Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from "Tenchi Muyo!" were created by Kajishima Masaki and Hitoshi Okuda, and are Copyright AIC and Pioneer LDC. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.
Foreword: I have decided to raise the rating on this fanfic to "Teen", since some more adult matters are discussed in this chapter.
Tree and Infancy, Chapter 5
It is an interesting and sometimes inconvenient fact that when a group of women share the same house, their monthly cycles tend to synchronize. To Washu's keen scientific interest, this turned out to also be true with all the girls in the Masaki household, regardless of home planet, whose age was not measured in thousands of years. But though it happened on the same days, Mihoshi, Ayeka, and Sasami dealt with "that time of the month" in very different ways. Mihoshi simply ate a little less and slept even more than usual. Ayeka gulped down generous doses of pain-relieving pills, and then tried to carry on as though nothing was happening. Washu had developed several experimental medications for the violet-haired princess, but after one concoction had turned Ayeka's skin a light jade-green, the tests were summarily halted. Though Ryoko made several comments disparaging Ayeka's sense of adventure (the phrase "chicken-hearted" came up more than once), Ayeka was unyielding. And for once, Mihoshi took a side in the argument, giving her opinion that Ayeka's new skin tone clashed with her violet hair. (Strangely, Ayeka had looked even more displeased after this well-meant statement.)
In Sasami's case, to the unhappiness of everyone, Sasami's cramps were only slightly lessened by Earth medicines. The young princess could not safely take large enough doses to relieve the pains. Therefore, Sasami was obliged to spend a few days resting in her room. With the chief cook out of action, hunger stalked the halls of the Masaki house. And it did so in the person of Ryoko.
"Aren't you guys done yet?" the ex-space-pirate demanded.
"Give us a break!" Washu looked up from the stove that she and Tenchi were toiling over. "Nobody's as fast as Sasami."
"You can have it quick, or you can have it edible." Tenchi added. "Personally, I'd choose edible."
"I guess so," conceded Ryoko, but she was still very unhappy about the situation. Not only did meals take longer to arrive, but she couldn't glomp on to Tenchi while he was cooking.
"If you want to be useful, why don't you keep Sasami company?" Washu suggested.
From Ryoko's expression, it was clear that she would much rather eat or be all over Tenchi than be 'useful'. However, it wasn't the kind of thing you said to your mother, especially when your mother could devastate a continent without breaking a sweat. "Okay," she said with a notable lack of enthusiasm, and teleported to the hallway upstairs.
Another problem with Ayeka's child-like body, Ryoko thought. Usually, Ayeka spent a good deal of time with her sister during the days that Sasami was resting. But this time, Ayeka's body was too young for "the curse", and an energetic four-year-old didn't make good company for someone feeling unwell. Ryoko knocked on the door of Sasami's bedroom, not wanting to frighten the young princess by phasing in through a wall.
"Who is it?" Sasami called, her voice having little of its usual cheerfulness.
Ryoko caught the note, and began to be more concerned. "It's me," she answered, and suddenly felt foolish, realizing that any member of the household could have given that answer. "It's Ryoko," she added.
"Oh. Come in," Sasami said.
Ryoko slid open the door, and entered normally, without her usual floating through the air. "Hi, Sasami. How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay, I guess," Sasami answered, but she didn't look like someone who was feeling okay.
Ryoko forgot that she hadn't wanted to be there. "Can I get you anything? I'm sure they'll let me back into the kitchen to get you some tea, for instance."
"No, I'm not thirsty now." Sasami hesitated for a moment. "Ryoko? Can I ask...what was your first period like for you?"
"It never happened." Ryoko said quietly. "Kagato saw no need for a menstrual cycle."
Sasami's looked startled. "But what about before? What about when you were still growing? Oh--I'm sorry, you don't remember that."
"There wasn't much to remember. Washu says she assembled my body full-size. She says it was the best way to combine the Masses with DNA-based organs. So I never had a period--but I never had a childhood either." Ryoko gave a half-hearted smile. "Funny, isn't it? Ayeka gets to have two childhoods." (Down in the kitchen, Washu looked up suddenly with an intrigued expression on her face.)
"I'm sure she'd give you one, if she could." Sasami said. The two looked at each other for a moment, and then grinned.
"I'll let her keep it." said Ryoko. "You know, in some ways I like Ayeka as a four-year old a lot better. She doesn't act superior, or try to tell us how to behave."
"It is kind of nice, for me too." Sasami nodded. "Ayeka was already twelve when I was born, so I don't remember her being little. Now I get to see that part."
"Do you think this is the way she was the first time she was little?" Ryoko asked. "I mean, she's enthusiastic and playful . . . I wonder what happened to change her so much?"
"I'm pretty sure I know." Sasami answered. "The first-born heirs of all four royal houses are trained in manners and diplomacy and all that stuff starting at age ten."
"Just the first-borns?" Ryoko asked.
"Uh-huh. With four royal families, there are lots of princes and princesses. I think it's like Saudi Arabia on this planet. Anyway, for the eldest boys and girls, it's kind of a shock to most of them -- having their lives change so much. Suddenly they have people watching just about everything they do and say."
"Now that's why I've always believed you should say what you honestly think." Ryoko declared. "It saves a lot of worry and confusion. If other people get a little miffed by the truth, that's their problem."
"You know, I said something like that to Ayeka. But she says that when some of the people she deals with get miffed, they start wars."
"Yeah . . . there is that." Ryoko said thoughtfully.
"I guess I'm lucky that I haven't had to worry about it." Sasami winced as another pain went through her. "But maybe not anymore. If Ayeka stays like this . . . I'll be the oldest. I'll have to be the First Princess."
"Don't worry, kid." Ryoko put as much reassurance into her voice as she could. "Everyone in the house is rooting for Ayeka to get bigger again. And I know Washu's working on it whenever she isn't trying to 'improve' Nobuyuki's coffee-maker."
Sasami's spirits went up a little. "Really? But how about you? Don't you want Ayeka to be too little for Tenchi?"
"I'll be honest with you." Ryoko answered. "I'd accept it if your sister is out of the running. But I'd rather Tenchi chooses me in a straight contest--and I think I've got what it takes for him to choose me. With things as they are now, Tenchi pays more attention to Ayeka, because he's worried about her. I know he'd give me just as much attention if things were the other way around. But I still don't like it. I want the original First Princess back, just like you do."
"Thank you, Ryoko." And now Sasami did look more cheerful. A few moments later someone else knocked at the door. "Who's there?"
"It's Ayeka," came the little-girl voice, "Are you feeling well enough for a visitor?"
"Come on in, sister," Sasami replied, "Ryoko is here already."
The door slid open, and Ayeka stepped inside. Ryoko noticed that she held one hand behind her back, but guessed what was happening and decided not to spoil Sasami's surprise.
"I brought you something that might help you feel better, Sasami." Ayeka said.
"A hot water bottle?" Sasami guessed.
Ayeka smiled. "It's only hot if Ryoko tries to grab it." She brought her hand from behind her back, and held out her tiara. "I can't use it for now, so I thought we should see if you've grown big enough."
"Wow!" Sasami's eyes seemed to grow even larger. She reached to take the intricately sculpted headpiece, and slowly put it over the two triangles on her forehead. "It's a little loose, but it fits! This feels amazing . . . Hey, I can see Ryu-Oh's memories! There's the time we all had to sleep in the unit because Mihoshi wrecked the house . . . and Ayeka fell into the pool chasing after Ryo-Ohki."
"Oops. I forgot that you'd be able to do that." Ayeka reddened slightly.
"Lunch is ready!" Tenchi called from downstairs.
"I'll have to tell you how to put up a shield later, Sasami." Ayeka started for the door, "Oh -- could you promise to keep anything else embarrassing a secret?"
"If you promise to bring me an extra cookie later on," Sasami grinned. Ryoko looked disappointed, then thoughtful.
"It's a deal." Ayeka said, and went out the door. Ryoko followed her, and gently closed the door behind them.
"You did good, kid." Ryoko said quietly to Ayeka as they went down the stairs.
"Thanks." But Ayeka didn't look as satisfied as Ryoko might have been expected.
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Lunch went calmly but fairly quietly. Tenchi and Washu had come up with some simple but fairly tasty dishes, and the others thanked them generously. Other than that, Ryoko kept unusually quiet, although Mihoshi and Ayeka chattered about playing hopscotch later. It was after lunch had been cleaned up and the others were heading towards their afternoon activities that Ryoko intercepted Washu as the redhead was about to enter her lab.
"Could I talk to you for a moment, Washu?" Ryoko said quietly.
"Okay." Washu opened the broom closet door and waved Ryoko in. After closing the door behind them, she seated herself on her floating cushion. "What's on your mind?"
"Ayeka went to a fair amount of trouble to keep anyone from getting hold of her key before." Ryoko pointed out. "And now all of sudden Sasami can keep it for the duration. Something's changed, and I think you know what it is."
"I shouldn't be sharing personal details about Ayeka with you, you know." Washu said.
"Believe me, I know what it's like not to have any privacy." Ryoko gave a piercing look at Washu. "But all of us are a little responsible for looking out for Ayeka now. And I've already made a good guess."
"Yes, you have." Washu sighed. "You might as well have it confirmed. It looks like the link between Ayeka and Ryu-Oh is now extending to Ayeka's maturing. If she's growing at all, it's too slow for me to detect."
Ryoko's face looked grim. "Aw, man . . ."
""Why, Ryoko," Washu gazed at her, "is that sympathy for Ayeka I see?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Ryoko shook her head. "I need Ayeka strong and full-sized when I toast her royal rump!"
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It was three days later, and Sasami was back to her energetic self. Which was a good thing, because she had her heart set on preparing a special dinner for Mihoshi, who was flying out to Saturn later in the evening to deliver her monthly report to Galaxy Police HQ. It was true that Mihoshi usually returned less than twenty-four hours later, but occasionally there were delays, and Sasami wanted to make sure she had a proper send-off. It also helped to keep Ryoko in a good mood, since the cyan-haired woman and her ship often had to do some fancy flying to keep Mihoshi from demolishing the house when she landed back in Okayama.
"Hi, Sasami," Washu leaned into the kitchen doorway. "Oh, dear. That smells really good."
"Hi, Washu." Sasami looked up. "I hope that doesn't mean you'll have to miss dinner."
"I think we all are." Washu's expression turned serious. "A strange ship is entering the Solar System. Could you get the others while I put dinner on hold?"
"Oh, no . . ." Sasami began to protest, but stopped as she realized how serious the situation might be. She trotted out of the kitchen while Washu summoned portals to her time-frozen pocket of subspace.
A few minutes later, the family had gathered in Washu's lab. The red-headed genius was pointing out the intruder on a wall-sized active display of the Solar system. "The ship is moving at low power, clearly trying to be as stealthy as it can." Washu was in her best lecturing style. "Judging from the deceleration, it will come to a halt somewhere in the asteroid belt."
"So it's not going to attack the Earth?" asked Tenchi.
"Not likely." Ryoko looked over the projected course with the professional eye of a seasoned space pirate. "I'd say they're going into hiding to set up an ambush. Sasami, Ayeka," she turned to the two Juraian princesses, "are you expecting any visitors?"
Sasami and Ayeka shook their heads. "We still haven't told anyone about my . . . shrinking." Ayeka said. "But I guess we'll have to soon."
"That can wait for right now. Let's focus on who are visitors are planning to ambush." Washu moved her pointer back to the symbol representing Earth. "Perhaps their intended target isn't coming from outside. It seems quite a coincidence that they've arrived right when Mihoshi is about to go into space."
"They're after me?" exclaimed Mihoshi.
Ryoko frowned. "Not that Mihoshi hasn't made a number of criminals mad at her, but assassinating a Galaxy Police officer is a very risky move."
"Ryoko makes a good point." Ayeka spoke up. "But if they were part of a major pirate guild they might try it."
"Still, we can't just ignore them, whatever they're up to." Mihoshi's voice was unusually stern. "This is a specially protected zone, and attacks here are prohibited. It's my duty to investigate this."
"I thought you might consider it that way." Washu nodded. "All right, here's what I've been able to find out so far. The ship is medium-sized but doesn't have extensive crew quarters. Power plant is large, even though they're moving slow and quietly at the moment. The outer hull is coated with radar-absorbing material, making it difficult to determine anything more about the inside. However, a large device, which is currently inactive, has been mounted on the underside of the ship."
"Not much to go on." Ryoko remarked.
"That's all my sensors can get without an active scan." Washu said.
"And then they'd know that we know." Ryoko nodded. "I think we need to bring along everyone who can fight, just to be safe."
The full-sized members of the group looked at Ayeka and Sasami.
"I should get to go this time!" Sasami protested. "I've always had to stay behind before."
"But you don't have a battle-suit." Tenchi pointed out.
"I can use the tiara." Sasami countered.
"My tiara." Ayeka said as firmly as her four-year-old voice could manage.
"But you can't use it now, and I can. At least let me ride along with Ryo-Ohki. I can put up an extra shield on the bridge."
"Ryo-Ohki's defenses are fine already, thank you." Washu declared.
"Why don't you come along with me and Yukinojo?" Mihoshi suggested. "I could use an extra set of eyes to watch all the instruments and displays."
"No!" Ayeka's eyes widened in alarm. "Even if nothing happens when you meet the intruding ship, you'll crash on the way back!"
"Oooh!" Sasami burst out. "Big sisters are such a royal pain!" This in spite of the fact that she was currently a head taller than Ayeka.
"Hey, I don't crash every time I land here, do I?" Mihoshi demanded.
"Well, there are the times Ryo-Ohki and I manage to catch you." Ryoko said.
"Come on, please?" Sasami asked. "I can't stay behind forever. When is there going to be a better opportunity to find out what space missions are like?"
"That's true." Washu said thoughtfully.
"Ayeka, I think this might be a good idea after all." Tenchi chimed in.
Ayeka stood frozen for a few moments. She didn't want to keep her sister mad at her, or refuse Tenchi. "All right," she said finally, "But I want you to promise you won't go on board the other ship unless Lord Tenchi says that it's safe."
"It's a deal!" Sasami's eyes lit up. "Come on, Mihoshi! Time for the Galaxy Police to fly!"
"Right!" Mihoshi turned, and the two began to dash for the door.
"Oh, Sasami--!" Ryoko called.
"Yes?" Sasami came to a halt.
"Can we have our spaceship first?" Washu pointed at the cabbit riding on Sasami's head.
"Oops. Right."
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Ayeka stood by the edge of the lake, watching the two spaceships dwindle into the sky. To her two guardians, who stood to either side, it was clear that melancholy hung over her.
"Please do not be so sad, princess." Azaka cajoled.
"They will be back in a matter of hours." Kamidake pointed out.
"Oh, I hope so." Ayeka said. "I was never this worried before, even when we went to rescue Ryoko from Kagato."
"Surely the danger is not as great this time." said Azaka.
"And Princess Sasami will be protected by Yukinojo." Kamidake reassured.
"I'm sure you're right." Ayeka sighed. "But Lord Tenchi and the others will still be in danger, and I can't do anything to protect them."
"We appreciate your feelings." Azaka soothed.
"We too have been concerned for your safety at times when we could not be nearby." Kamidake pointed out.
"But we must accept that we cannot overly restrict your life." Azaka summed up.
"You're right, of course." Ayeka nodded. "Still, I wish I knew what they going to find out there."
( To Be Continued . . . )
Author's note: The details of Ryoko's creation by Washu in this chapter are my own guess entirely. Note, however, that in OVA episode 6, Ryoko says she has been alone since she was born, and then wonders if she was truly born.