Chapter Nine
So the Emperor was back on Jurai.
Tenchi set down his jacket on the end of his bed, sitting down as he contemplated how best to break the news to his great grandfather.
"He did give us his blessing, so he can't really object. In fact, he'd probably rather we were married than not." He realised. "But...he might decide it's a good idea we did it as soon as possible, and I don't know that either of us have really been thinking about dates. It's too soon. Hell, he might even decide we should do it here, on Jurai. Ryoko would never forgive me...no. I have to think about this carefully. I don't want to fight with her. But I do want to marry her. And I do want all of my family to accept it and be happy for me."
He flopped back on his bed, sighing heavily as he remembered the meal the previous evening. Ayeka had been presiding, and there had been little chance for them to speak beyond a brief few pleasantries. Although in his heart he knew that Washu was right and that he had to tell her sometime, the more he thought about it, the less easy the right words seemed to be to find.
"Better I tell her than Ryoko." He decided, gazing up at the mottled ceiling as he made up his mind. "Which means I have to find something to say. Come on, Tenchi. This is stupid. Ayeka is one of your closest friends - almost like a sister. And she's married...she won't care."
But in his heart, he knew she would.
He closed his eyes as he considered his options. To do it too casually would be a mistake, for Ayeka might easily take offence and think he was not bothered about her reaction. And yet, if he put too much emphasis on it...
"You look lost in thought." A voice made him jump and his eyes snapped open, meeting the amused gaze of his fiancee as she hovered inches above his bed. He let out a yell, and she chuckled, placing her hands on his shoulders as she eyed him coquettishly.
"Well, and it looks like you weren't expecting company." She said playfully. "Were you having naughty thoughts about me, Tenchi-kun? Shameful...and on Jurai, too!"
"Ryoko, what are you doing here?" Tenchi scrambled into a sitting position, regathering his wits as she settled daintily down beside him on the covers. "This is my room...you know how people are on this planet. What if someone saw you?"
"What about it?" Ryoko seemed unconcerned. "We're engaged. We're allowed to spend time together. Aren't we?"
"On Jurai? Probably not without sixteen chaperones in tow." Tenchi sighed. "The higher up you are in the social hierarchy, the more they peer at you. You should have realised that by now."
"Well, I guess that's just what comes from marrying a Prince." Ryoko shrugged her shoulders. "C'est la vie, as they say."
"Ryoko." Tenchi rolled his eyes, and his companion laughed, touching his cheek playfully.
"Oh, relax." She scolded. "There's noone here but you and me."
"Yes, that's kind of what I meant." Tenchi said meaningfully. "If you're going to teleport into my room at random, you could give me warning. I might have still been changing."
"I sort of hoped you were, but I guess I timed it wrong." Ryoko said pensively. "But I missed you, Tenchi. Why are you up here, anyway? Washu has holed herself up in the palace library now Azusa is back, and I was looking for Kiyone, but Sasami seems to have spirited her off to some place Space Pirates aren't allowed to go without an escort. I think they went to Tsunami's tree to do something - talk or read or play hide and seek, whatever Sasami does when she's not being the Goddess. I was bored. Ayeka's working, would you believe, and noone's around."
"So you came looking for me as your last resort?" Tenchi raised an eyebrow, and Ryoko grimaced at him.
"You know that's not what I meant." She said. "I just wanted to find you. That's all."
"For what, exactly?" Tenchi asked. "Because this isn't a good time to be fooling around."
"It's as good a time as any." Ryoko pouted. "The whole point is, noone else is here. Tenchi...I thought you loved me. Why don't you want to touch me when we're on Jurai? It's not like you don't know what you're doing. I'm a good teacher and you don't have that excuse any more."
"Oh, Ryoko." Tenchi sighed, sliding an arm around her shoulders. "Look. Azusa, Ayeka, Haru and the rest - they're family to both of us. And you might not care if you offend people, but I do. Azusa-heika is Jii-chan's father and even if they don't always see eye to eye, I know that Jii-chan would be upset with me, if I did something to shame him while I was here on Jurai. Besides, I don't want to cause a scandal. I do love you. You know I do. But I need you to understand - there are times and there are places. And this is neither one."
"All right." Ryoko sighed, leaning up against him. "So let's do something else instead. This planet is so boring, you know. Even Ryo Ohki has just curled up and gone to sleep on my pillow."
"She did just fly across the universe...she's probably still catching up on her rest." Tenchi pointed out. "And what do you want to do?"
"That's just it. There's nothing to do." Ryoko groaned. "Except what you've already negated, so you think of something. I don't know how long Washu's investigations are going to take, Tenchi-kun, but I almost wish I'd let her take the ship and be done with it. Even if it meant Ryo Ohki and I were parted for a while...it might have been better."
"Maybe." Tenchi acknowledged. "But in some ways, I think it's right that we did come."
He bit his lip.
"I was actually trying to think of a way of broaching our news with the Juraian side of our family tree." He admitted. "I mean, I was working it out. Biologically speaking, even if it is a couple of times removed, you and I are something like fourth cousins. Is that a bad thing, do you think?"
"On this planet, they marry their first cousins. I wouldn't put it past them to marry their brothers or sisters, if it came to it." Ryoko snorted. "If you think that will bother Azusa, you can relax. He won't mind about that. Besides, it is a couple of times removed, and the genetic link between us is really very weak."
"I know." Tenchi acknowledged. "I guess. Ryoko, how would you tell them?"
"If I was bothered about them knowing, I guess I'd just do it straight out." Ryoko shrugged. "But I don't need censure or approval from Jurai's King to be with the man I want, Tenchi. And nor do you need it to be with me. Don't let the whole authority thing sway you. He's just another guy - his cape just has bigger shoulder pads than yours. That's all."
Tenchi laughed.
"I'll try and remember it that way." He said, amused. "I don't suppose you want to come with me?"
"No." Ryoko shook her head. "I told you - I don't care. It's not me who feels the need to send out the bulletin. It's not like we'd invite the King of Jurai to our wedding - if we even knew when we were going to have a wedding."
"True, although he might say he wants us to marry here." Tenchi eyed her doubtfully. Ryoko snorted.
"That's not happening." She said flatly. "I am not a Princess of Jurai and I will not have that hypocritical council pandering to us in some false ceremony. I want an Earth wedding, Tenchi - remember that. That's my home and I'm an honorary Earthling now. So if he even suggests it, you can tell him to get a life. It's not even an option."
"I thought you'd say that."
"Good. I'm glad you know my mind so well." Ryoko gazed up at him. "And Ayeka? Tenchi, are you really worried about telling her? Because I will, if you're that scared."
"No...I think it would be better I did. I mean, it should be me." Tenchi hesitated, then, "Ryoko, you're a woman. Tell me something."
"I'm glad you noticed, since you're going to marry me." Ryoko teased.
"Oh Ryoko, stop it." Tenchi pulled a face at her. "I just wanted your opinion - when we left Jurai after Ayeka's wedding, you said that she still had feelings for me. Do you think that's still the case now? Or not? Because..."
"Because you don't want to hurt her?" Ryoko stared at him. "You still are soft on that girl, aren't you?"
"Not in a romantic sense, Ryoko-chan. But I am worried about her feelings. Yes." Tenchi agreed. "She matters to me, you know that. I don't want to upset her."
"It's hard to tell." Ryoko said thoughtfully. "She and Takeru sure seem close, and she didn't hesitate to run into the action to save him when Seiryo Tennan attacked him on the Earth. I think...well, you've got to tell her, I guess, so just go for it and tell her. If she's not over you yet, she should be. It's old now and she needs to know it."
"I suppose so." Tenchi agreed. He sighed. "All right. I guess that's what I'm going to do, then. Are you sure you won't come with me to the Emperor, Ryoko-chan?"
"Why would he want to see me?" Ryoko asked simply. "No, thank you. But I'll be here waiting for you, when you return. And if he doesn't tear you into many little pieces, I'll find somewhere to spirit you away to. Somewhere less potentially scandalous than the middle of the Royal Palace, perhaps."
She fingered the ring that glittered on her finger, then smiled up at him mischievously. "After all, this is a symbol of our bond, isn't it?" She bantered playfully. "We have to keep that in mind."
She winked at him, then blurred and flickered out of the room and Tenchi sighed, getting to his feet.
"Sometimes she's impossible." He murmured. "Oh well. I guess that's my mind made up for me. I'm going to see Azusa-sama, and I'm going to hope he's in a good mood after his trip across space."
He rummaged through his clothing, selecting a fresh outfit and carefully donning it, adjusting the clips for the cape as he eyed his reflection in the mirror pool. At length he nodded his head, stepping back from the mirror and towards the door of his room as he gathered his courage.
"It's times like this that I wish I had Ryoko's confidence." He muttered. "Oh well. Here goes, I guess."
As he made his way out of the palace and across the courtyard that led to the Imperial quarters, many guards and knights on duty saluted him, bowing in deference to his royal status, and as he acknowledged each one, Tenchi was reminded once more of how highly in esteem the planet Jurai still held him.
"Which makes it all the more scary to go tackle the Emperor about this." He muttered. "It's not that I don't think he'll want me to marry Ryoko. He gave us his blessing before, in a sense...when he first gave Ryoko the space map for Yubisu and her past there. It's just...what if he really does want us to marry here? Can we resist that kind of pressure? I don't know. I haven't really tried to go against Imperial will too much since the first time I came to Jurai, and..."
"Tenchi!"
Ayeka's voice startled him in mid-sentence and he glanced up, cheeks blazing as she took in the look of amusement on her clever face.
"Well, Prince Tenchi, we haven't had much chance to see one another since you and the others came to Jurai." The Crown Princess said softly, extending her arm to him as hesitantly he took it. "I'm sorry that we haven't - with Uncle away, I've just been far too busy. I hope you don't consider me rude."
"No, not at all." Tenchi recovered himself, shaking his head. "In fact, I was just on my way to see your Uncle myself. I guess the Emperor always has things to do."
"Yes, that's very true." Ayeka agreed. "Is it very urgent, that you see Oji-sama now? Or can you spare some time to walk with an old friend first?"
"Honestly? I'd rather walk with you." Tenchi looked sheepish. "Nothing against Great Grandpa, but I always feel like I'm under intense scrutiny whenever I'm with him, and well, what I need to discuss with him can wait, for the time being."
"Something serious?" Ayeka sent him a concerned look. Tenchi shook his head.
"No." He said thoughtfully. "At least, well, nothing serious in a bad sense. Actually, Ayeka, I need to talk to you as well. If you don't mind."
"Well, that's what I want anyway." Ayeka inclined her head in a nod, eying him warmly. "Though why you came with Washu to Jurai, I don't know. I'm glad you did, however. It's always nice to have company and I was afraid it would be some time before we saw one another again."
"It might have been." Tenchi acknowledged. "Neither Ryoko nor I really wanted to fly this far again so soon. We had a bad encounter with pirates the last time we came back from Jurai. Ryoko was almost killed and well, it was pretty ugly. But Washu was keen to do research in your library and so here we are."
"I see." Ayeka frowned. "Those pirates are getting ever more brazen - but I'm surprised they'd waste their time on Ryoko. Or do they consider her a traitor?"
"I think they do, in some weird illogical pirate way." Tenchi agreed. "Either way, it wasn't a nice few days, while she was ill. We thought we might lose her and well..."
He faltered, biting his lip, and Ayeka frowned.
"And what?" She asked softly. "What's bothering you, Tenchi-sama? Because something is, and I know that look. Whatever it is, you don't think I want to hear it."
"I don't know if you do or not." Tenchi looked startled, and Ayeka smiled.
"I know you better than you think I do, don't I?" She said softly. "Tell me, Tenchi...whatever it is. I'm guessing that you and Ryoko both came all this way for some reason other than Washu's research - so whatever it is must be important. Right?"
"Right." Tenchi agreed. He eyed her doubtfully for a moment, then,
"Washu said it would be better if one or both of us told you face to face, and I volunteered." He admitted. "Ayeka, you know Ryoko and I have been close for a while now, don't you?"
"Ye-es..." Ayeka's brows drew together in a frown. "It's hardly something I could miss."
"Right." Tenchi pursed his lips, smiling awkwardly. "I guess not. Well, after the situation with the pirates, I suppose we both realised...well...that is to say..."
He faltered, groping for the right words, and a shadow touched Ayeka's pretty eyes.
"You are betrothed." She said softly. "That is what you have come to tell me, Tenchi, isn't it?"
"Yes." Tenchi admitted, relief flooding his features as he nodded his head.
"And you came all the way to Jurai to tell me this in person?"
"Washu thought I should. That it was...right." Tenchi shrugged. "I told her that you and I are friends and that's all we've ever been. But she seemed to think you deserved to hear about it from me and I guess she was right. Besides, I wanted to share it with you. I just...well, after some of the talks we've had in the past, I wasn't sure..."
He faltered, and Ayeka sighed, turning to glance across the landscape of Jurai. For a moment there was silence, then,
"You needn't trouble yourself on my account." She said finally. "I knew it would come, Lord Tenchi. Ever since you admitted to me your true feelings for Ryoko, I knew it would end up this way. It's quite all right."
"Really?" Tenchi eyed her keenly. "I'm glad about that. I didn't want things to be funny between us, Ayeka. You're one of the dearest people to me in the whole universe, you know that."
"Yes, I do." Ayeka sent him an affectionate smile. "And I am a married woman, so why should I bother if you want to make Ryoko the same? Really, Tenchi...you worry far too much sometimes. It's all quite all right."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Ayeka nodded her head firmly. "As I said, I expected it to come. I won't pretend that I don't have feelings still, or that I don't envy her, somewhat, in a small, distant way. But I am content with my life here now. And I want you to be happy, Tenchi-kun. You know that, I hope. If Ryoko is the right woman for you, well, mad as that seems, I can accept it. And be happy for you, too."
"Good." Tenchi grasped her hand, squeezing it tightly before releasing it. "That makes me feel much better."
"I'm happy to hear it." Ayeka said wryly. "Although, Tenchi, you have realised what it will mean? You have seen the whole picture and thought it through?"
"What do you mean?" Tenchi's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Well, that marrying Ryoko will mean that you will be, well, marrying Ryoko." Ayeka said frankly. "You'll be living with her for the rest of time, and that's a long time to be tied to someone. She'll blow up your house, eat your food, drink all your alcohol and pass out drunk on the living room floor. She'll sleep on the roof beams and up trees, drag you into trouble without a moment's warning and, most likely, tease you and play games until your head is spinning on your shoulders. Given all of those things, I should, perhaps, be questioning your sanity. I mean, living with Ryoko is one thing. But spending an entire eternity with her..."
She paused, shaking her head, and Tenchi laughed.
"Ayeka, you and Ryoko aren't the foes you used to be." He chided. Ayeka spread her hands.
"No, true, but that doesn't mean I'd choose to live with her long term if there was another alternative." She replied simply. "Can you really stand all of her peculiarities and vulgarities? I know there's a lot of love in you, Tenchi, but even Tsunami couldn't have given you that much patience. Could she?"
Tenchi looked amused.
"Evidently she did, because I don't mind any of those things all that much." He admitted. "I've sort of got used to most of them. It's hard to explain it, and maybe it does sound mad. I mean, she does do crazy things and I often don't know what to expect next. But one thing I do know, Ayeka, is that she's always there when I need her. And that's an important thing to me. Besides, she isn't a space pirate now. Things change. Maybe we've both grown up...I don't know."
"Perhaps, but you can't change people permanently, Tenchi-sama." Ayeka said seriously. "You can only learn to live with their quirks."
"I don't want to change her." Tenchi responded.
"Really?" Ayeka looked surprised, and Tenchi grinned.
"Really." He acknowledged. "There's a certain charm in having her just the way she is. Magic, mischief and all."
"Well, it's your funeral." Ayeka shrugged her shoulders. "You sure do like to make life difficult for yourself, Lord Tenchi."
"But not dull. Never that." Tenchi laughed. "Thank you for being so good about this, Ayeka. It is important to me, to have my friends accepting my choices. Not all of my Earth friends are wholly supportive of my inter-planetary relationship as it is - so it's nice to have support from my family. Such as it is."
"Such as it is." Ayeka looked sheepish. "And I suppose now you've broached the subject with me and found no resistance, doing so with my Uncle should be much easier. Shouldn't it?"
"Perhaps." Tenchi sent a rueful glance in the direction of the Imperial quarters, then shrugged his shoulders. "Or maybe I'll wait until he's settled back into his routine a bit more before I bother him."
Ayeka eyed him pensively for a moment, then,
"Tenchi, would you rather I told him for you?" She asked softly. Tenchi started, then shook his head.
"No...I need to do it myself, but thank you." He said with a smile. "I just need a little more time to figure out in my head what to say."
"Uncle hasn't stopped you seeing Ryoko yet - do you think he will now?"
"No, but his goodwill is so much more important where the Earth is concerned now, and I'm worried he'll want to make it a royal wedding." Tenchi admitted. "I remember your wedding and it was very beautiful, but I know for a fact that Ryoko really doesn't want to be married on Jurai. And me, I don't suppose I want all that fuss either. But I'm Azusa-heika's great grandson and he's Ryoko's great uncle. In light of that..."
"Oh, I shouldn't worry too much about it." Ayeka shook her head. "If you marry Ryoko, people here will have to address her as Princess, whether she likes it or not. After all, she will be the bride of the honoured Prince who vanquished Kagato - Uncle's direct descendant. Her own dubious connections to my Great Aunt Aiko might be dragged into the equation, too. I think there would be a lot of members of the court who would object to that, considering the girl's past history. Uncle will probably feel a wedding on the Earth is more diplomatically prudent."
"Do you think so?" Tenchi looked surprised. Ayeka nodded.
"Yes, I do." She agreed. "Although if he does try and push it with you, let me know. I'll make him see it differently."
She smiled wistfully.
"After all, every girl wants their wedding to be perfect." She added. "And even if, for Ryoko, that incorporates a drunken binge on some space station somewhere, well, I guess that'll have to do."
"Ayeka." Tenchi laughed, amusement flickering in his dark eyes. "Actually, Ryoko wants us to be married on the Earth. She wants a proper Japanese wedding, I think - although I had no idea she had even thought about it, until we spoke earlier on. She was so adamantly against marrying here, I wondered at it. Is that really true? That every girl thinks about their wedding?"
"Well, if Ryoko has, then I guess it must be." Ayeka glanced absently at her hands, clasping them together as they walked back in the direction of the main palace complex. "I confess I find it hard to imagine her in the role of bride...but I suppose stranger things have happened."
"Since Ryo Ohki crashed onto the Earth the first time, much stranger things have happened to all of us." Tenchi pointed out. Ayeka laughed, nodding her head.
"Very true." She agreed.
"Ayeka, if Ryoko and I do...well, when we do...I mean, when we have a date set, you will come, won't you?" Tenchi reddened again, embarrassment in his expression as he faced his friend. The Princess hesitated for a moment, pursing her lips. Then, at length, she sighed.
"If I can get away, I would be honoured to attend such a special event." She said softly, though Tenchi saw reticence flickering in the depths of her ruby eyes. "And I know that Sasami would feel the same way. Have you spoken to her, yet? Does she know?"
"No. Not yet." Tenchi shook his head. "I wanted to tell you first - I didn't want you to hear it from someone else. After all, I owed you that much, considering all we've been through."
"Yes, I suppose so." A slight smile touched Ayeka's lips. "Thank you, Tenchi. I appreciate that."
"And I now feel a whole lot better about the whole thing." Tenchi laughed, scratching his head awkwardly as he did so. Ayeka raised an eyebrow, offering him a droll smile.
"Considering what you're marrying, you'll need all the good wishes that Jurai can give you." She said ironically. "Yes, Tenchi, you can put your mind at rest. I wish you every happiness for the future, even if I do think you insane. After all, married life has suited me very well. I'm sure...or at least, I hope...it will prove the same for you, when the time comes!"
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"Officer Mitsuki, please report."
The Commander sat back in his seat, eying his companion gravely as she stood before his desk, saluting him briskly before setting her file down in front of her.
"What have you discovered about Detective Makibi's office?"
"Honestly, sir, not a whole lot." Mitsuki frowned, biting down hard on her lip. "They've been over it a couple of times, and the only prints that are there are Kiyone's, Mihoshi's and - begging your pardon sir, but your own as well. Nothing that we'd expect not to be there, in fact."
"So Kiyone might yet have committed the crime before she left for Jurai?" The Commander asked. Mitsuki looked troubled.
"I don't know, sir." She said slowly. "You see, Kiyone's prints are all over her office, but they're not especially concentrated in any of the attacked areas. In fact, I think that all of her prints can be accounted for by normal office use. Whoever did ransack the place, it looks like they used gloves of some nature at the very least."
"And the security scanners? What have they recorded?"
"There is a lot of interference." Mitsuki sighed heavily. "Sections of the recording are missing because of it, but from what is there, nobody entered Detective Kiyone's office between your locking it and our re-opening it on your orders."
"Missing segments, huh?" The Commander pursed his lips. "A scrambler? Something like that?"
"I don't know, but the guys in the digital analysis lab said they've never seen anything like it." Mitsuki responded. "Sir, I don't think Kiyone ransacked her own office. I think...I think Mihoshi-san was right."
"Yes, maybe she was." The Commander rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This is badly timed, Mitsuki. In a matter of days the Galaxy Police have an important commission and it can't be postponed. You know, I think, that we are providing escort for an important diplomatic envoy into Jurai's space? Nothing must be allowed to go wrong - they will lose all faith in us if they believe we have random officers dotting around the place ransacking other officers's offices."
"You really think anyone at Headquarters would do something like that, sir?" Mitsuki asked hesitantly. The Commander shrugged his shoulders.
"What else do we have to go on?" He asked helplessly. "All right, Mitsuki. Thank you for your report. I can see this will warrant further investigation, if we're to resolve it before the diplomatic ship arrives in our docking bay."
He reached into his drawer, pulling out a pass.
"Here. Take this and run down to the annexe." He added. "Summon the Elite officers who took Kiyone to Jurai - I wish to speak to them."
"Yes, sir." Mitsuki saluted, taking the pass card and sliding it into her pocket. "Although..."
"Although?" The Commander raised an eyebrow. Mitsuki bit her lip.
"When we were looking at that butchered video footage, the guys in the tech lab sent a message down for Agent Tsunetomo to come and look at it - he's a specialist in digital editing, and they wanted a second opinion, since it looked so odd."
"And...?"
"Nobody could find him anywhere." Mitsuki shrugged helplessly. "His ship is still in the docking bay, but it's locked and sealed from the outside and noone knows where he's gone."
"I see." The Commander's expression darkened. "That seems suspicious behaviour to me. All right, Mitsuki. Go and do as I said - find Tsunetomo if he's there, and his partner also. I'd like to speak to them both about Kiyone's trip to Jurai, and more, about what they might know regarding the ransacking of her office."