INVASION, Volume 3, Part 5: The Ties That Bind.
DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyou! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no rights to it. However, the events in this story are entirely of my own imagination. So please don't change them. Feel free to distribute this story as freely as desired.
FOREWORD: Guaranteed lemon-free! After all the negative feed-back about the last couple of chapters, I wasn't sure I wanted to release this chapter without re-writing the preceding chapters. I have been working on a rewrite, but it's taking so long, I just couldn't wait any longer. Besides, this chapter has been nearly ready since February.
AUTHOR: Dreamr
LAST REVISION: 18 June 2003
EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com
BEGIN.
For having slept on the ground all night, Tenchi felt great. The morning was clear and cool. The birds were singing like their very lives depended on it. It was mornings like this that reminded Tenchi why he loved his home.
"Tenchi!"
The young man barely dodged an attack as his grandfather came in low, intending to crack a wooden bouken against the outside of his knee. With a short skip, Tenchi stepped over the blade of the bouken and then lashed out with his right foot. There was absolutely no one who could keep their hold on a weapon when it was kicked in this fashion. The back side of the wooden training sword smacked harmlessly against Tenchi's left calf muscle and then spun away torn from his grandfather's grasp and completely out of any possible attempt at retrieval. Unfortunately, his own weapon was out of place for a proper counter-attack. Before he can bring it into play, Katsuhito stepped up and in, driving the point of his shoulder into Tenchi's chest. Tenchi managed to keep his feet, but only by grabbing a hold of his grandfather's shirt. Normally, a cheap trick like that would never have worked against a seasoned veteran like Tenchi's grandfather. However, since he was already moving in that direction, he had little choice but to continue in that direction. Tenchi fell over backwards with his grandfather coming down on top of him. As they came down, Tenchi had the presence of mind to wrap his bouken around Katsuhito's neck. The older combatant tried to squirrel out of Tenchi's grasp. But as soon as he moved, he felt the blade pressing against his neck.
"It seems... you've finally won."
Tenchi held his breath for several seconds while his grandfather's admission soaked in.
"I won?"
"Yes."
Tenchi relaxed his hold, allowing Katsuhito to sit up in a more dignified position.
"It's too bad Ryoko isn't here to see it, eh?"
Tenchi chuckled as he imagined how she would react to this long-awaited victory. Beside him, Katsuhito Masaki slowly got to his feet.
"Well, why don't we call it a day?"
Tenchi did not bat an eyelash at the unexpected boon as he stood up.
"Okay."
Quickly gathering his shirt and bouken, he made a bee-line for the house, leaving his poor defeated grandfather standing in the middle of the training ground.
Once Tenchi was out of sight, Katsuhito walked to the large rock at the edge of the training area and sat with a groan. He was beginning to feel aches and pains in places he had never had them. There was no doubt in his mind that he was beginning to truly age. Ever since Tenchi had given Ryoko her gems back and interrupted the flow of energy to Funaho, he had felt a change in his tree. No longer were its thoughts quick and joyful. Funaho seemed as tired as he.
Soon, the charade would end, and his true appearance would be revealed. For the time being, Funaho was continuing to maintain his disguise. But, he had already instructed his tree to discontinue maintaining his life-span. The more his tree used its power, the quicker it would pass into eternal sleep. Now he was beginning to feel the effects. There was much to be done before his passing, and very little time to do it in, compared to the millennia that he could have expected as a prince of the royal family. But, he still did not begrudge himself a few minutes with his grandson, or simply enjoying the foliage of his mother's homeland. Gods willing, he would even get to see another round of great-grandchildren.
As Tenchi entered into his family home, he noticed the sound of someone snoring coming from the main room. Curious, Tenchi altered course to investigate. When he looked over the back of the nearest couch, he found Mihoshi sound asleep. On the coffee table there were three empty styrofoam containers that had once held ramen noodles. Now that he thought about it, he and his elders had left before she had returned from her routine patrol, and only now had they returned.
Tenchi began to feel somewhat guilty over having forgotten about Mihoshi so easily. Now that he thought about it, he had hardly paid any attention to her at Asahi and Gohgei's wedding, either. For a brief moment in time, his subconscious put forth the idea of inviting Mihoshi to join Aeka and Ryoko. With a vicious mental slap, he pushed the idea out of his mind.
"Jeez, I'm getting almost as bad as Dad." He mumbled to himself as he turned to go for a bath.
About half an hour later, when Tenchi returned from his bath fresh and clean, he found the rest of those residing in the house assembled at the breakfast table. Mihoshi was now awake, and was contentedly munching some fried fish, along with his father and grandfather. The klutzy blonde detective was smiling with entirely too much enthusiasm for the hour.
"Good morning, Tenchi! It's so nice to see you again!"
"Likewise, Mihoshi. I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer earlier."
"Oh, that's okay. I understand. At least I got to go to the wedding! My, but everyone's growing so quickly. I wonder who'll be next?"
Tenchi chuckled uneasily as Mihoshi sighed with unspoken longing.
"Yeah. Me, too." Tenchi sat opposite Mihoshi, with his back to the kitchen. His grandfather was quietly eating his breakfast on the left, while Nobuyuki was slurping away at his miso on the right. Taking notice that the others had already started without him, Tenchi bent his head and gave thanks for the meal.
As Tenchi dug in, he could not help noticing how quiet it was in the house without the other girls present. Although he tried his best to ignore it, it felt eerie for everyone to be so quiet. Even Mihoshi was not quite so bubbly today. Growing weary of the ill-favored silence, Tenchi set his chop-sticks down.
"How are the pickles this morning, Mihoshi?"
The normally lively blonde perked up at Tenchi's show of interest. She answered his question with a pleasant smile.
"Oh, they're very good. Not as good as Sasami's pickles, but they're still very good."
"Hmm... What about you two?" Tenchi directed his sudden inquisition at his elders. "How do you like the pickles?"
"Delicious." They both answered flatly with an accompanying nod.
The older Masakis' unenthusiastic response did not convince Tenchi. Something was definitely up. His father and grandfather had good reason to be somewhat contemplative, considering what they had discussed the night before. But Mihoshi had not been there. However, they had all been sitting at the table together before he had returned from his bath. Tenchi began to worry that they might have blabbed about his intentions towards the other girls. What he needed to do was find out what they might have yapped about. Now that he had a few years under his belt, Tenchi felt more comfortable engaging a young lady in discussion.
Pausing for a moment at the idea of Mihoshi being a "young" lady, Tenchi suddenly remembered that she was a number of years older than himself. A quick mental search reminded him that she was now in her mid-to-late twenties, and still unmarried. That narrowed it down to two possibilities: either the old men had told her about his plans, or she was down about her age. Being an adult man, Tenchi began to feel it was his duty to raise Mihoshi's spirits if she were down. He quickly thought up a fairly innocuous question that would show some interest on his part without giving any false impressions.
"So, Mihoshi."
"Yes?" Mihoshi looked at Tenchi, patiently waiting for his question with half a pickle slice still hanging out of her mouth.
"How does a person become a Galaxy Police Detective?"
Mihoshi's eyes shone and her smile grew twice as bright as Tenchi asked her about her background.
"Tenchi, are you interested in transferring to the Police Academy?"
"Uh, no, I just wanted to know more about it."
"Because I could write you a recommendation, you know."
Tenchi chuckled at that.
"Really?"
"Of course! I think you'd make a great detective."
Tenchi reached behind his head and scratched vigorously at an imaginary itch as Mihoshi's overly enthusiastic nature began to bubble over once more.
"Well, I never really thought of that."
"Sure! I have a great idea! Why don't I take you to GP headquarters to meet my grandfather? He's the Grand Marshall, you know. Then we could take a tour of headquarters, and you can see what it is that we do."
"Uh, wait a minute..." Tenchi objected as Mihoshi got the her feet, her breakfast forgotten.
"This is so exciting!" Mihoshi announced as she reached into her back pocket to find her dimensional cube. "I never thought I would actually recruit someone." With a twist of her hand, Mihoshi's civilian shorts and t-shirt were replaced with her GP utility uniform.
"Mihoshi, I wasn't actually considering becoming a police officer."
"Oh, you don't have to be nervous." She waved his objection away as if it were nothing important. "You should have seen me when I went to apply. I was shaking like a leaf!"
Moving to stand next to Tenchi, Mihoshi began manipulating her cube again.
"Well, I'll see everyone later, then. 'Bye!"
"Mihoshi, wait!"
Tenchi and Mihoshi vanished in the blink of an eye as Nobuyuki and Katsuhito watched with amused concern.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Tenchi's father rhetorically inquired.
"Yup."
"Mihoshi, wait!"
The detective ignored Tenchi's objection for the moment. She had found in the past that it was difficult for her to concentrate on more than one thing at a time. If she ever tried to split her attention, she usually ended-up doing both tasks incorrectly. After several failed attempts at multi-tasking, she had finally decided to simply ignore what ever the second task was until she was finished with the first. Unfortunately, her memory was not so great. So, she usually forgot about the second task before she finished the first. Sitting down in her comfortable pilot's seat, Mihoshi called on her computer personality interface.
"Yukinojo?"
The circular optical interface descended from the ceiling on a jointed robotic arm and pointed its visual sensors at her.
"Yes, Miss Mihoshi?"
"We're going to GP headquarters."
"No, we're not!" Tenchi interjected.
If Yukinojo were capable of true emotions, he would have groaned out loud. This was obviously another of Mihoshi's misunderstandings. Unfortunately, his programming would not allow him to ignore her instructions in favor of commands from an unauthorized pilot, even one as important as a prince of Jurai. However, there were other considerations he could voice.
"It is a serious breech of regulations to abandon your post, Miss Mihoshi."
"I'm not abandoning my post. I'm escorting a new recruit to headquarters."
Yukinojo looked at Tenchi. The young man was shaking his head and waving his hands in protest.
"All I did was ask how a person becomes a GP officer, and now she wants me to go meet her grandfather!" Tenchi hung his head. "God, how do I keep getting into these messes?"
"Miss Mihoshi, strictly speaking, Recruiting Command encourages officers to recruit prospective men and women for service. But it would be very bad form if we left this sector unattended. Perhaps it would be better if you simply notified your supervisor? Then a recruiting vessel could be sent to bring him to HQ."
"Yukinojo," Tenchi finally took a stand for what he wanted when he heard Yukinojo and Mihoshi discussing his future as if they were the ones in control. "I'm not going to become a police officer. I only asked because I though Mihoshi was a little down, and I wanted to cheer her up."
Mihoshi looked up at Tenchi with disappointment clear on her face.
"So, you've changed your mind?"
"Mihoshi, I just wanted to talk with you, that's all."
"Oh." Mihoshi thought about this for a moment. Then her face turned pink. "OH! Um... okay."
Looking around for a seat, Tenchi found he was out of luck on that account. He settled for leaning against an unlit control panel.
"I spoke with my father and grandfather last night while we were camping."
Mihoshi began to sprout a small smile, which she promptly tried to hide.
"Really?"
"Yeah, imagine that. I guess I've really had a lot on my mind, lately. But, it's still no excuse to forget about someone."
Mihoshi bravely tried to wave away Tenchi's preoccupation with the other girls.
"Oh, well, I understand. Aeka and Ryoko don't really have anything keeping them from doing what they want, or going where they want."
"That's true." Tenchi agreed.
"And I can't say I blame them for wanting to go along."
Looking at Mihoshi's face, Tenchi could see she was blushing. Unsure of what to say, an uncomfortable silence followed for several seconds. He could see she was just sitting there, twiddling her thumbs. She did not look bored, only uncomfortable and contemplative. He did not want to get into a deep discussion regarding how things had worked out the way they had. But he felt Mihoshi deserved some sort of explanation. The least he could do would be to spend some time just talking and being friends. That was something he could still do. Considering when might be a good time, Tenchi remembered he still needed to get back to the academy in time for the start of the next semester in two weeks.
"Hey, Mihoshi. I have an idea. Would you mind bringing me back to the Galaxy Academy in a few days? We can spend the time the trip takes by getting caught up."
Mihoshi raised her blue eyes and smiled.
"I'd like that."
Aeka and Ryoko materialized in the front yard of their temporary home at the Academy with several large cases of possessions, all of which belonged to the First Princess. Aeka immediately began issuing instructions to Azaka and Kamidake as to the disposition of her things. Hoping to slip away before she was noticed or remembered, Ryoko quietly flew away from Aeka. Her silent escape was brought to an abrupt halt when the collar around her neck stopped her in mid-air.
"Gack! Damn this thing!"
Aeka would have smirked, except that she had nearly choked herself a number of times in the same manner. She settled on a mild admonishment instead.
"Hmph. Serves you right for trying to sneak away without taking in the luggage."
"It's your stuff, not mine!" Ryoko was quick to point out.
"Well, since you cannot fly away while I'm having the luggage brought in, you may as well help."
"If you want to put it that way, then you have to carry some, too! I can't bring any of it in unless you go with me. So grab something and start haulin'!"
Sasami came running out the front door and nearly bowled Aeka over in her haste to welcome her sister home. She latched her arms around her sister and hugged for all she was worth.
"Aeka!"
"My goodness, Sasami! You would think I had been gone for months!"
Sasami looked up the short distance at her sister.
"I missed you!"
Aeka's facial expression softened.
"Well, I'm back now, and I intend to stay."
"Really? Do you promise?"
"Of course I promise. However, I need to speak with Ms Washu before I make anymore promises, all right?"
"Okay! I'm going to make a huge dinner with all your favorite foods!"
Aeka smiled brightly at Sasami's promise of food. She was finding her appetite had begun to run away from her the last couple of days.
"Speaking of Washu," Ryoko asked from just above and to Sasami's side where she was cracking her knuckles, "where is that little pipsqueak, anyway? I've got a bone to pick with her."
Tenchi was next to emerge.
"Welcome home." He smiled from the front door.
Aeka smiled brightly when she saw Tenchi for the first time in two weeks.
"Tenchi!" Ryoko zoomed through the air to give Tenchi a big hug. Exactly two meters away from Aeka, her neck came to a complete stop, while inertia caused her body to swing around like a dog that runs to the end of it's leash without thinking. It did not hurt. But Ryoko cried out in frustration and anger all the same, causing Tenchi to come running. He quickly arrived at her side.
"What's wrong?"
Ryoko dropped to the ground and enfolded Tenchi in her arms. She made sure to whip-up some tears in order to get as much sympathy as possible.
"That frickin' Washu put these frickin' collars on us!"
Aeka quickly joined them to voice her own sentiment.
"I quite agree with Miss Ryoko. Summon Ms Washu at once. I will not tolerate being collared for one second longer!"
Tenchi bent his head to the side so he could see Ryoko's exposed neck, where a gold and ruby encrusted neckband was tightly secured. Reaching up with both hands, he tried to remove it.
"Don't bother." Aeka recommended. "We've already tried everything. It will not come off."
Ryoko sniffled into his chest.
"I can't even teleport with it on. I can still go through walls and stuff. But I can't leave it behind."
"I'll be right back." Carefully disengaging himself from Ryoko's grasp, Tenchi turned around and strode purposefully back into the house. When he returned a couple minutes later, he had Washu slung under one arm. The ladies' eyes went wide when they saw how Tenchi was treating Washu like an unruly child. For her part, Washu looked like she was having fun. She was smiling and giggling with mirth. When Tenchi reached Aeka and Ryoko, he set Washu down on her feet in front of them.
"Well, this is a let down. I thought you were going to kidnap me and do unspeakable things to my sweet and innocent little body. Hee-hee!"
"Washu, take the collars off of Aeka and Ryoko, right now."
"Collars? Oh! You mean the Spatial-Separation-Restriction devices they're using. But I haven't had an opportunity to determine if their use has proven effective, yet."
"Washu, I really don't care. It's not right to treat people like animals. We are not your guinea pigs."
"Well, this is different." Washu thought. Tenchi was actually telling her what to do, rather than meekly asking. Young men at his age were always fascinating to her. One moment, they could be as gentle as kittens, and the next, as ferocious as lions. She had a feeling that if she did not comply, she would soon hear Tenchi's roar. Washu smiled with fondness.
"Lord Tenchi, I will do as you ask. But you need to understand that it's my job as Ryoko's mother to discipline her when she misbehaves."
"Ryoko is not a child."
"She may look and feel like an adult to you. But inside, she is still an adolescent. It's not her fault. She should have a couple thousand years of mental and emotional growth under her belt by now. But, she only has a couple of years. She's getting there, little by little. But Ryoko is still selfish and immature."
"Look who's talking." Ryoko grumbled under her breath.
"If it's not her fault, then why is she being punished? And what about Aeka? You can't tell me she isn't an adult."
"Tenchi, do you know why I'm also head of the College of Philosophy, at the Academy?"
"College of Philosophy?" Even Tenchi had heard of the mysterious college that actually ran the Galaxy Academy. All of the Academy's greatest thinkers and scientific minds were assigned to that college.
"Because I know people. Sure, there are great scientific minds in all the colleges. But only the ones who can think of new ways of thinking, and then put those ideas to use are assigned to the College of Philosophy. If I didn't understand people, there's no way I could ever have created Ryoko. Her mind would have been an incomprehensible jumble of nonsense if I didn't understand people."
Tenchi slowly dropped his hands from Washu's slim shoulders as she relayed her intentions and reasons to him.
"Sometimes, discipline can be a very effective learning tool, even though it's usually somewhat distressing to the one being disciplined. Ryoko has a completely unique personality that is based on a unique physiology. She responds to things in a unique way that is all her own because her needs are different from ours. But I guarantee she has benefited from this. And I'm willing to bet Aeka did, as well. Let's go see, shall we?"
Washu turned from a dumbstruck Tenchi, who could do nothing except watch what was about to happen. She came to a halt in front of Ryoko and smiled.
"Hi! Did you have a nice trip?"
"Hey, none of that crap. Take this damn thing off."
"Oh, come on. Didn't anything exciting happen?"
"I guess."
"You guess?"
"Mmm... we met Minagi and got in a fight with the richest guy in the galaxy. Does that count?"
"Of course! Wow! Sounds like you had a blast!"
"Oh! And Aeka taught me how to play chess!"
"No kidding!"
"Yup! I kicked her butt on the first try!"
"Only after I gave you a thrashing to remember." Aeka scowled at her opponent.
"Yeah, she did almost win. But I was up to it!"
"Good for you! Now, why don't you two bend down a little lower so I can take those pesky collars off?"
Neither girl so much as blinked at Washu's request that they bow down before her. It took only a touch of her finger, and the collars fell into Washu's hands. She promptly stuffed them into her Academy uniform where vengeful hands would not touch them.
"Well, what are you two waiting for? Go say hi to Tenchi!"
With gleeful smiles, each girl grabbed one of Tenchi's arms for herself, and greeted him cheerily. Tenchi smiled, and with a chuckle, he returned the greeting.
"I think they bought it."
Washu watched with a grin as the youngsters proceeded to ignore her.
"Hook, line, and sinker." With a start, Washu suddenly realized that Sasami was still present. She had been watching the entire affair with silent interest. The young lady winked at her.
The two of them watched as Tenchi gave each of his girls a welcome home kiss on the cheek. Both girls grinned with pleasure at the greeting. But as Tenchi gave Aeka her kiss, she felt something in her stomach suddenly disagreeing with her.
"I'm very happy to see you again, Lord Tenchi. However, I must go in for a moment. Please excuse me."
Tenchi turned his head to follow Aeka's progress as she quickly walked into the house without so much as a backward glance. Her abrupt departure was surprising to say the least.
Aeka went straight to the restroom and shut the door. Her stomach was rolling and tossing, giving her imminent warning of violent upheaval. She lifted the lid of the toilet, hoping the device would not be needed.
"Oh, lord..."
It was.
Peering into Washu's lab, Aeka looked around first, to be sure no one else was present except for its primary occupant. Luckily, that was the case. She fully entered the dimensional space and quickly made her way to the area Washu normally used for data input. The diminutive red-head was sitting on a levitating seat in front of several holographic displays.
"Little Washu, I have a favor to ask."
"Again?" Washu acted as if she were annoyed.
"If it's too much for you I can go else where."
"Hey, I'm an important person. I've got a lot of work to do before the next semester begins."
"I am also an important person, and what I have to ask is more important than any work the Academy may require of you."
Washu looked over her shoulder at Aeka. She doubted that what Aeka wanted was that important. But it might be worthwhile to see.
"What do you want?"
"I would like a physical examination."
"What for?"
Aeka answered without missing a beat.
"It has been too long since my last physical. As First Princess, I must maintain my health. One never knows when I may be called to perform some duty for which only my particular talents will suffice. If I were unhealthy, I would not be able to complete those duties."
"Oohh. Well, if that's what you want, sure. Have a seat." As she turned back to her holographic computer terminal, Washu stuck a thumb out at a medical table that had mysteriously appeared behind Aeka.
"First, take off all your clothes."
Aeka's face colored a bit.
"Excuse me?"
"I can't give you a complete physical if you don't take off your cloths. Gotta make sure all the plumbing works!"
Aeka sighed in resignation.
"Yes. I suppose you are correct." She reluctantly began removing her kimono.
Washu punched up her old data files on Aeka's physical condition for reference.
"So, is there anything I should be looking for?"
"No. There is nothing specific."
"Uh-huh. So just an overall check-up: blood-work, reflexes, pregnancy, cardio-pulmonary, and so on."
"Yes. That's r- ah!" Aeka suddenly realized something she had not even begun to consider.
"Mmm-hmm. Been feeling a little sick in the mornings? Greater than normal appetite at other times? Unusual cravings?"
Aeka lowered her face and took a deep breath.
"Y-yes."
"Hmm. I wonder what that could mean?" Washu sarcastically wondered aloud. "When you're finished, lie back. This won't take a moment."
When Aeka finished removing her clothes, she laid back on the examination table as she had been instructed. Washu tapped away at her console, setting up the tests she would need to confirm or deny Aeka's pregnancy. She made small talk as she worked.
"So, how was your trip, really?"
"Miserable, at first." Aeka hesitated as she tried to relate how she had felt away from everyone she had come to know.
"It was better later on, then?"
"Yes, actually. The longer Ryoko and I were together, the better we seemed to get along." Aeka revealed as a metal arch extended from the end of the table and rotated over her head to a vertical position.
"So are you two going to quit fighting, or does Little Washu have to get motherly again?"
The arch began to emit a yellowish glow from the side facing Aeka as it moved slowly from head to toe.
"No, that won't be necessary. I just hope we don't do anything to make Lord Tenchi mad at us again."
"Good idea. I've been getting the feeling that he wants to take more control of his life."
"I... think I agree."
When the arch reached the end of it's travel at the foot of the examination table, Washu mentally digested the data and then turned to Aeka to present it in an understandable format.
"Are you ready for some input?"
"I suppose."
Washu checked off the changes from Aeka's last examination on her fingers as she spoke.
"Body temperature is slightly higher than normal. Hormone levels are totally screwy. You're an entire two kilos heavier than the last time I checked. I guess Ryoko was right about all those cookies. The good news is there isn't anything in your system that would make you physically or mentally ill. But that's no surprise, since you have a Royal Tree watching out for you. Also, your bust size has grown half a centimeter."
"Is that all?"
"No." Washu answered. "But, you don't really need me to tell you that, do you?"
Aeka sat up. She clambered back to her feet and retrieved her undergarments before speaking again.
"I must have absolute confirmation."
Washu sighed.
"You're pregnant."
Aeka closed her eyes.
"My father's going to kill me."
"Your father's going to kill Tenchi."
For a moment, Aeka seemed frightened of the idea of her father and Tenchi getting into that kind of disagreement. Then her facial features hardened.
"Over my dead body."
Washu wanted to begin giving Aeka medical advice on her pregnancy, but there was something she needed to confirm first.
"I assume you're keeping it?"
Aeka looked at her in shock.
"Washu! Of course I am! How could you even suggest such a thing?" She quickly began putting her clothes back on.
"Hey, sorry! Just checking! I wouldn't have done it even if you had asked." Washu quickly moved on to another subject.
"Anyway, I want you in here at least once a month for a check-up. Also, you have to follow a strict diet. If you want to have a healthy child you need to eat right. Since I know you won't follow it on your own, I'll send the requirements to Sasami so she can make sure you get the nutrition you need. Remember, you're eating for two, now."
"Yes, yes. I understand. Wait!" Aeka directed her attention to Washu again. "Could you wait a little while before telling Sasami?"
"No." Washu emphatically refused.
"Little Washu, Lord Tenchi should be informed first, and I shall be the one to tell him. Please. Give me two days. There's... something I have to do before he finds out."
"Like what?" Washu suspiciously asked.
"That is between myself and Lord Tenchi."
Washu looked carefully into Aeka's eyes.
"How important?"
"Very."
Washu contemplated Aeka's request for a few more moments before giving her an answer.
"You have two days exactly, starting now. One second more, and I get out the bull horn."
"Very well."
"Whatcha doin'?"
Aeka spun around from the kitchen counter when she heard Ryoko's voice almost right in her ear. It was the middle of the night, and, usually, there was no one about at such a late hour. Aeka had not anticipated that Ryoko would actually be out and about, instead of enjoying the warmth of Tenchi's bed.
"Ryoko! You scared the daylights out of me!"
"Yeah, yeah, been there, done that, got the tee-shirt." Ryoko pointed the horrific mess Aeka had made of the baking supplies. "What are you trying to make?"
Aeka turned back to the counter and sullenly contemplated her amazingly obvious failure at cooking.
"I'm baking a cake, if you must know."
"Looks like you're making a mess."
"Well, excuse me, Miss Iron-Chef! At least I make an attempt while you just sit around lazing off of Lord Tenchi's generosity."
"Oh, please. I cooked for Tenchi for five weeks on a deserted island. What did you ever make for him?"
Aeka turned again and stared Ryoko square in the eye.
"Something that you will never understand because Lord Tenchi knows you're not mature enough to handle it."
Ryoko's eyes went wide with confusion before returning to the previous narrow-eyed expression of skepticism.
"What in Hell are you talking about?"
"Hmph." Aeka turned back to the counter. "I am going to make this cake for Lord Tenchi, no matter what."
"Yeah, right."
Ryoko turned to leave Aeka to her abuse of all things culinary. Suddenly, the princess spun around again and began hissing and spitting at her for no reason.
"What do you know about making things?! All you've ever done is destroy! What I'm doing for Lord Tenchi is the most beautiful and... and..." Aeka's diatribe came to a clumsy halt. She hung her head in shame.
Ryoko looked at Aeka in surprise. The normally even-tempered princess did not usually fly off the handle for no reason. Now, she was just standing there, shaking like a leaf.
"Hey. Um, Aeka?" Ryoko leaned closer. Pushing aside Aeka's bangs with her hand, she saw tears on the princess's face.
"Come on, Aeka. I wasn't teasing that hard."
The shaking faded away as Aeka regained control of herself.
"I know. I'm sorry. I've... just been so emotional lately."
"You really want to bake a cake for Tenchi?"
Aeka straightened and wiped her face.
"Yes. It's extremely important."
"Then why are you doing it the hard way?"
"Well, what other way is there to bake a cake?"
"Use instant mix."
"There is such a thing?"
"Heck yeah!" Ryoko smiled, allowing just the tips of her fangs to show. She walked right to the cupboards and started flinging them open. Various boxes and small bottles clinked and clanked as she dug through, looking for the box of instant cake mix.
"Hah! Here it is!" She withdrew her arm from the cupboard, sending several other boxes falling to the ground. One broke open, sending dry elbow noodles clattering across the floor.
"Oops."
"Now who's making a mess." Aeka's look of disapproval seemed rather thin.
"Hmph. Just for that, you have to tell me why you're doing this."
Aeka looked at her for a moment, trying to decide if she should tell her.
"Because I feel like it."
"That's your 'extremely important' reason? You're full of it."
"Yes, I suppose I am."
They stared at each other for a while, sizing each other up. Ryoko pushed a finger through the cardboard cake mix box and stirred it around. Aeka thought her behavior was rather strange.
"What are you doing?"
Ryoko removed her finger and looked at the white powder on her finger for a moment before sticking it in her mouth. She sucked the mix off and then smiled.
"Vanilla."
It was the most simple and silly thing Aeka had ever heard. She started laughing.
"You are the most ridiculous person I have ever had the misfortune to meet." Aeka took a deep breath before continuing. "Very well, Miss Ryoko. If you must know, I intend to ask Lord Tenchi to..." she hesitated slightly, "to marry me."
Ryoko's eyes went very wide as the unwelcome feeling of fear suddenly assailed her.
"What?"
"Now that I've been with Lord Tenchi, it would be inappropriate for me to marry another."
Ryoko seriously thought about what Aeka was talking about. She seemed satisfied with the current arrangement. Observation told her that Aeka and Tenchi always thoroughly enjoyed their time together, just as much as she enjoyed her time with him. Now that she thought about it, Aeka's sudden interest in matrimony made a great deal of sense. Aeka and Tenchi had enjoyed enough time together over the summer that she just might have a very good reason to ask him to marry her. Ryoko looked at Aeka with a sly expression on her face.
"So. Aeka. Have you thought of any names, yet?"
Aeka's face turned red.
"That's not the whole reason! Please, don't tell Tenchi. He'll think I'm asking because of it. I want him to answer from the heart."
"Oh, bull-crap, Aeka. It's exactly why you're asking."
"I..." Aeka stared at Ryoko as she tried to come up with a rational explanation for her behavior. But, the more she thought about it, the more she came to realize that Ryoko was right.
"I... didn't mean for this to happen. Oh, God, what a hypocrite I've become. All this time I've been lecturing you on how to behave properly, and now look at me. I'm skulking about in the middle of the night like some floozy."
"You don't know the first thing about being a floozy."
Aeka gave Ryoko a nasty look.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Bah!" With a snort of disgust, Ryoko turned away. She carelessly tossed the box of instant cake mix onto the flour covered counter top, along with the other baking implements. Her gaze began floating across the objects she could see out the small window above the kitchen sink. There were trees, of course, and the sky. The quarter moon was just visible in one upper corner. It's light illuminated thin wisps of clouds in the night sky. It suddenly occurred to her that Aeka was finally treating her like an equal, who just so happened to be in love with the same man she was in love with. She was surprised when Aeka joined her in front of the window.
"Ryoko, I must have Tenchi for my husband. If... you cannot agree, then I will have no choice but to fight you for him."
Ryoko scowled her displeasure, hoping the expression would hide what she was truly feeling.
"That's not very fair."
"As I have so recently begun to understand, life is seldom fair. I won't give up, now, or ever, and I refuse to return to Jurai in shame."
Ryoko snorted when she realized that Aeka had misunderstood.
"That's not what I meant. I mean, how am I supposed to fight you when you're pregnant with Tenchi's baby?"
The sound of a young girl's gasp immediately drew Aeka and Ryoko's attention to the doorway, where Sasami was standing with her eyes wide with shock.
"Aeka? Is that... true?"
"Sasami! What are you doing awake at this hour?"
"I... heard voices."
Looking very guilty, Aeka turned to face out the window again. Sensing that Aeka was not going to answer, Ryoko decided to answer Sasami's question for the First Princess. She turned around and casually boosted herself up on the counter-top.
"Yup. The princess is packin'."
Aeka suddenly turned around to face her sister.
"Sasami, you must swear to me you will not follow my foolish example. You must wait until you are married to have children."
As Sasami blushed at the thought of someday having children of her own, Ryoko gave Aeka a questioning look.
"What for?"
Aeka looked back at her like she was crazy.
"What do you mean, what for? It is... inappropriate."
"So what you're saying is that having sex with Tenchi is inappropriate?"
"Discussing this topic in front of my sister is inappropriate."
"Oh, for..." Ryoko laid herself out on the counter top as she groaned her disagreement. "Maybe we ought to ask Sasami if she thinks it's inappropriate." Looking in Sasami's direction, Ryoko asked exactly that.
"Hey, Sasami, do you think talking about sex is inappropriate?"
"Ryoko!" Aeka hissed at her.
Although Sasami's face was growing very red, she stood her ground.
"It's not like I don't know where babies come from. It's just... no one's ever really talked to me about it."
Ryoko's eyes went wide.
"Never?"
Sasami shook her head with curious enthusiasm.
"Well, then. Why don't you come over here and talk with the big girls?"
Sasami walked right over to Ryoko's side and stood between the older girls.
"Oo, lookit that! You're right up to Aeka's shoulder, now, eh?"
Sasami beamed with pride.
"Yes, I am."
"So you are. Mm." Ryoko nodded with an incredibly serious expression on her face, causing Sasami to giggle at the melodramatic act. The ex-pirate's mouth widened into a sly grin. Eyeing Sasami's figure, she could see that the princess was beginning to acquire the shape of a young lady.
"Then... you must be growing in other areas, hmm?"
The girl's face turned beet-red as Aeka sent Ryoko another nasty look.
"Enough, Ryoko. That truly is inappropriate."
Ryoko interpreted Sasami's nod as an affirmative answer to the question she had asked.
"Ha! I knew it! Come on, Aeka. If we girls don't teach her about sex, who do you think will? Probably some jock a couple of years older than her with more hormones than brains, that's who."
After a couple seconds of silence, Aeka thinly chuckled. It was not a very strong laugh. But it was enough to let the others know she had found something funny.
"It just occurred to me that I've been trying to get Mother to recognize me as an adult for... well, for as long as I can remember."
Ryoko closed her eyes and smiled. Sasami began giggling again.
"Mom is pretty bad about that, isn't she?"
"Why, it was only last month that she finally admitted to even having lustful thoughts about Father. I was absolutely beside myself with shock."
"Ah!" Ryoko exclaimed with sudden understanding. "In the limo!"
Aeka nodded.
"Yes. I suppose even little sisters have to grow up, some day. But I still believe one should wait until after the wedding."
Ryoko rolled over onto her back.
"No way. If it feels good, do it. And if you want my opinion, it feels damn good."
"Just because something feels good, does not mean it's good for you. There are literally hundreds of sexually transmitted diseases out there. Some of which can kill a person. Not to mention the fact that such free-willed behavior often leads to teenaged pregnancy and single mothers."
"You're one to preach. But isn't it better to know what you're getting before you get married?"
"The risks far outweigh the gains."
"What if you marry somebody and find out that he's lousy in bed, and you get so sick of lousy sex, that you start to hate him?"
"That's a bit of a stretch."
"Uhn-uh. Happens all the time. OR, what if, later, you meet someone you just can't stay away from? That happens all the time, too."
"If you truly love your husband, you will stay true to him, no matter what."
"No, now you're talking about love. Stay on the subject."
"Excuse me?"
"If you get married without having sex beforehand, chances are you'll find someone later on that you would rather be with. What's worse, even if you do love him, you won't know how to show it right when it counts! If you sleep around, not only do you get better at sex, but you get to pick and choose who you want."
Aeka gave Ryoko a very skeptical look concerning her twisted sense of logic.
"So then. I suppose you have arrived in Lord Tenchi's bed through the process of elimination?"
Ryoko looked upwards through her bangs at Aeka for a couple of seconds. She had become so engrossed in actually having a stimulating conversation, that she had begun to tread into some dangerous waters. Instead of deflecting Aeka's attention away from marrying Tenchi, she had sent it right towards her past sex life, which was something Ryoko really did not want to discuss.
"It wasn't like that. I... never got anything out of sex. It wasn't like I couldn't do it. All the plumbing worked right, but I never got excited. It was like I was totally missing the point."
"Wait a moment. How can the so-called plumbing work right if you weren't excited?"
"Hell if I know. I asked Kagato about it once, and he said it was unnecessary for an efficient tool."
Aeka actually seemed taken aback.
"That's so cruel."
"It wasn't until Yosho locked me in that cave that I was free of that bastard's control. For seven hundred years I was alone, until I met Tenchi. That's when I started having real feelings."
Ryoko smiled mischievously.
"But it wasn't until he let me out that I had a body again. And once I had my body back, I wanted to do everything at once, especially sex. All I had to do was look at Tenchi and..." Thinking of the way Tenchi made her feel sent shivers down Ryoko's spine. "Whoo... it was all I could do just to keep from jumping on him."
"As I recall, you have done that any number of times."
"Sure. But those times I was just flirting. There were times when I really wanted him, and I knew that if I forced him, he would hate me. So, I'd go someplace where I could be alone for a while."
"I don't think you need to go into further details on that subject."
"Yeah, like you never play with yourself."
Aeka's face turned bright red as Ryoko turned over, once more, this time onto her stomach.
"Well, that is not a subject you should talk about with other people!"
"Well, we're talking now, aren't we?"
That gave Aeka reason to pause. Now that she thought about it, she realized that she was actually having an intelligent, if somewhat embarrassing conversation with her arch-nemesis. That could only mean one thing. She was being distracted.
"Ah, I see. You are trying to distract me from my original intentions, aren't you? Well, forget it. I'm still waiting for your answer."
Ryoko groaned. For once, she had been enjoying an honest-to-goodness real-live conversation with her friends. She liked talking with people, as long as they were talking about something she was interested in. But it seemed that that short time was now over. Ryoko set her arms across one another and then set her chin on top of them. She stared at the stainless sink with abject annoyance.
"Cut it out, Aeka. I can't fight you, now."
"Then you agree."
Ryoko buried her face behind her arms.
"I can't."
"Ryoko, you must choose. If you cannot, then I will simply march myself right up to Lord Tenchi's room and ask him without your consent."
A flare of anger suddenly ignited within Ryoko's belly, causing her to glance over the top of her folded forearms at Aeka.
"Don't you dare."
Now that the conversation was finally into an area that Sasami felt a little more comfortable with, she began trying to partake of it.
"Aeka, are you going to ask Tenchi to marry you?"
Ryoko and Aeka had very different answers to Sasami's question.
"Yes, I am."
"No, she's not."
Aeka glared at Ryoko, even though the woman was hiding her face in her arms. Fortunately, they had Sasami there to keep the peace.
"Ryoko, if Aeka doesn't marry Tenchi, and my father finds out he got Aeka pregnant, he'll have Tenchi executed."
Ryoko's gave Sasami her scariest look as she peeked over the top of her biceps.
"I'll kill him, first."
Sasami cringed when she saw the way her friend was looking at her. But she stuck to her guns, trying to convince Ryoko to allow this.
"Daddy's a really strong warrior, you know."
"I beat him before, and I can beat him again."
Now there was a story neither Aeka nor Sasami had ever heard.
"You have?"
"Damn right. It was about fifty years before Kagato sent me after Tsunami. He thought he could take on me, Ryo-o-ki, and the Souja, all at the same time."
"Oo. That would be tough, even for Kirito."
Aeka could not disagree.
"Indeed."
"Well, don't worry. Tsunami showed up and bailed him out."
"So you didn't beat him." Aeka pointed out, pleased she had found the truth behind one of Ryoko's lies.
"Hey. The great lady herself had to personally save his bacon by teleporting the entire ship someplace else."
"Oh! I've heard this story before! This is how father met Lady Funaho."
"It is?"
"Yes. Tsunami rescued father, and magically teleported him and Kirito to Earth, where he was found by Funaho. She brought him to her home and tended his wounds until he was able to travel. While he was there, they fell in love. Her family thought father was a powerful warrior spirit. So they allowed him to take her home with him as his wife."
"Whoa. That's scary."
Aeka looked at Ryoko as if she had suddenly grown another head.
"How is that?"
"I made my own destiny without even trying."
"Uhh..."
"Think about it. If I hadn't fought Azusa, he would never have ended up on Earth, met Funaho, and had kids. His son, Yosho defeated me and locked me in that cave, where, seven hundred years later, I met his grandson, Tenchi."
"I see. So..." Aeka face contorted for a moment as she realized Ryoko has once more led her astray. "You did it again! Miss Ryoko, I will not be distracted any further. Choose now, or forever hold your peace!"
Ryoko buried her face out of sight.
"Forget it, Aeka. You can't have Tenchi, and I'm not gonna fight you for him."
Seeing that her sister and friend were at an impasse, Sasami tried to offer an alternative.
"Maybe you should just let Tenchi decide. Don't you think he'll do the right thing?"
Ryoko spoke from behind her folded arms, muffling the sound of her voice.
"I know he'll do the right thing. That's why I can't let him choose."
"But, it's his baby, too!"
Ryoko clenched her fists as Sasami's impassioned plea almost made her choke. Sasami was right on the money. The right thing to do was for him to marry Aeka and be a father and husband for his child and woman. Ryoko tried to be impassive to Sasami's pleadings. But the young lady's voice held considerable sway with the feelings in her heart.
"Tenchi loves both of you. He won't make either of you leave, no matter what he decides. Don't you want to watch his baby grow up?"
Ryoko turned her head so she could see Sasami as she spoke to her, unintentionally allowing Sasami to see the small tears that were gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"The only way you'll see that is if you say yes. Besides, I'm really looking forward to being an auntie."
Ryoko shut her eyes tight as her heart pounded in fear for what she would lose.
"Stop it..."
"I'm not saying this to be mean. But, I know you didn't have a mom or dad until you met Washu. Do you want this baby to be missing its daddy?"
"SHUT UP!"
Aeka cautiously took a small step back. Despite her challenge, she really did not wish to fight Ryoko. She was a difficult enough an opponent with one, or even no gems. How much more difficult would she be now, with all the power she had absorbed?
Ryoko tried desperately to keep herself from lashing out at the princesses. Her instincts were telling her to fight for what was most important to her. However, she knew Sasami was only showing her concern for her sister's child. That she could deal with. But she could not accept letting go of Tenchi. Especially not after everything she had gone through to win his love.
Despite popular belief, she did possess a sense of ethics. Even she would not risk harming Aeka's child by fighting her. Since she could not fight, and Aeka was obviously hell-bent on marrying Tenchi because of it, that did not leave many options. As tears dripped off the end of her nose, Ryoko told Aeka what she thought of her for trying to take Tenchi.
"I thought we were friends."
Thinking that Ryoko was speaking to her, Sasami started to cry.
"I..."
As she was unable to formulate any further coherent sentences due to Ryoko's blunt statement of disappointment, Sasami turned and ran out the kitchen door, sobbing. Aeka turned an angry glare on Ryoko.
"How dare you say something so horrible to my sister? In case you haven't noticed, she cares about you a great deal!"
"I was talking to you!"
Aeka's eyes went wide with surprise.
"What?"
With a growl, Ryoko finally showed her face to Aeka, revealing to her the puffiness in her eyes that showed how much she was upset by this whole affair.
"Fine. Let me make it clear to you, Aeka. I HATE YOUR STINKIN' GUTS!!"
It was very surprising to Aeka how much that hurt. But before she could even try to apologize or make amends, Ryoko disappeared, leaving her alone in the kitchen with her failed attempt at cooking. It had never even occurred to her that Ryoko considered her a friend. Although Aeka could admit it was something of a relief to just cut-loose once in a while, she had never consciously considered Ryoko more than an acquaintance. Now, her sister had run off and someone who considered her a friend had run off, leaving her with Tenchi. In addition, Mihoshi had been left back on Earth, alone with Tenchi's father and grandfather. Suddenly, the prize did not seem as worthwhile as before. Was having Tenchi worth hurting so many people?
As Aeka considered this, it occurred to her that the situation was not as grim as Ryoko was making it out to be. She was perfectly fine with the idea of a polygamous relationship. Even Tenchi appeared to have accepted the idea in practice, if not in ideal. It did not make any sense for Ryoko to be so frightened of losing Tenchi, unless she felt their relationship was still shaky. Perhaps Tenchi was still angry with her over the incident at the space-port two weeks ago. Aeka shook her head. He had greeted them both with equal enthusiasm, showing neither preference nor dissatisfaction for either. The problem was not with Tenchi.
Perhaps Ryoko thought she wanted to take him from her. Aeka thumped her fist on the countertop. That made no sense, either. Ryoko knew it was a shared relationship. Tenchi had explained it right in front of them both.
Reluctantly, Aeka turned her attention to herself. Perhaps she had simply missed something important, and thinking about the situation would bring it to light. The big question for her was "What am I doing?" The answer was easily identified. She was trying to... With a start, Aeka realized she was not really sure what she was trying to do. She wanted to be with Tenchi, for sure. Despite Tenchi's ongoing relationship with Ryoko, he had still treated her with respect and kindness. Nothing had changed between them, except that she had watched him and Ryoko grow closer and closer over the next year. She had tried to distract herself from it with her studies, and redecorating the house. But all that had been a waste of time. She had never been terribly fond of educational pursuits, and fixing-up the house like an expectant mother had only made her feel as if someone were pouring salt in her wounds.
That was exactly what it felt like every time she caught them showing affection to each other. It felt like being stabbed with a knife. At first, it had only hurt. But later, the pain had grown to include jealousy. But still she had kept silent, not wanting Tenchi to know how much she was hurting inside. Then the wedding had come. She had totally lost control right in the middle of the ceremony, making a complete fool of herself. Then she had made even more of a fool of herself by leaving the reception with Seiryu.
Again, Aeka asked herself what she was doing. This time, the answer was more forthcoming. She was following her own feelings without regard to how that may effect others. Her guess was that Ryoko was afraid she would take Tenchi from her. Aeka wonder if she would do so if she were presented with the opportunity. Traditionally, she would have answered in the affirmative. However, she stopped short of answering when a sense of guilt began to settle over her. Ryoko had said she had thought of Aeka as a friend, and a real friend does not take their friend's love from them. But that was not necessary. Aeka knew it was within herself to share Tenchi with Ryoko if that was the only way for her to be with him. Her only other option was to go into exile, as her father's mother, Amame, had done after getting involved with her grandfather, Kazuki. Either way, she would have to decide soon. It would be impossible to keep it a secret from Tenchi, especially with Washu standing-by with her so-called bull-horn. Aeka shook her head as frustration began to set in. The situation could be dealt with, if only Ryoko were willing to talk with her about it. But, if she knew that woman, she was probably already planning to run-off with Tenchi tied to her head. Realizing how serious a predicament that would be, Aeka began quickly making her way upstairs, grumbling to herself.
"Why must that woman behave so irrationally?"
As she reached Tenchi's room, she slid the door open without hesitation. Inside, the two lovers were facing each other in the middle of the room. Tenchi was wearing a pair of boxers and a look of great concern. When she heard Aeka enter, Ryoko stiffened.
"Go away." She warned.
Confused, Tenchi looked back and forth between them.
"Ryoko, what is going on? Why are you so upset?"
With a sense of purpose she had not realized she possessed, Aeka took a step forward.
"I'm afraid Ryoko and I are having a bit of a disagreement."
"Disagreement my ass. Tenchi, make her go away. Please?"
"Why can't the two of you be friends?"
Ryoko finally lost her cool.
"God damn it, I tried! But Aeka's such a selfish little bitch that she wants you all to herself!"
"That's not true!"
Ryoko spun around and yelled across the room at the top of her lungs.
"Then what was all that crap you just told me!?"
"It's not crap! I love Lord Tenchi with all my heart!"
"Well, so do I!"
Tenchi bravely tried to put an end to the horrible verbal battle going on in front of him.
"That's enough."
"No, it's not!" Ryoko disagreed. "I'd rather die than be alone, again."
"And I would rather die than forsake any one of you."
Both Ryoko and Aeka paused in their argument when they heard those fateful words Tenchi had spoken to Kagato years ago.
"Aeka, Ryoko, I'm truly sorry for what I've put you through. As often as I apologize, I keep causing you pain."
The girls remained silent to hear what Tenchi wanted to hear.
"I know why you two are arguing."
Ryoko suddenly turned around again and flung herself into Tenchi's chest.
"Please don't leave me."
Tenchi put his arms around Ryoko in a warm embrace.
"Of course I'm not leaving you, Ryoko. I love you." Looking down at Aeka, he carefully pushed Ryoko back a little so he could look into her eyes. "Ryoko, look at me."
The distraught young woman obeyed, lifting her tear-filled eyes to Tenchi's.
"Ryoko, I will never leave you, no matter what. I will always be here for you, and I will always love you."
Ryoko spared a moment more to maintain eye contact with Tenchi before she leaned forward to kiss him. Tenchi allowed it, even though Aeka was watching. Out of consideration for her feelings, he kept it short.
Watching the couple of Tenchi and Ryoko, Aeka began to realize that there was still something that Ryoko possessed of Tenchi that she did not. He obviously loved her immensely. Although Aeka had shared herself with Tenchi, there were still things he only did for, or with, Ryoko. There was still the short, meaningful looks and caresses they shared. Although he claimed to love Aeka, what she was seeing now proved that his love for Ryoko was greater. Reluctantly, she had to admit that asking Tenchi to marry her would probably do more harm than good, which was something Tenchi would not approve of. Patiently, Aeka waited until he and Ryoko were done before speaking again.
"Ryoko, I apologize for allowing my... selfish jealousy to come between you and Lord Tenchi. You must promise me you will always love him, and that when he needs you, you will be there for him."
The way that Tenchi was holding her made it difficult for Ryoko to act as if she were all right with everything. But at least she was no longer as upset as she had been.
"I promise."
"Aeka..."
"Lord Tenchi, part of loving someone is knowing when one is doing the right thing. I... should not have followed you here." Aeka's voice cracked, denying her the end of what she had hoped would be an honorable farewell.
"Aeka, I meant what I said about never forsaking any one of you. If you'll have a seat for a moment, I'm pretty sure I've figured out a way so that we can all have what we want."
With her feelings all a-jumble, Aeka followed Tenchi's suggestion.
"Very well."
Tenchi carefully pried Ryoko from his chest to suggest the same to her.
"Ryoko, would you mind sitting next to Aeka? I have something for you."
The lure of a gift from Tenchi was unnecessary. Ryoko would have sat there without the promise of a reward. But it did make things a little more tolerable.
"I guess. If you really want me to."
Reluctantly, she walked the short distance to Tenchi's bed and then sat down as Tenchi went to his dresser. She sat still for a moment, then glanced in Aeka's direction.
"You sounded like you changed your mind."
"You're right. I am a selfish bitch."
"Well, you're not that selfish."
Aeka pursed her lips.
"Gee, thanks."
At the other end of the room, Tenchi pulled out one of the drawers as far as it would go, then reached all the way to the back. Whatever it was that he removed, Aeka could not tell. Tenchi held it within his closed palms as he came back to stand before her. Ryoko also stared at his closed hands, wondering what he held concealed in his palms as he began his own speech.
"I've been thinking about some things, about us. A lot has happened in the last couple of years. I never imagined a guy like me would have the adventures we've had together. Not only that, but there's two wonderful women that love me."
Tenchi took a moment to look both Ryoko and Aeka in the eye, in turn. His gaze lingered on the latter.
"It took me a very long time to realize that if I wanted to be with one of you, I would have to accept both of you. I kind of figured something like this was going to happen after we were together. But, I wasn't sure how to deal with it until recently. My first and worst mistake was thinking I actually had to choose between you. Somehow, I knew that if I could just wait long enough, the whole thing would resolve itself. For once, I was right, just not in the way I thought. I don't want to hurt either of you ever again. So, um..."
Tenchi took a deep breath to calm himself. He opened his mouth to ask the question he wanted, but his mouth no longer seemed to work properly. The big breath he had taken whooshed out of his lungs.
"Boy, this is hard. Um... here. You'll get the idea."
Tenchi revealed a pair of velvet boxes within his hands.
"There's one for each of you. They're both the same, so you don't have to worry about who gets the better one."
The girls looked at the boxes, then at each other, and then at Tenchi, mimicking each others movements perfectly. Aeka was the first to reach out and receive her gift from Tenchi. Raising the soft lid revealed a diamond ring. Her eyes began to tear with joy as she realized what the purpose of this little exercise was. It took only a moment to remove the ring from its box and slide it on her left ring finger.
"Lord Tenchi," Aeka asked as she wiped the tears from her face, "I most humbly and... and... oh, thank you!" She leapt up and embraced Tenchi tightly. "But, let me make sure I understand. You wish to have both Ryoko and I as your wives?"
"Yes." Tenchi answered.
"But, how is this possible? I though it was forbidden in your society."
Tenchi just shook his head.
"Don't worry about that right now. We'll deal with it when the time comes. However..." He then looked at Ryoko, who was staring at the object in his free hand with both shock and wonder. "It's conditional. I won't go through with it if either of you doesn't want to."
Realizing what Tenchi meant, Aeka also looked at Ryoko to see if she agreed.
"Don't look at me like that!" Ryoko insisted as she stared at the ring. "What... I mean, I don't, what? I've never... a bride? Me?"
"Ryoko," Tenchi carefully explained what was going on, "What I'm saying is I want to spend the rest of my life with you. With both of you." He appended. "Remember what you said in the forest on Ryuten, about us being together forever? I want that, too."
After a moment of gazing into Ryoko's eyes, he stepped away from Aeka and opened the box so Ryoko could see it. With a shaking hand, she reached out and took the box from him. For the longest time she just stared at it, gaping in wonder.
"Really?"
"Yes." Tenchi stated simply.
Ryoko started having the same problem as Aeka. She could not stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. At the moment she did not care that she would have to share him with Aeka. She was just too glad she was not going to lose him completely.
Tentatively, Ryoko reached into the box and carefully touched the gemstone, half-expecting it would disappear. When she plucked the ring from its place, her fingers told her it was solid and real. She held the box out to Aeka.
"Hold this for a minute."
"Huh?" Aeka looked at the box in confusion.
"Just do it." Ryoko insisted.
"All right. There's no need to yell."
Ryoko held out the ring in her right hand and presented her left hand to Tenchi. He looked at them for a moment before getting the idea. Taking the ring in his left hand, he held Ryoko's left hand in his right, and slid the ring over her left ring finger. He was not at all surprised when Ryoko jumped up, engulfing him in a huge embrace as soon as the ring was in place.
"I love you so much!" She whispered in his ear.
For a moment, Aeka felt somewhat out of place. She cleared her throat, indicating she wished to speak.
"Miss Ryoko, from now on, you will have to begin learning how to be a proper wife for Lord Tenchi. He certainly deserves no less."
"I'll learn how to be a proper wife when you do."
"Excuse me?"
Ryoko stayed close to Tenchi for a few more seconds before letting go.
"Isn't there something you want to tell Tenchi?"
Aeka gazed at Ryoko for a moment before remembering what Ryoko was referring to.
"I suppose you're right." At first, Aeka felt a little reluctant to tell Tenchi she was carrying his child. She had intentionally neglected to tell him so that he would not be swayed by it. But, he had a right to know. She took a deep breath before beginning.
"Tenchi, there's something you should know."
Tenchi paid close attention to what Aeka was saying.
"It is not normal course of action for a woman of the Royal Family to be with her future husband before the wedding. I waited to tell you of this because I wished to be married to you because of our feelings for each other, not out of a sense of duty. I realize that is rather selfish of me. But, some things are more important than duty."
"'Bout time you figured that out." Ryoko told her.
"Hush. This is important."
"That was a compliment, bone-head."
"Aeka," Tenchi interrupted, "What are you saying?"
"I'm... saying... um..."
"She's pregnant." Ryoko revealed for her.
"Ryoko! How could you? I wanted to --"
Aeka's sentence came to a lurching halt when Tenchi suddenly turned to slush. He slipped right out of Ryoko's arms and puddled at her feet. The girls stared at him in shock as small bubbles began to pop and sputter on the surface of his watery visage.
"Hey, Aeka? I forget. Is that good or bad?"
"I... don't know. I've never seen a man do that before."
END.
AFTERWORD: This chapter was so serious I just had to have some fun at the end. One of the things I wanted to do was to emphasize the hidden aspects of Aeka and Ryoko's relationship. I've always felt that Ryoko likes Aeka because the princess makes her laugh.