm,' he thought to himself as he quietly descended to do his job. The moon high over head gave him enough light to see were he was going. It was time, she wouldn't be that heavily guarded now.
As quietly as the wind he moved, he didn't break a branch, rustle a leaf or scare any animals. Indeed none of the animals that were watching with their keen eye sight could see him, he was nothing more than a darker shadow moving among other shadows.
*******
Aekea sighed to herself as she sat at her dresser. It was confusing, she still loved Tenchi and yet Chijiro... She shook her head and, pointing a finger at her reflection, whispered,
"Don't be a fool. He only loves your position."
Still, that didn't convince her anymore than it had the last hundred times she had told it to herself. She had to face it: he did love her. And no matter how much she hated to admit it to herself, she seemed to like him as well. Whether it was love or just friendship, she wasn't sure.
Sighing, she rose and made her way to her bed. Dinner had been nice, it was a small family dinner; just her and her parents. She had noticed that her father had seemed distracted as had her mother and Funaho. But still, it was nice.
She pulled back her curtains on the side of her bed, rolled the blankets down and then paused. A single flower was resting on her pillow. It was beautiful. For a moment she thought it was a gift from Chijiro, but then she recognized it and began to shake. With fear welling up inside her, she reached out and picked it up. She knew it all to well, it was a Royal Teardrop. A small note was attached to it and she slowly opened. All it said was "Soon."
She stumbled backwards dropping the flower onto the bed, then fell to the floor. Her scream brought her knights as well as others positioned at the entrances and windows of the hallway.
Misaki sat with her legs under her, holding her dear, sweet, daughter. She was shaking and sobbing against her chest. The room was the Empress' living room. A door to the left led to her husband's and the one the right led to Funaho's. It had been only a few short hours since the flower had been found.
Right now, it was the noise from her husband's room that she was concentrating on. He was livid with rage, screaming and raining down curses on the knights and the Chief of Palace Security. Silence descended and Misaki knew Funaho was speaking, calm reason alongside her husband's livid outrage. The door opened a few minutes later and she looked away from her daughter, to see a grim looking Funaho and an even grimmer Azusa.
Funaho sat down next to the two on the couch and, stroking Aekea's head, spoke,
"There has been a thorough check of Aekea's quarters, as well as the hallway. Nobody saw who it was, or heard anyone coming or going after the servants had last been present. The servants have been reassigned on the off chance that one of them is responsible. Security is being tighten even further. Guards will now be stationed in front of all entrances to all royal chambers at all times."
Misaki nodded in acceptance and kissed her daughter on her forehead. She felt only somewhat relieved.
Azusa cleared his throat and then, in as comforting voice as he could manage, said
"It's alright now. I have my special resource's looking into this. We should have the culprits soon. Until then, we must all be extra careful, especially Aekea."
Misaki merely nodded, ignoring her husband something she only did when her child was concerned.
When Aekea spoke, it startled them all.
"Haven't any of you had any attempts?"
Azusa frowned and slowly shook his head. Silence filled the room until Funaho spoke, her voice calm, cool and rational.
"We can only assume they are targeting you because you are seen as the future of Jurai. You're a symbol to our people. While those closet's would assume the throne, those with the politically power and hungry for power would merely wait and incite our people into a civil war. throwing the entire universe into absolute disaster as every major power of the Galactic Union and The Galaxy Police would choose a side and try to make sure there interest were met should the status quo be destroyed."
Aekea was about to say something when there was a soft beep on the room's view-phone. Azusa's frown deepened as he went to answer it.
The screen flickered to life revealing a Lord that he preferred not see at that moment. Amaki Syuuzen gave a compassionate even through Azusa's frowned never left his face. It was due to the damnable Amaki that he had nearly lost the throne when he took Funaho as his first wife. And then again when Yosho had taken responsibility for the failed protection of Jurai. The only thing that had saved Azusa on that one was the fact that Amaki's ship was closest to Jurai when it happened and had not provided any assistance.
The lord was broader than the emperor and his hair which was a dark shade of blue which was pulled back into a ponytail, his beard was well groomed. His gray eyes didn't share the compassion in his smile. They were calculating and cold.
"M'lord, I am so sorry to hear about what has happened."
Azusa fought back the urge to hit Amaki's image. He quelled it and nodded in acceptance.
"I thank you, Lord Amaki, for your concern."
Amaki seemed as if he was about to say something when Azusa, hearing a knock on the door, hurriedly spoke.
"Please excuse me, I have matters to attend to."
Amaki didn't get the chance to respond as Azusa closed the connection and returned to where his wives and daughter were.
Azusa didn't have the chance to say anything as the knocking came again, sounding even more urgent. His nerves near the breaking point, he opened the door, ready to yell at the offender. He caught himself as it was Chijiro.
The young lord's hair was a damp, silver mess and his ice-blue eyes were filled with concern. Indeed, it seemed that the young lord had dressed in a hurry as well. Azusa nodded when the young lord bowed and then quickly spoke distress lacing his voice,
"Is Princess Aekea alright? I heard that something had happened. I would have been here sooner but I had just returned from a bath when I was informed."
Azusa held his hand up for the young lord to stop then spoke, his voice cool and distant yet reassuring,
"She is fine. It was nothing really. Merely a Royal Teardrop on her bed with a note saying, 'Soon.'"
Azusa paused and glanced at the hallway. He could see his family's knights but not the young lord's. Azusa looked back at Chijiro with a frown as he spoke,
"You should not have come without your knights."
Chijiro frowned, then looked nervous and said,
"I was only thinking of Aekea and that she might need my help and protection."
The young lord seemed to be calming but he still seemed somewhat anxious. Azusa smiled to himself, he had made the right decision in letting this boy pursue his daughter.
Deciding that he couldn't send him home alone, especially since he was still concerned about Aekea, he called a guard over and assigned him to Chijiro. He ordered that the young noble be taken to Lord Yosho's old room to stay the night. With that taken care of, he closed the door and made his way back to his wives and daughter.
*******
Ukyo sat patiently in front of the door leading to Sasami's room. He had meant to go with his lord and lady but they had refused. He did not think that he was in good enough with Tenchi to force the issue so after he had calmly tried to reason with them, pointing out that he was here to protect them, he had resigned himself to wait patiently outside the door of Princess Sasami's room. Besides, he needed to be here with Sasami more than Prince Tenchi, or Lady Ryoko.
Of course he wasn't alone, Washu was inside watching her as she slept, and Ryo-ohki was sleeping quietly on his knee. His energy weapon was with in easy reach. He closed his eyes and began a Juraian meditation technique, to center and calm himself.
The assassin could see the house bathed in the silver light of the moon. He was still a ways from it but it was good to know that nobody was up and about.
He quietly dropped to the ground from the tree branch he had been perched upon. Crouching down, he stretched out his senses, trying to determine if he had been heard. The forest was silent. He waited a few more minutes and then started off again.
Tenchi sighed as he drove the van down the familiar road home. Things were silent and subdued. Just about everything that could go wrong had gone wrong between Kiyone and Yuzukaa. If it wasn't him saying something stupid, she was cursing him. It was so bad that even Ryoko had fallen silent and began brooding. Tenchi glanced in his review mirror and frowned, Yuzukaa seemed pensive and kept cast furtive glances at Kiyone. While she continued to stare dead ahead a look of anger on her face. 'Well Tenchi, ol' boy, you proved how big a baka you can be with this little plan.' he thought to himself as he sighed. It would be so nice to get home. He glanced at the LED display on the radio clock; it read 10:15.
It was only a few minutes later when Tenchi pulled into the parking lot of his friend's apartment. He kissed Ryoko on the cheek and then climbed out of the van and joined his friend. He walked with him up to the doorway leading inside.
Tenchi felt terrible and started to apologize for the terrible night when Yuzukaa spoke startling him,
"Tenchi, I want to thank you. Tonight was one of the best nights of my life."
Tenchi blinked in surprise and stammered
"It...it was? But she was so...and she kept calling you terrible names."
His friend nodded and then, smiling slightly, took his door key out and undid the lock as he answered,
"Yes, but the important thing is that she went out with me. That's more than enough."
Tenchi was about to say something when he found himself alone in the little alcove. Confusedly, he made his way back to the van. He felt a small smile tug at his mouth for the first time since dinner. He opened the door, got in and headed for home.
*****
The assassin paused for a moment at the door leading to the house. He did a quick scan of the surrounding area and then quietly slid the door open. He paused once more and then slipped inside. He strained to hear any noises indicating someone was awake. Satisfied that everybody was asleep, he crept forward and quietly slipped from room to room on the bottom floor, then started up the stairs.
He kept to the shadows, gliding silently until a squeaking floorboard caused him to pause and tense up, waiting to see if somebody came see what had made the noise. When nobody came he continued to the top of the stairs and crouched silently. Everything was going fine for now.
He stood and looked up at the top of the second set of steps and paused. He could hear a light padding coming towards him. With a speed and stealth born of his trade, he hid himself in the shadows of the plants. He listened as the padding came down the stairs. He watched as a little rabbit like creature walked by. It stopped for a moment, sniffed and then continued on. He waited a few more minutes and then slipped back to the stairs and started up again.
He made it to the second landing and then paused. He could make out a shape sitting in front of a door. It looked as if he was sleeping but he knew it was merely a meditation technique. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small round metal ball. He depressed a button on it then quietly set it rolling down the hallway. A small hiss issued forth and then a white gas escaped it. He waited tensing until the knight's head slumped forward to rest against his chest.
The gas was already dissipated when he reached the doorway. He paused as he stood next to the knight and made certain that he was asleep. He slid the door open and looked around the darkened room. A smile creased his face at the easy target and he crept forward. He pulled his small, dark dagger out and held it in a tight reverse grip. He lifted it over his head then swiftly brought it down as he rolled the small sleeping princess onto her back.
______________________________________________________________________________
AN:
Hehe...how evil can I be? I hope you're ready cause I'm about to get as evil as humanly possible. I mean I can't just let things keep going so nice and calm, so expect the next chapter to have double the action, three times the drama and *gasp*Emotional turmoil for one of our most beloved characters, whatever is the matter and will it ever be resolved soon? *snickers* Don't hold you're breath.
Seriously though I hope you enjoyed this chapter...I'm sorry for the long wait, but these things seem to take longer than anyone thinks. Well leave me reviews, cause I still think I'm losing my touch. Anyway tell me what you think, feel free to get a hold of me through email or ICQ or through AIM and you can flame me, praise me as you see fit.
Sincerely,
Geor-sama
A Nekoshipper