Chapter Five
The gardens were peaceful now.
Seiryo walked slowly between the softly swaying branches of the tall trees that lined the southern end of the estate, pausing to glance absently back towards the house as he did so. A sad look touched his teal eyes and he frowned, leaning up against the trunk of a nearby tree as he fought to keep his emotions in check.
It had been a hard night.
He closed his eyes, picturing the last few moments he had spent with his mother before pain and darkness had snatched her from him, this time forever. Over the past few weeks, he had known that she was growing weaker, and that it had taken more and more of Tokimi's herbal remedies and the physician's medications to keep her suffering under control. And yet, somehow, he had managed to ignore it as much as possible. He had pretended not to see the deepening lines around her tired aqua eyes, or the greyish pallor of her skin as she woke to face each new day.
"My son, will you spend some time with me?"
Her voice pierced his thoughts, and he frowned, allowing his mind to drift back to that last evening. The room had been silent, he remembered, and for once, empty of either his sister or the gentle, kind-hearted charge his family had taken care of since the destruction of her own homeworld some time before. He had faltered at first, unsure as to how to approach the fragile, delicate creature that had once been the strong-willed, resolute mother he had always so adored. But something in her voice had compelled him to obedience, and he had nodded, even as though he were still a small child of eight or nine, kneeling beside the bed as he took her hand in his.
"Yes, Okaasama? I am here." his words had been quiet too, as though raising his voice would somehow shatter the gentle ambience of the bedchamber and cause his mother more pain. At his hesitation, she had smiled, squeezing his hand feebly between her thin, frail fingers.
"You are afraid, my boy. I can see it in your eyes, though you seek to conceal it from me."
She had always been better at reading his true thoughts than anyone else, he had always known that, but at that moment he had hated it more than anything, to know that she could see into his heart and recognise how deep his emotion ran.
"I worry for you, Mother. That's all."
"Yes, I know." She had paused, then she had offered him a smile. "You know that I am proud of you, Seiryo, don't you?"
"Yes, of course. You tell me so, and often."
"More often, maybe, than is necessary, but a mother always does wish to praise her children." Kaede's lips had twitched into a rueful smile, giving her face a little more life, and despite himself, Seiryo had been comforted by that brief sign of his mother's strong will. "But in your case, Seiryo, I have much to be thankful for. You are no longer a boy, I know it now better than I ever have. Since you returned from the Galaxy Police - since your father's passing - I have seen what a man you have become. How you have grown to fill the role of Lord of this Manor. I know you will continue to earn the Emperor's trust and faith, and keep the name of Tennan as proudly as did your grandfather, once upon a time. Your father sometimes doubted you'd fill his shoes, musuko-chan. But I did not. And that I was able to live to see myself proven right - this is a great comfort to me."
"Mother..." Seiryo had faltered at that point, uncertain as to what he should say, and a soft laugh had escaped Kaede's lips.
"I have spoken to your sister, and now I speak to you." She said softly. "I will be plain, Seiryo - I don't think we will get another such chance to talk. You may seek to ignore what is coming, but I cannot. I must be prepared, and I am content. With the blessing of Lady Sasami and her divine power, I know my soul is in safe hands, when I cross over from this life. I've kept going as long as I could, because I wanted to be sure you and Suki would be all right without me. And now I see it very clearly. You and she, you are strong people and you have each other to rely on. What you have both become..."
She had faltered at this point, a flicker of pain crossing her features, and fear had lurched in Seiryo's heart as he had understood the truth behind her remarks.
"Mother, are you going to leave us tonight?" He had asked, almost afraid to speak the words. Kaede had gazed at him for a moment, then she had managed another feeble smile.
"As Tsunami wills it." She had murmured. "I leave it in her hands, as I leave the Tennan family name in yours, my son."
After that her eyes had closed, and she had spoken no more. An hour later, her breathing had stilled for the last time, and amid Suki's grief-stricken sobs, Seiryo had struggled to understand the finality of the night's events.
"But calling Kiyone...was it right?" He wondered aloud, gazing up at the branches of the tree above as he shook himself out of his unpleasant memories. "To drag her from the Galaxy Police, to bring her here at such a time as this..."
He frowned, biting his lip.
"Would Mother have even understood my motives?" He murmured. "Okaasama, I'm not as strong as you think I am. I've become weak...weaker than you know. Something I've spent so much time fighting...and yet, at a time like this, have I let myself buckle because of the grief of losing you? Right now my brain can't deal with more emotions...did I do the right thing, in contacting her this morning?"
"Nii-chan?"
The sound of Tokimi's voice raised him from his reverie, and he turned, offering his ward a slight smile as she hurried across the grass towards him. Her arms were full of flowers, and Seiryo pursed his lips, recognising the distinct colours of the blooms.
"For Mother?" He asked softly. Tokimi nodded, her blue eyes unusually sombre.
"For her blessing. To have a good passage to the next world." She said seriously. "Lady Kaede can have these, can't she, Nii-chan? It is all right? I know she is not Kii, but Tokimi...Tokimi wants to do something for Lady Kaede. She was...she was kind to Tokimi too. She did not mind me staying here. Can I take the flowers to Lady Kaede, Nii-chan? It's all right, to do that?"
"It's all right, Tokimi." Seiryo nodded his head, only half focused on what she was saying. "She always loved flowers - and I'm sure she'd be glad of the sentiment behind it, too. She was a very good person, my mother. She would have been touched and happy to know that you felt that way."
"Then I shall go there, now, and give them to her." Tokimi said firmly. She turned to go, then paused, turning to send her companion a doubtful glance.
"Nii-chan is hurting a lot." She murmured. "I'm sorry, Nii-chan. Tokimi does not know what remedy can help this pain."
"Tokimi..." Seiryo sighed, shaking his head. "No, I know you don't. And it's all right. Really, I think I'm just best off alone, right at the moment. I'm not sure how to really talk about it, just now. So you take the flowers to Mother, and...and leave me to think things through. I'm sure I will be all right, presently. I know you see more than anyone else, but really, I will be fine."
Tokimi looked troubled, but she nodded her head.
"I will." She agreed slowly. "But Nii-chan, Tokimi knows this. Hiding grief is bad. Tokimi ran away from it, when Father died. Tokimi made a mistake. Nii-chan mustn't make this mistake too - Nii-chan mustn't be alone too long. All right? Tokimi was alone for so long, and...and Tokimi won't let Nii-chan be."
"How can I be alone, with you and Suki here too?" Seiryo asked lightly. "I promise, it will all be fine. Take your blooms and make Mother's spirit happy, if she still lingers on. Truly, I will be quite fine here. Besides, there's little chance of me being completely alone, anyway. I..."
He paused, then,
"I spoke to a friend today, and she is coming here, this evening." He said slowly. "So you can rest assured that I don't intend to hide away."
"A friend?" Tokimi looked startled, then, as she stared at him, comprehension flickered in her sapphire eyes.
"Kiyo-neesan." She breathed. Seiryo started, eying her disconcertedly.
"Dammit, Tokimi, stop reading whatever it is in me you're reading and give me some privacy, please." He begged.
"It is Kiyo-neesan." Tokimi's eyes widened, and Seiryo sighed.
"Yes, it is." He admitted. "But listen, Tokimi. Whatever crazy ideas you may have, you must not say anything about them to Kiyone when she's here. All right? She's coming as a friend because she wanted to come - that's all. Is that clear?"
"Tokimi promised Nii-chan never to talk about it again." Tokimi said evenly. "Tokimi must go to Lady Kaede. She needs her flowers now."
With that the young Kii girl turned on her heel, shawl flapping in the gentle breeze as she hurried across the grounds towards the gate that led to the Tennan family mausoleum.
Once alone, Seiryo sank down onto the ground, rubbing his temples as he fought for his composure and won.
"Damn Tokimi's Kii sight." he muttered. "She's said nothing since she first called me on this after our return from Rikishouki...I truly thought she'd forgotten, or given it up as a flight of fancy. I underestimated her...or maybe I overestimated my will. I thought I had suppressed any sign of those impulses inside of me, but now my guard is down, I'm finding that they're still there, lurking beneath the surface. And if Tokimi can see them, then I must be careful when Kiyone is here. No matter what happens, I cannot let her know. I will not disrespect the memory of my mother by acting in such a reckless way so soon after her passing."
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"Well, to all intents and purposes it sounds like you had an eventful send off in Osaka, my boy."
Noboyuki sank down into a vacant armchair, taking a sip of hot tea as he cast his discomfited son a look of amusement. "I suppose that was only to be expected – considering that you are my son, after all."
"Father." Tenchi reddened, shaking his head as he remembered the night of the graduation party. "It wasn't exactly like that. I mean, I didn't…"
He faltered, biting his lip, and from her corner by the window, Washu let out an amused snort.
"What I find hard to believe is that it was Ryoko who broke up this little skirmish." She reflected. "Has my daughter really grown up so much as that?"
"Well, she came between us." Tenchi sighed, spreading his hands. "And I'm glad she did. For a moment I just lost sight of where I was, that's all. He – Kyoda – he said some things and they made me angry. I'm glad she intervened. It could have been nasty, otherwise."
"Things about Ryoko, Tenchi?" Noboyuki asked softly, and Tenchi nodded his head slowly, glancing at his hands.
"It's such a pain." He murmured. "Father, I thought that in the long run people on the Earth would come to accept things the way we have. I mean, it's all been strange and sometimes surreal, but I didn't imagine it would be like this. It's frustrating and it gets to me. I love Ryoko…I don't understand why people can't just be happy for me and just, well, accept that this is the choice I've made. Ryoko might have been born outside this planet, but she's not a demon or a monster. She's a woman, just as Sakura or any of our other female classmates are women. Why aren't they able to see that?"
"People always fear the things they don't understand." Washu settled herself more comfortably on her cushion, her pretty eyes becoming grave as she eyed the young prince thoughtfully. "To begin with, Tenchi, I'm sure that you didn't think you'd ever become accustomed to the idea of aliens in your house. Remember, you've had some years to get used to what the Earth is still adjusting to. You've also seen sides of Ryoko and Ayeka and dare I say even myself that most people here never will. You have to give it – and them – time to work it out for themselves. After all, it's not all negative. Sakura and Hiroshi have accepted what goes on here as par for the course, haven't they?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"Then why bother so much about Kyoda-san and his hang-ups?" Washu shrugged her shoulders. "There will always be people who want to judge, Tenchi. I know you've had an easy ride of it in that respect, for the most of your life. Even before you knew about the alien situation, you never really encountered people who acted this way towards you – am I right?"
"I suppose you are." Tenchi sighed. "The truth is, I've always tried to keep peaceful and friendly relations with everyone I've met. I never really had enemies when I was in High School, and until the whole thing happened at the club in Osaka, I didn't have any trouble at university, either. True, I've fought villains in space, but somehow that life and this one were separate up to that point. Now…now they aren't, and people can't deal with it. It's frustrating, that's all. And I'm sure it hurts Ryoko more than she's saying…she won't admit it, but it must."
"Ryoko has dealt with rejection all her life." Washu said pensively. "You mustn't underestimate her ability to deal with that – she's probably more prepared for it than you are, in a lot of ways. She came into this world in the first place expecting to be treated as she has been in other sectors. The reason she loves you as much as she does is because you didn't treat her that way, and you never have. I think you'll find she's dealing with it all a lot better than you are. After all, she's encountered enough doubters already in her lifetime – her path hasn't always been as smooth as yours."
"The bottom line is, son, that nobody here has any objection to the choices you've made." Noboyuki added comfortably, setting his mug down on the table in front of him. "When you come to it, I married an alien myself, when I met and wed Achika. I didn't know it, of course – or that Otousama wasn't born on this world. But he and I have always had a good understanding, and even knowing what I know now, it hasn't changed the way things are in this family. Achika would probably have embraced the idea wholeheartedly, and wanted to know all about it. And I'm sure that, if she had seen you with Ryoko, she would not have had any objections to that, either. You have to be thicker skinned, that's all. Your happiness does not depend on the views of random individuals, after all."
"Dad?" Tenchi's eyes opened wide with surprise at the uncharacteristic seriousness of his father's speech. "I never heard you talk quite like that before."
"Noboyuki is right, though." Washu said thoughtfully. "Tenchi, you can't ever please everyone…so you really need to stop trying. Sometimes the biggest test in a relationship is knowing and accepting the limits and sacrifices that relationship brings. You and Ryoko have come through a lot of things together. In light of that, it really serves no purpose to pursue conflict with your former classmates. Graduation is over, after all. How likely are you to encounter Kyoda-san again, now that spring is here?"
"I suppose I see your point." Tenchi sighed, getting to his feet and stretching his limbs as he contemplated. "You know, you both make a lot of sense. It's just hard to always see it in that light, that's all. To apply it to a real life situation, even though I know you're right."
"Noboyuki and I both know what it is to love, and what it is to lose that person." Washu said softly. "But even despite that, we both know that neither one of us would have made any different decisions. Even had I known Mikamo would die the way he did, I am still glad to have been able to know him. And for Noboyuki, I'm sure the same is true of Achika. Putting it into perspective, Tenchi, you have Ryoko and you have the time now to be with her. Whatever the future brings you both, now is the time you should be holding on to. You never know when those memories might become more important."
"Washu…" Tenchi pursed his lips, then he nodded his head. "Yes, I understand what you mean. Kyoda and Kamikura are none of my concern any more, and I shouldn't let it taint my relationship with my fiancée. Ryoko and I will be married soon, and that's what really counts. In the end, that's the thing that means more to me…and I won't take it for granted that it will always be there."
"Where is your dazzling fiancée this morning, anyhow?" Noboyuki asked curiously. "I've not seen her since breakfast – is she still here in the mountains, or has she gone out somewhere?"
"She's in Osaka." Tenchi said with a grin. "Sakura's found an apartment at last and she wanted a second opinion – with Ryoko's phasing and flying, it means she can get into the places the owners would want to keep locked away, and Sakura's canny. She wants to be sure of what she's getting before she gets it, if you know what I mean. Besides, Sakura's going to help Ryoko out with Earth wedding advice, too – so it seems a fair exchange."
"Ryoko is fond of your Earth friends, isn't she?" Washu reflected, and Tenchi nodded.
"I think Ikeda and Sakura are as much Ryoko's friends now as they are mine, especially after our adventures together on Yousai." He said ruefully. "They understand better than anyone what life is like in the Masaki household – I think that's helped."
"Then really you have nothing to worry about, regarding Ryoko and her being accepted as your wife." Washu scolded. "Since your own closest friends have adopted her – you really do worry far too much, Tenchi. Especially for one so young."
"I'll try to keep that in mind." Despite himself, Tenchi laughed. "And on that note, I'm going to walk up to the shrine and see if Grandpa needs any help this morning – since I'm back here full time now, I might as well make myself useful. After all, I'm hoping that he's going to be the one to marry us – and I want to keep on his good side!"
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"Well, that was a productive morning."
Sakura glanced at the silver key in her hand, then turned to offer her companion a warm grin, her dark eyes lighting up with amusement as she surveyed her friend's casual demeanour. "And I appreciate your coming to help out, Ryoko. Some places think they can take first time renters for a ride if they're fresh out of college, and even though I've got this work contract pretty much sealed up, I don't want to be overpaying on my rent. I like to know I'm getting what I'm paying for, so thank you for your help."
"Hey, it's no bother by me." Ryoko's golden eyes danced with mischief as she shrugged her shoulders, dismissing the matter with a careless flick of her fingers. "And it seems fair. You are going to help me organise my wedding, after all, aren't you? If that's the case, I need somewhere in Osaka I can come where we can discuss those things. Just don't ask me to help settle the place in or anything, okay? I don't do domestic – it's not my style."
Sakura laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm fine with the whole domestic thing, and it's all right. My father and sister are going to be on hand, and my brother in law has agreed to help out, also." She said with a grin. "All in all, I should be fine. Etsuko and her husband are in town visiting home at just the right time, so we should be okay."
"It seems weird now you and Tenchi and everyone aren't at school any more." Ryoko reflected, as the two girls sauntered down the main street towards the city park and the coffee house frequented by many of the local inhabitants. "Tenchi believes that now he's out of education, the United Nations people will want to talk to him about Jurai as well. And about other space things, too. It's all highly boring, but there's some talk about Earth wanting to be properly recognised by the Galaxy Police as a populated planet, not as it is now – under some protected primitive life form act thing. I don't know the details, but I imagine that it's going to mean Tenchi and I actually have to do something instead of just flit around the universe aimlessly and let them pay us for the privilege."
"The Galaxy Police." Sakura frowned. "That's who that Seiryo Tennan was working with when he first came to Osaka, isn't it? When he was still under that weird spell and all of that. Am I right?"
"Yes, but you can rest assured that he wasn't doing his job at the time." Ryoko bit her lip, considering. "In truth, Sakura, I'd rather they didn't set up a space port anywhere in this sector, or start patrolling the area in the way that they do other regions of space. There's always meant to have been resident officers around the Earth zone, but the truth is it's such a remote area that the roles haven't always been filled and that suits me. I don't really like the Galaxy Police. Far too intrusive – far too nosy for their own good."
"I suppose that for a space pirate, a police officer is the natural enemy." Sakura looked amused. "In that respect, space works just the same as the world down here, doesn't it? People who commit crime and people who try and stop it – so long as these space police don't want to do the things Seiryo Tennan did, I think it can't be a bad thing to have some further defence against people like that Haki creature who came after you. You're a reformed pirate now, in any case. Rehabilitated – they can't touch you."
"I know, but old habits die hard." Ryoko admitted. "The only Galaxy Police officials I have any time for are Kiyone and Mihoshi – they're the exceptions. But they're both far too valuable to Headquarters to be sent out to the sticks like this now, even if Earth are trying to up their intergalactic standing. And I don't want the headache of being followed everywhere by rookie cops waiting for me to reoffend."
"I haven't met this Kiyone or Mihoshi, but I imagine you'll invite them to your wedding, so I suppose I will." Sakura clasped her hands together. "I'm excited by this, you know. I've been to weddings, of course, but never one involving an alien. Everything that you and Tenchi do seems to be unique, so I'm not quite sure what this wedding will be like."
"Well, that's why I have you to advise me, right?" Ryoko looked impish. "I want a proper Earth wedding, you know."
"A proper Earth wedding?" Sakura looked startled. "You mean a normal, traditional Japanese wedding?"
"Yes." Ryoko nodded her head. "After all, I'm going to become a proper member of this planet's population when I become Mrs Tenchi Masaki, aren't I? The United Nations have accepted me being here, and the Japanese government have even given me paperwork – but I will properly belong once I've made that commitment. And that's what I want. Besides, I think it's what Tenchi wants, also. Neither of us wanted to go to Jurai and let the Emperor make a stupid fuss over his great grandson's wedding. We're going to be married here, and you're going to teach me how. It'll be a lot less hassle that way."
"Well, if you're sure." Sakura looked doubtful. "I can try."
"What's that look for?" Ryoko put her hands on her hips indignantly. "Are you suggesting I can't do anything in a normal Earth type way?"
"No, of course not." Sakura shook her head, a smile touching her lips at this. "But…well, okay. If that's what you want, I'll do my best. In which case, when I go back to my parents' this evening, I'll dig out the photos of Etsuko's wedding to show you. Are you going to be in Osaka again any time soon, Ryoko? The sooner we begin looking at this, the better…if you don't know anything about Japanese weddings yet, there's a lot for you to learn."
"Well, then we could go now." Ryoko shrugged. "I have no plans, and Tenchi's still in the mountains anyway."
She pinkened.
"He thinks I know more about this than I do." She owned. "I told him I'd found some stuff out already, but to be honest, I haven't got so very far. The last day of his exams, I went to the library and had a look on the internet, but I really don't like these Earth machines. They're not as durable as Washu's computers – and it didn't really take to me."
"You burned out a library computer?" Sakura blinked, then she laughed. "And you want me to take you home with me? My parents don't know that one of my friends is an alien, Ryoko – I'd rather not introduce them to the concept with a small household explosion."
"Hey, I can be good. I promise." Ryoko held up her hands. "It wasn't my fault, I swear. Just the screen was flickering, and I thought, maybe if I gave it a little bit more power…after all, my magic is a lot like the electricity they use in some solar sectors. Not here, though, evidently. Maybe that's why so many things explode around me. Earth stuff is just not tough enough. Either way, the thing went bang and I thought I should make myself scarce in the ensuing chaos. I never did get to go back and pick up my prints."
"And I guess you can't tell Tenchi that you almost burnt down the library." Sakura's amusement was clear now. "All right, I get it. We'll keep away from Earth computers and we'll use a nice safe medium instead – a photo album. First, though, let's grab a coffee somewhere, all right? It might only be spring but I'm hot after this morning, and I think it would be better if we got the train back to my family's home. Teleportation is all very well, but again, my parents don't know about you yet."
"I couldn't teleport there anyway. I've never been to your parental home, so I wouldn't know where I was aiming." Ryoko shrugged carelessly. "And I'm up for a drink, although it's a bit early in the day for sake, even for me. I guess coffee will do."
"You know, I'm glad that graduation hasn't meant you and Tenchi are completely disappearing from this area." As they sat in a corner booth, Sakura took a pensive sip of her coffee, setting it down on the table before her. "I know I said it before, but I really would have hated being here completely on my own. But if Osaka is close enough for you to teleport to, I'm sure that means I'll get to see something of the both of you even now classes are finished."
"What about Hiroshi?" Ryoko asked curiously, tilting her head on one side as she eyed her friend. "I thought he was coming to Osaka too full time – isn't that what you said before?"
"Yes." Sakura pursed her lips. "At least, I think so. But I haven't spoken to him since the night of the graduation party. I figured he probably had other things on his mind, and I certainly have. So I don't know what he's decided to do. Maybe Tenchi knows more than I do – you know what guys are like. They don't talk to girls."
Ryoko looked thoughtful, dipping her finger absently in her drink and stirring it, oblivious to the strange looks she was getting from across the coffee shop floor.
"Funny." She said off-handedly. "I always thought you had brown eyes, Sakura."
"Huh?" Sakura stared, taken off guard by this. "What do you mean, Ryoko?"
"Nothing." Ryoko shrugged. "Just for a minute there, I wondered if perhaps they were green."
At this, Sakura's eyes widened, a pink flush spreading across her cheeks.
"Green?" She repeated. "Ryoko, are you suggesting I'm jealous of someone? Or…of something?"
"I'm suggesting that you didn't like Hiroshi turning up with Miss five foot nine and no extra padding at the graduation shindig." Ryoko said calmly, licking the coffee from the end of her finger and offering her companion a benign smile. "That's all."
Now there was no concealing Sakura's blushes, and she folded her arms, glaring at the pirate indignantly.
"Ryoko!" She exclaimed. "Are you seriously suggesting that I'm interested in Hiroshi Ikeda? In that way?"
"Aren't you?" Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "Because if you're not, you're doing a good job of hiding it."
Sakura opened her mouth to protest, then, as Ryoko's words sank in she groaned, burying her head in her hands.
"Do you think he knows?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, do you think bringing that girl to the shindig was some kind of…well, message?"
"Kura-chan, Ikeda is a dope." Ryoko said succinctly. "All men are dopes. Look at Tenchi. I practically had to kill myself fighting Haki before he realised he wanted me around. Ikeda probably hasn't the slightest idea. Even if you wrote it down and stapled it to his head, he might miss the point. You needn't worry about that."
Sakura ran her fingers through her thick dark hair.
"It sucks, huh." She murmured, looking rueful. "I didn't realise that I was obvious enough for you to have picked it up, Ryoko. I didn't realise myself for a long time – you know, that he was more than just the dorky guy I hung out with. If you really want to know the truth, when we all began at college, it was Tenchi I sort of, well, liked. But…Tenchi and I are like brother and sister. As soon as I got to know him, I realised that he was going to be my best friend, but nothing else and that suited me. When you came into the picture, all of that was a mile behind me."
"And you think Ikeda is better looking than Tenchi?" Ryoko's eyebrows shot up at this. "Maybe there is something wrong with your eyes, after all."
"It's not just about that." Sakura shook her head. "Ikeda isn't…he's not ugly, Ryoko. I like how he looks with his glasses and his floppy long hair – he has his own charm, and well, I guess it hasn't only been an attraction based on looks, anyway. He might be a dope, and he might say stupid things about alien girls or, well, any girls. But the truth is, he makes me laugh. And…well, he has a good heart, that's all. Tenchi's always been in love with you, and it's never bothered me – that's how I knew it really wasn't Tenchi I wanted, after all. Kind as he is, it was never that way – you know? But seeing Hiroshi at that place with that girl…that shook me up a little."
She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"Besides, I'm not as pretty as you are." She said resignedly. "Or as pretty as his date. I'm the kind of girl who's everyone's friend, and that's all."
Ryoko snorted.
"What kind of attitude is that?" She demanded. "Is that what Earth girls do when a guy they like turns up with some other chick on his arm? Yeesh. We're talking about Hiroshi Ikeda, not some superstar hero that everyone's beating down the door for. Are you really that much of a defeatist that you're giving up before you've even begun?"
"What's the point?" Sakura shrugged her shoulders again. "He's not interested in me that way. Physical attraction might not mean anything to me, Ryoko, but Hiroshi's different."
Ryoko did not answer, and fear leapt into Sakura's heart as she registered her friend's expression.
"Ryoko, you are not going to say anything to him about me, do you hear?" She said firmly. "Swear to me now on your relationship with Tenchi that you are not going to interfere in something that's none of your business!"
"I'm not going to talk to Ikeda about anything. That's not my job – you're not thirteen years old." Was Ryoko's crushing reply. "But if you want something, Sakura, you can't get it by sitting and whining about it. How do you think I got Tenchi? You have to be direct. Make your case. Make him realise what he's missing. If you don't do that, how the hell can you complain? Men are stupid. They need pointers – they don't know how they feel until a girl puts them straight anyway."
"I have no idea how you got Tenchi." Sakura eyed her friend warily. "Knowing you how I do, there could be any number of ways. Besides, you always give the impression of it being destined to be – are you saying it wasn't love at first sight, then?"
"I tried to barbeque him, and he wanted me to go back to where I came from." Ryoko sighed nostalgically. "It was quite a night, really, with one thing or another."
"You tried to what?"
"Well, it was a joke, really. I've never been into the killing thing, but it's always fun to make men run crying to their mothers." Ryoko said pensively. "Tenchi wasn't like them, though. He stood up to me, and I guess I respected that. He had nothing but a garden hoe, but even so, he faced me down. Men like that don't come around very often – so I decided at that point to stick around and drum it into him that he could do a lot worse than take me on. Of course, it took him a while – but he got there in the end. Perseverance, that's the secret. If you know what you want, you have to make sure he knows it, too. If he doesn't know, he can't act on it. Can he?"
"I suppose not." Sakura rested her chin in her hands. "I guess I should have known you'd have a unique beginning to your acquaintance, given the way you both are. Say it with garden tools, huh? Well, it's original if nothing else."
"We try." Ryoko grinned. "But you're missing the point. Kura, if you go for the jugular, sure, he might humiliate you horribly and he might break your heart. Men suck that way. But if you don't go for it, you're gonna miss out anyway. You'll be just friends forever. And humiliation is a lot easier to get over than you might think. If at first you don't succeed, and all that – believe me, if it's important to you, it's worth fighting for. The question is, is it?"
"You're making me ashamed of myself." Sakura grimaced. "But honestly, I don't ever know how to bring the subject up. And now he has this other girl…maybe I missed my boat already, huh?"
She shrugged.
"Let's not focus on this any more." She added. "We're going to discuss your wedding plans this afternoon, not my lack of a love life."
"As you like." Ryoko grinned, the wicked twinkle back in her golden eyes. "Just take it from me – the people who sit back and wait wait a damn long time. You've met Ayeka, haven't you? She's the Princess of waiting, and I don't mean that as a pun. It pays to be direct. That's all."
"I remember Ayeka." Sakura looked thoughtful. "Washu-san did say that she'd once loved Tenchi too. Is that what you mean?"
Ryoko nodded.
"Tenchi's always said he was never in love with Ayeka, but I guess I'll never know one hundred percent for sure." She said flippantly. "But if he was, she never pushed hard enough to get him. Either way, he isn't now, and that's what matters to me. I took my chance, I suppose…and I kept taking it until I got what I wanted."
Sakura was silent for a moment, digesting this. Then she nodded.
"I'll keep it in mind, so long as you promise not to interfere." She said at length. "Is it a deal?"
"Oh, I won't interfere." Ryoko said with a shrug. "If you're not strong enough to tell him yourself, I'm not going to play nurse and do it for you."
Her eyes twinkled.
"I won't promise not to tease you, though, so be prepared for that." She warned. "I've never really had a girl friend to banter with like this, and I'm kind of liking the experience."
"Lucky me." Sakura groaned, but there was a smile on her face. "I get to be your guinea pig in the world of Earth girl social circles."
"You should consider yourself privileged. I was a high profile space criminal, once upon a time." Ryoko grinned.
"You might want to keep that to yourself a bit this afternoon, if we're really going back to mine after this." Sakura reflected. "Just in case."
"You think your family's not of the pro-alien persuasion?"
"I don't know. I've not discussed it with them, because I didn't want them to wonder why I was so interested in the subject." Sakura admitted. "They still have no idea I left the planet with you and Tenchi and visited Jurai and Yousai. It's not the sort of thing you can easily slip into conversation, so I've left well alone."
"Well, I'll be on my best behaviour." Ryoko promised. "No magic, no explosions, nothing out of the ordinary. You have my word."