Disclaimer: These characters belong to AIC and Pioneer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Waters Ryo-oki's Discovery I called her the Angel. She was always willing to pet me or give me attention when the others were busy. Rarely was I in the way. Hardly ever was she too busy to watch me perform a cartwheel, or sing a song. She would sneak me carrots when the others weren't looking. She would smile at me with her gentle face. I called her the Angel. They called her Ayeka. I never thought of people by the names that other people used. I give them new names, one's which fit them, so I can remember them. I learned their "real" names as well, because that is how they refer to eachother, even when talking to me. I called her the Angel. I think my name for her is better. Ayeka is just a word. But my name is who she is. Who she was at least. Now, I'm not so sure. I wish I could understand this. It's so confusing. I wish I was like the others, so I too could understand. I knew from the begining that something was wrong about this day. I did not know what, nor did I know how I knew that something was wrong. Little things agreed with me that something was wrong. I wish I was like the others, then maybe I could've understood, and then maybe things wouldn't be how they are. At least I would understand how things are now, and possibly, why? Even the begining was wrong. Sister moved slower than usual. Her eyes were not open wide like they are supposed to be. She would stop and try to remember exactly where she was in her recipe. When Sister can't cook, something is wrong. Soon the others came down and Sister and I set the table. I stared at Sister, chewing on a carrot. Then Sister got up. She followed Heaven and Earth. He was following the Angel. She walked out the back, to her special spot, where her tree grew. I believe they call it Ryu-oh. I do not know what to call it yet, because it is so strange. So I simply call it the Angel's Tree, until I can give it a real name. I like talking to the Angel's Tree. It speaks with funny lights which bounce from it's leaves. I don't understand what it says, but I'm learning. I wonder if it understands me. The Angel was talking to her tree now. I "listened" in, but I still did not know what it was. I wish I was like the Angel. Then I would've known what her tree was saying. Then maybe things wouldn't be how they are. The Angel spoke with Heaven and Earth. I do not remember what they said, because I didn't understand what it meant. Not like before, with the Angel's Tree, where I could not understand the light that it spoke with. I understood the words they said, although I do not remember them, but I did not understand what they meant together. Something about being lost, but that made no sense, because Home was insight, you could not be lost so close to it. Heaven and Earth sounded confused. I was confused too. Because the Angel sounded like she was saying good-bye, but she went back to Home. I watched as the Angel washed her clothing. She washed it over and over again. It must be special clothing if it needs to be so clean. I never saw her wearing it before. It was white, a very soft white. Heaven and Earth came by, and then Master did. They asked her what she was doing, and why, and her answers was simple enough. But it still confused me. Now she sounded like she was saying that she was sorry, even though her words just answered their questions. Why was she sorry? Was she not supposed to wash this clothing? What was so special about it? I leaned over and stared at it, floating in the soapy water. It was very pretty, and very clean. I didn't see what was wrong with the Angel washing it, if it made it look so nice. A loud plunk threw suds onto my face. I had dropped my carrot into the water with the clothing. I started crying. Because I had soap in my eye. Because I ruined the Angel's pretty clothing, because carrots don't belong with laundry. Because something was wrong, and I did not know what or why or how to fix it. The Angel just laughed as she dabbed my eye with a wet towel, until the soap was gone. It still stung, but not as much. Then the Angel smiled, and reached into her kimono. She pulled out another carrot and handed it to me. I think she thought that was why I was crying, because I lost my carrot. That wasn't it, but I was still happy, because if I had ruined her clothing, then she wouldn't be so nice to me. So everything must have been okay. Sister and I tried to get the Angel to play with us, but she was busy. She washed all of the floors. Then she cleaned up the room that she and Sister slept in. She did everything over and over again, like when she washed her clothing. She must have wanted everything to be really clean and really pretty. "Everything must be perfect." She replied when Sister and I asked her why she worked so hard. But she did play with us. After lunch, which seemed to last longer than it usually did. We played hide and seek! For some reason, the Angel was always easier to find than Sister. I guess it's because she was so much bigger, but it seemed to be more than that. She also didn't get as upset as Sister when I found her. We also played tag! The Angel chased after me as I bounded away. She leapt and grabbed me. We rolled down the hill, the Angel laughing brightly. I liked her laugh. She never laughed enough. We played lots of games. We threw a ball around, ran races, and played Catch the Carrot! The Angel smiled and I felt alright. Nothing bad was going to happen, or else she wouldn't be so happy. But something bad did happen. I think she knew it was going to happen, even though she was happy. I wish I was like the others, so I could understand. After playing with us, the Angel went for a long walk. I wanted to go with her, but she said that she needed to be alone. Sister called for me, and I ran off to see what she wanted. I watched out the window a lot, waiting for the Angel to come back. I did not like it when Master went to get sake, or Heaven and Earth went to plow the fields, even though it meant more carrots, or anybody leaving for any reason. I felt best when everybody was together, even if Master and the Angel were fighting. The Angel came back late. I was curled up in Sister's lap, as they watched something on the TV, when the Angel opened the door. She looked at everybody, going from person to person. She smiled when she looked at me. So why was I upset? "If anybody needs me, I shall be in our room. Please, do not interrupt me unless it is important, I do not wish to be disturbed." I watched as she walked up the stairs. She seemed happy, yet...not happy. I tried to think if there were any new songs I had learned, or any new tricks that I could show her, but I had already sang my new song to her that afternoon when we played. "Miya?" I asked Master, what is she doing? "I don't know, Ryo-oki." Master smiled. "Maybe she's creating a secret carrot stash." A carrot stash? I could help her! Then she would not be alone, and maybe she would give me some of her carrots. I wouldn't tell anybody where they were! Shedding my humanoid body for the speed of my cabbit body, I raced as fast as I could, up the stairs. I ran into the door that led to the room that she and Sister slept in. I dropped back to the floor, the world spinning. I always forget to phase before I pass through the door. I land on the other side of the door. "Miya?" I call, looking for the Angel. There she was! She was sleeping on her little bed. She was dressed in a pretty pink dress. It looked a lot like the clothing she was washing this morning, except that was white. I started towards her, when I noticed something odd. Red water flowed across the floor. The Angel would be very upset. She had just cleaned the floor. She had cleaned it so well. Tentatively, I touched the red water with a paw. It was thicker than normal water, and slightly sticky. I didn't like it. I didn't want to touch it. I leapt onto the Angel. I had to wake her up, so the red water wouldn't ruin anymore of her clean floors. "Miya." I whispered, nudging her with a paw. She did not move. "Miya?" I asked louder, confused. How could the Angel be sleeping so heavily? She had just gone to sleep. Still no response. "Miya!" I screamed, despirately. Still she did not awake. Then I noticed it. There was something on her, in her. It was shiny, like Sister's spoon that she stirs soup with, but it was shaped like Heaven and Earth's key. There seemed to be more of it, but it faded into... Red water! The red water came from the Angel! I did not understand what this meant, but I knew that it was bad. Heaven and Earth would help! So would Master and Mother. Mother would make everything alright. She was very smart, and always fixed things. With a sense of urgency I had never known before, I raced from the room. I lept through the door, forgetting to phase again. Splinters cut deeply as I landed on the other side. Master! I ran down the stairs, yelling at Master what I saw, asking her what it was. "Ryo-oki!" Her voice echoed through my mind. "Slow down." She sent warmth and comfort to me, but it did little good against the fear and confusion that was in me. Heaven and Earth ran up the stairs. Master teleported away once she had seen what I saw. I raced back the way I came. I reached the top to see Heaven and Earth attack Sister. In one move, he knocked her away, flying across the hall and into the other room. He lept up, slamming the door and twisted the knob. Why? What had he done? Why did he attack Sister? Was the Angel okay? I looked at Master's thoughts. Master had told me not to, that I should only look when she told me I could, but I didn't listen. This was more important. I still don't understand! Why is the Angel dead? What is dead? It is all so confusing. The Angel is dead. I thought she was asleep. You don't return from dead. I don't know why. Dead is like sleep, but you don't wake up. You can't wake up. I don't know why. I wish I could understand this. It's so confusing. I wish I was like the others, so I too could understand. Now I fly through space, in my true form, carrying Heaven and Earth inside me. I do not know where we are going, or why. But Heaven and Earth does. I think. He doesn't know exactly why we are doing this, only that we must, and that is good enough for me. I still don't understand, but I am begining to. The Angel is dead, so she will never come back. I don't know why she is dead, but there is a cause, if not a reason. Somebody made the Angel dead, and now we must make him dead, so he cannot do this again. You can't wake up from dead. Everything has changed, and anything that hasn't soon will. And it is this man's fault, and so we will make him dead. I don't think that making him dead will make the Angel not dead. I'm not sure. I'd like to think it would, but it doesn't seem to be the way this works. Dead is a sleep you don't wake from. But the man might try to make others dead, so we must make him dead. I still don't understand, but I understand this. What was is gone. The person who sleeps in dead is no longer the person who I give my flowers too. She is no longer the person who is always willing to watch me and teach me new things to show others. She is no longer the person who sneaks me carrots when the others aren't looking. She is no longer one of the people that makes Home so great for everybody. She is no longer Ayeka. I think my name for her is better. Ayeka is just a word. But my name is who she is. Who she was at least. Now, I'm not so sure. She is no longer Ayeka, but my name might still be who she is. Maybe, my name is even more who she is now, than who she was before. I called her the Angel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've had the idea of Ryo-oki using different names for everybody long before this fic. Originally the idea was for a scene that is upcoming in one of my fanfics, but it seemed too good to waste it there. Then this idea came along. It seemed to fit perfectly, allowing me to dive deeper into Ryo-oki's mind. Still, don't be surprised if I use it in another fic. I just don't picture Ryo-oki thinking of people as "Tenchi" or "Ayeka." It seems to me that Ryo-oki and Ayeka hit it off very well, especially at the begining. Ryo-oki was determined to make Ayeka like her, and you never see Ayeka more gentle and warm, than when Ryo-oki was befriending her. I thought it was worth noting. I also thought that Ryo-oki might have a hard time grasping the concept of death. I mean, when she dies, she is reborn, and nobody she knows has died, except Kagato, but she wasn't around for that. Ryo-oki is technically mineral so the entire thing is foreign to her, so she has to pick it up from Ryoko. Send all C&C to lighthawkwings@masakishrine.com