Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from "Tenchi Muyo!" were created by Kajishima Masaki, and are Copyright AIC and Pioneer LDC. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.
Personal History, Ch. III
"Now, the area behind the knee is also a good starting point." Ayeka instructed. "But you have to be careful, because it can also be ticklish." She demonstrated by running her fingers over the hollow at the rear of Mihoshi's left knee. The blonde giggled in her sleep.
It was late in the evening, and ordinarily Ayeka would have been in bed. But neither she nor Ryoko were anxious to go to sleep that night. When Ryoko had asked to resume the interrupted lesson, Ayeka had accepted. Not too surprisingly, Mihoshi had appeared once again. This time, however, Ayeka was actually a little grateful. Once Mihoshi had fallen asleep, it saved Ayeka the uncomfortable situation of demonstrating on Ryoko.
"A gentle but steady touch is the idea." Ayeka continued, suiting actions to words and massaging with her palm. This time Mihoshi gave a dreamy sigh. "Now you try it."
Ryoko extended her hand. "This feels a little bit weird." She stroked the spot at the back of Mihoshi's knee, trying not to use too little pressure or too much. In a few moments, Mihoshi gave another pleasurable sigh. "Okay--a lot weird."
"Is it simply that it's Mihoshi," Ayeka asked, "or are you more used to men than women?"
Ryoko hesitated a moment before answering. "I was never really 'used to' either one. Every . . . encounter. . . was because Kagato trying to get an artifact or information. I'd prefer to forget about it as much as possible."
For a long moment Ayeka struggled with temptation. She was aching to know more about Ryoko's past. Did Ryoko mean she had never slept with Kagato himself? And were any of the names of those Ryoko had slept with names she would recognize? It would be so easy to claim it was something she needed to know to teach Ryoko properly.
But Ayeka saw the somber expression on Ryoko's face, and sensed this was dangerous to explore. And there was her own sense of duty as well. Much as she detested the ex-space-pirate the rest of the time, here and now they were teacher and pupil.
Ayeka decided to leave matters alone, at least for now. "Of course." She replied. "Well, I think it's time I joined Sasami and got some sleep. You're making excellent progress. Don't forget to practice the breathing exercises before our next session."
"Thanks, Ayeka." Ryoko couldn't quite bring herself to call the princess 'sensei' (teacher). "Good night."
"Pleasant dreams, miss Ryoko." Ayeka replied, going out the door.
Ryoko didn't think it was very likely, however.
- - - - - - - -
Ayeka paused to look at the image slowly being formed on the tapestry. This was quite possibly her best creation yet. The colors were subtle, yet they held the eye, and the detail was superb. The image of a Juraian noblewoman greeting the dawn in a garden carried the impression of dignity and grace while still preserving the sense of wonder and delight in nature. Ayeka bent down to the loom to finish weaving the fertile-looking soil under the noblewoman's feet.
"Hey!" came Ryoko's voice. "What kind of over-done outfit is this? It makes me look like a hot dog in a bun!"
Ayeka looked around. But there was no Ryoko to be seen, until she glanced at the tapestry. How had Ryoko's face gotten there? The ex-space-pirate was not who she had in mind to represent Juraian aristocracy. But she would have to make the best of the situation. "This outfit shows elegance and gentility, which you could use a measure of, Ryoko. Now please hold still while I finish."
"No way! It's bulky and uncomfortable!" Ryoko lifted her head a fraction from the tapestry and turned to face Ayeka. "Would it kill you Juraians to show a little skin? And where's my tail?"
"Juraian outfits do not have tails." Ayeka said sharply. "You'll just have to accept the way I've woven it."
'Want to bet?" Ryoko was equally unyielding. "I'm going to get this hood off, at least." Her arm moved upwards, and gripped the hood of the formal robe. She tugged, but the hood was not easy to move, since it was part of the woven image.
"Yamette! (Stop it!)" Ayeka scolded. "You'll unravel the picture, and yourself with it!"
But Ryoko ignored the warning. The hood yielded, tearing the tapestry itself. And as Ayeka had predicted, it started to unravel. "Hey!" Ryoko shouted as one arm began shredding into separate threads, "what's going on?"
"You're unraveling, just like I told you!" Ayeka shouted back. She grabbed a needle, and tried to stop the damage from spreading.
"Don't you come near me with that thing!" Ryoko yelled. "Jeez, and I thought Washu was fond of big needles!" She tried to move away, but only tore the tapestry even further. And now the tear spread until Ryoko's body was torn in half. "Ooooh . . . I don't feel so good."
"What a nightmare," Ayeka moaned. And then she realized she was exactly right. Now if she could just figure out how to wake up. . .
"Big sister!" Came Sasami's voice from the hall. "How are you doing with the tapestry? I want to see!"
"I want to see, too!" Now Tenchi's voice sounded. "You promised you'd let us have a look today, after all."
Time for strong measures. Ayeka took the needle and jabbed it into her other hand.
The next moment, she was lying on her futon, her heart beating double time. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then remembered to let it out slowly so as not to awaken her little sister. Looking over, she saw that Sasami had thrown her covers almost entirely off herself. Ayeka reached out and gently drew the sheet and blanket back over Sasami, careful not to disturb Ryo-Ohki, who was sleeping in her cabbit form on the opposite side of Sasami's pillow.
It was as she drew her hand back that she noticed the red mark on her palm. She frowned for a moment, but then smiled. Who would have thought the Earth fashion of growing one's fingernails long would be that useful?
- - - - - - - -
"This way for the competitors!" called the voice. Ryoko followed eagerly. At last, she would get the chance to show the world her skills with a motorcycle. And with any luck, Tenchi would be one of the spectators.
But when she emerged into the pit area, there was no motorcycle to be seen. "Where's my bike?" Ryoko demanded. She stepped into the center of the pit, looking all around. Nothing. At last she glanced downward, to see that she was standing on a shallow oil slick. And then, in the reflection from its surface, she saw herself changing. Her legs became covered with rubber, and arms became coated with chrome. In moments she lost the ability to move. There was a blur of light, and when it passed she realized that her eyes were looking out of twin headlights. She herself had become the motorcycle.
She tried mightily to yell for help. But she couldn't figure out where her mouth was. Instead, her motor started with the bang of a backfire. She hastily stopped her struggles and tried to figure things out more systematically. Okay, her wheels must be her legs . . .
The back door to the pit opened, and Ayeka walked in, dressed in a form-fitting fireproof suit. Just behind her came Tenchi, wearing a jacket and a cap labeled "press", and carrying a notepad.
"But," Tenchi was inquiring, "doesn't it bother you that they call you 'crash' Masaki?"
Just for a moment, a vein bulged in Ayeka's forehead. Then she gave an exaggerated laugh. "Oh, I can't pay attention to rumor and gossip. A professional has to stay focused. Like," she paused, racking her brains for a moment, "making sure I have a full tank of fuel for the race." She went over to the fuel pump and took the nozzle, trailing the hose behind her. Bending over Ryoko, she unscrewed the cap to Ryoko's gas tank. Ryoko had just time to realize that the opening was her mouth when Ayeka shoved the nozzle in, effectively muzzling her. She tried desperately to warn Ayeka and Tenchi that her motor was running as the gasoline started to flow.
"That's a new machine you're using for today's race, isn't it?" Tenchi asked while busily writing down Ayeka's answer from his previous question.
"Ahh--yes, so it is." Ayeka recovered. Ryoko tried to protest that she wasn't supposed to be a motorcycle. "My crew hasn't quite finished the repairs after that little incident with the guardrail in last week's race." Ayeka continued.
"I thought your motorcycle was wrapped around that rail like a pretzel." Tenchi said. This was sounding worse and worse to Ryoko, who was getting closer to full by the minute. Couldn't either of them see the danger?
"Oh, no. After all, I wasn't hurt much. Just a bruise on my cheek. And I think it's gone now. Could you check for me please?" She turned her head to give her profile, and leaned close to Tenchi.
That pea-brained princess was flirting with her Tenchi! Ryoko could have exploded. And speaking of exploding, the gasoline had reached the opening of her fuel tank . . .
And suddenly Ryoko was awake. She gave a gasp of relief. She wasn't a motorcycle any more, Ayeka wasn't getting her hooks into Tenchi, and they weren't about to be incinerated. Although, she still felt as if she were about to overflow. Since she didn't have a fuel tank any more she quickly realized the problem was her bladder. Well, that was easy enough to solve for someone able to teleport to the bathroom.
Ryoko returned to her futon a few minutes later feeling generally at peace with the world. She slid back under the covers, put her head down on the pillow, and closed her eyes. And then a thought came to her, and her eyes opened again. Both times so far, the nightmare had not been Ayeka deliberately attacking her. Instead, the danger had been from Ayeka not knowing what she was doing.
When they had started the sessions, Ryoko hadn't realized that Ayeka was going to learn so much about her. Once it became clear, Ryoko had demanded that Ayeka promise not to divulge what she learned, and not to take unfair advantage of it. (Ayeka had promised immediately, saying that she wouldn't have done any such thing, being the First Princess of Jurai, which of course was the most annoying reply she could possibly have given.) But it now occurred to Ryoko that Ayeka might let loose something disastrous by accident instead of on purpose. She could trust he princess not to be treacherous -- but could she trust her not to be stupid?
Her first reaction was 'no'. Ayeka was a self-centered, spoiled, immature blockhead! . . . Or was that merely what she wanted to believe? After all, Ayeka seemed to know what she was doing so far in their lessons. And there had been nothing wrong with her intelligence when she had put a teleporter on Tenchi's door that night when Mihoshi had demolished the house (the first time).
Ryoko closed her eyes again. This would need some looking into, but it would have to wait for tomorrow.
- - - - - - - -
It was after breakfast the next day, and to the surprise of several members of the Masaki household, Ryoko was keeping her promise to help with the dishes.
"Make sure the water is nice and hot," Sasami directed, "you should just be able to stand it."
"I can stand as hot as water can get." Ryoko pointed out. "I can walk through fire, remember?"
"Oh, right." Sasami nodded. "Okay, it should be a little hotter than the onsen."
"Coming up," Ryoko said, and turned the hot water faucet open a bit more. "Say, Sasami . . . can I ask you a question about Ayeka?"
"I guess so," Sasami answered, "unless it's something she told me in secret."
"How smart do you think she is?"
Sasami looked thoughtful. "Well, she's not as smart as Washu, but then no one is. She's not as clever as Grandma Seto, but she's smart enough to realize that. And she has memorized a whole lot of manners and protocol for the various planets that Jurai trades with."
"But what about cooking, for instance?" Ryoko asked, "You have to admit that if she whipped up a new dish for lunch, you'd be very careful about tasting it, sister or not."
"Well, it depends." Sasami answered. "She's pretty capable with cold foods like salads. Although it takes her a little extra time -- okay, a lot of time -- because she tries to get everything just right. That's why she over-cooks the things that need heat. That, and she always thinks the more expensive an ingredient is, the better it is."
"I remember a time she did something that sure looked foolish to me." Ryoko countered.
"Well, maybe she had a reason you didn't know about." Sasami suggested.
"That's possible." Ryoko conceded. She put down the dish she had been working on. "Yes . . . I should ask her about that."
"But first," Sasami said, "you'll finish helping me, right?"
It was on the tip of Ryoko's tongue to say 'gotta catch me first'. But this was Sasami, and it didn't seem right to disappoint her. "All right," Ryoko said with a just a touch of resignation in her voice.
"And don't forget to clean all the way to the bottom of the cups!" Sasami added.
"You're a stern task-master, kid." A mischievous thought occurred to Ryoko. "Say, the Juraians have been visiting this planet for a long time, haven't they?"
"That's what brother Yosho tells me." Sasami agreed.
"Then maybe some of your ancestors were slave-drivers in ancient Egypt." Ryoko suggested. "That would explain a few things."
"R--Ryoko . . . !" Sasami actually spluttered.
Ryoko dropped her voice to a throaty baritone.
"When Israel was in Egypt's Land,
Let my people go!
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,"
"Hey! That's not fair!" Sasami tried to interrupt.
Ryoko slumped her shoulders as if under a burden and melodramatically raised her eyes skyward as she continued.
"Let my people go!
Go down, Moses,"
"I knew Washu shouldn't have downloaded those American Spiritual karaoke tunes." Sasami declared.
"way down in Egypt's land,
Tell ol´ Pharaoh,
Let my people goooo." Ryoko drew out the last syllable for extra emphasis.
"You're one of a kind," Sasami pointed out tartly, "you don't have 'people'!"
Outside the kitchen door, Ayeka paused. She had hurried towards the kitchen when she heard Sasami raise her voice. But her sister didn't seem to really need her, even if Ryoko was teasing unfairly. And a new thought had just entered her mind. Ryoko was kidding at the moment, but she had, for all practical purposes, been a slave. If what Washu said was true, and it almost always was, Kagato had taken control of Ryoko not far from the time of the first dynasty of Pharoanic Egypt. And yet she was able to make a joke about it.
Ayeka found herself putting on a smock, taking a broom from the closet, and heading towards the shrine. If Ryoko was going to make herself useful, then she could do no less. Also, it would give her time to think further.
Just as she reached the front door, she heard Sasami, and the little princess' voice was sugary enough to keep every dentist in Okayama employed.
"Just whistle while you work,
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place,
So hum a merry tune,
It won't take long when there's a song--"
"Okay, okay!" came Ryoko's voice. "I'll stop singing if you'll stop!" Ayeka smiled. Her little sister was definitely capable of taking care of herself.
As she walked up the steps to the shrine, Ayeka reflected further. Perhaps Ryoko dodged her chores, not because she was lazy, but because she finally had the ability to dodge. Ayeka actually shared Ryoko's attitude about housework. It wasn't that she considered it beneath her. Her parents, especially stepmother Funaho, had made clear that no useful work was beneath anyone. But most of the chores that needing doing around the Masaki house were just plain unpleasant. And some of those that could be enjoyed in the right frame of mind, such as cooking, she had been strongly discouraged from. Ayeka reached the shrine courtyard, and began to sweep. She did what she could do, as she was doing now, because it needed to be done, and the only others available were already doing their own work.
But what if, instead of growing up with servants, she had done chores all her life? What if she had already done a huge amount of work that was not merely distasteful, but revolting or even agonizing? Might she see it as fair that she would let others do the chores for a time?
By this time, Ayeka was about a third of the way through sweeping the courtyard. As she was passing near the door of the shrine office, it opened and her brother emerged.
"Ayeka, that is Tenchi's job." he reproved.
"I don't mind it today." she replied. "And I thought Lord Tenchi could use a rest this once."
"His chores are part of his training." Yosho reminded her.
"Oh . . . I had forgotten, he told me once that you said so." And suddenly something added up in Ayeka's brain. "Is doing chores really that useful?"
"For a warrior, yes. Not only does it build his stamina, but it helps to avoid overconfidence and arrogance."
"But for other disciplines," Ayeka said as much to herself as to Yosho, "it might not be useful at all."
"True enough." Yosho answered. "The teacher must choose wisely."
"Thank you, elder brother." Ayeka gave a deep bow. "I apologize for my interference."
"It was well meant." he gave a lesser bow in acknowledgement.
Ayeka headed back down the shrine steps towards the house, turning over two things in her mind. I wonder when he's finally going to stop that silly 'old man' disguise? was the first thing she thought. A pulse came into her mind from her tiara. Don't worry, Ryu-Oh, I haven't forgotten you told me that in confidence, she sent back. A faint smile appeared on her face. Her tree and her brother's were such gossips.
But the second idea was far more important. Both times, her dreams had been about transforming Ryoko into something different. Ayeka was still convinced that everyone would be better off if Ryoko acted in a more civilized manner, and helped out more with the household chores. Now that she was Ryoko's teacher, even if in one subject and only for a part of the day, she had a certain amount of power over the ex-space-pirate. But it was a power too easy to misuse.
Her dreams had been a warning, Ayeka knew. She had to admit to herself that eventually she would have probed into Ryoko's memories, and tried to make her behave as she, Ayeka, saw fit instead of what Ryoko needed to be free of her past. But now Ayeka realized the risk of doing so. She just needed to resist the temptation.
Ayeka closed the front door behind her, took off her shoes, and put them neatly along the side wall next to Sasami's. She walked into the living room to return the broom to the closet, and then stopped as she looked upwards. Ryoko had clearly finished her part of the dishwashing. The ex-space-pirate was lying back on her favorite beam, a large pillow underneath her head, and a pot of tea ready to hand. If the phrase 'masterly inactivity' had needed a poster girl, Ryoko would have been the winning candidate, hands down.
Ryoko moved her head the barest amount necessary to look at Ayeka. "Hello, princess. I take it the broom-riding didn't go so well?"
Ayeka's fist tightened around the handle of the broom until the wood nearly cracked. Okay, some times the temptation was going to be pretty strong . . .
(To be continued . . .)
Author's note: The American Spiritual hymn "Go Down, Moses", has in fact become reasonably well known in karaoke bars in Asia.