And Baby Makes Three
Ryouko's Loss
Part 2
By Nekokun
(AKA Hakubi_Ryouko)
"No. Way."
Ryouko laid on the rafter that often served as her bed, looking up
at the ceiling. She'd been repeating that one phrase over and over since
yesterday. Each time with a little more conviction, a little more force.
Each time her anger grew a little more. Until now, early the next morning,
she was seething.
"NO WAY!!!"
Her scream shook the entire house, waking everyone that hadn't
already been up.
*****
"Oh what now?" Princess Aeka groaned out as Ryouko's shout pulled
her from a pleasant dream. As she raised her head from the pillow as a
plaintive wail brought her fully awake. She looked over her shoulder at
the cradle that Washu had created for her baby.
"Damn you Ryouko." she breathed out as she climbed out of bed and
over to her child. The baby was definitely complaining at the loud and rude
wake up call she'd just received. Aeka reached down, picked the child up
and cradled her. Immediately quieting, the baby cooed at the princess, her
hands instinctively reaching for the face leaning over her.
"Did that annoying demon wake you up?" Aeka asked, smiling. The
baby smiled back.
*****
Tenchi picked himself up off of the floor of his room, rubbing his
head - bemused.
"NO WAY!"
The scream ripped through the house, startling Tenchi once again.
"Ah." he said, all things clarified. Well, at least what had
awakened him. There were other things that still plagued him. One very
small, very innocent, very wonderful thing. But he was rather certain that
the child wasn't his. At least, he didn't remember "being" with Aeka. The
very thought brought a flush to his cheeks and threatened to cause a very
embarrassing nosebleed.
"I guess I'm going to have to talk to Aeka about this." he said to
himself, as he started for the bathroom.
"Tenchi!" Ryouko called. Tenchi stopped and turned as Ryouko flew
up to him.
"Good morning Ryouko." he said.
"No, it's not. That kid isn't yours, Tenchi. Don't fall for
this." she pleaded.
Tenchi gave her a blank look. He scratched the back of his head as
he thought about what she'd said.
"Tenchi-sama." Aeka called from down the hall. Tenchi and Ryouko
turned.
"You." Ryouko hissed. Aeka ignored the demon as she walked up to
the duo, a cup in her hands.
"I brought you some water, Tenchi." she called.
"What?" Ryouko exclaimed. "What are you up to?"
Tenchi looked into the cup, then up into Aeka's face. Or, he tried
to. Aeka was demurely staring at the ground, her hands clasped innocently
before her. He blinked a few times, his mind trying to grasp the
implications of Aeka's actions. Thirst, however, won out and he downed the
water in three healthy gulps. As he handed the cup back to Aeka a sweet
after taste filled his mouth.
"Was that just water?" he asked. Aeka looked up and smiled.
"No. That was the water that nourishes the Trees of Life. Once
you drank of it the Jurai wedding process began."
"Wedding?" Tenchi and Ryouko asked, startled.
"Yes. We can not have our child be illegitimate, Tenchi-sama. In
order for her to be recognized as true nobility we must be married."
"M-Married?" Ryouko screamed.
"Yes, Ryouko." Aeka said calmly. "Married."
The finality of the tone and her smirk showed just how confident
Aeka was.
"No!" Ryouko roared, then turned to Tenchi. "Tenchi, don't fall
for this."
Tenchi looked down at the floor.
"Tenchi, please. Don't do this. This is some sort of trick."
"But Ryouko. I have to think about the child." Tenchi said.
"But that isn't your child!" Ryouko screamed, hysterical. How
could she make him see that?
"I know that Ryouko." he said, nodding. Ryouko paused, stunned.
"B-But-"
Tenchi shook his head.
"But that doesn't matter. For some reason she's here, and - well,
I can't let her grow up without a father."
Ryouko's heart sank.
"Can I?" Tenchi asked her. Ryouko blinked rapidly, her thoughts
racing.
"But - But Tenchi..." Ryouko began.
"Ryouko, please do not interfer." Aeka said. Ryouko eyed the
princess dangerously.
"Interfer?! You bet I'm going to interfer!" screamed Ryouko. "I'm
not letting you take Tenchi from me!"
Aeka narrowed her eyes.
"I see." she said calmly. "AZAKA! KAMADAKI!"
The two Guardians materialized obediently.
"Hai, Aeka-sama!" they said in unison, their diametrically opposed
voices sounding melodic.
"Restrain Ryouko until the wedding is over." she ordered as she
took Tenchi's arm and led him outside.
"HEY!" Ryouko screamed as she lunged forward - and found herself
blocked by the floating guardians.
"Back off you logs!" she growled.
"Please do not resist us, Ryouko." Azaka said.
"We do not wish to hurt you." Kamadaki intoned.
"You?" she snarled. "HURT ME?"
The windows and front door of the Tenchi household blew out as an
explosion rocked the building, sending smoke pouring through the openings.
What had been a fully furnished living room was now just several masses of
smoking wood and metal. Ryouko stood in the center of the destruction, red
flashes of lightning playing off of her body, while the guardians moaned
from their new location -- imbedded into the walls. Ryouko glanced around
at the wrecked furniture, blinked a few times, then jumped skyward,
disappearing into the darkness.
*****
Tenchi kneeled before the tree Funaho, the formal clothing weighing
far more heavily on him than they should. Next to him Aeka was reciting
the phrases that began the the Jurai wedding ritual. Shifting
uncomfortablly, Tenchi ran over the words that his grandfather -- that
Yousho -- had instructed him to say. He risked a glance over his shoulder
and counted the number of nobles sitting, or standing, around the tree. He
swallowed hard and turned back.
What have I gotten myself into, he thought. He tried not to think
about the many faces staring at him; about the fact that Azusa, Funaho, and
Misaki were in the first row of chairs. He tried not to visualize Azusa's
frown or Seriou's scowl. He tried to focus on the 'why' of what he was
doing.
"Tenchi-sama?"
Tenchi jumped. He turned to Aeka's troubled face, looked at the
hand she had placed on his. He smiled, took a deep breath, and nodded.
Aeka nodded back then turned back to the tree, allowing herself a self-
gratifying smirk.
"Are you ready, Tenchi?" Aeka asked as she closed her eyes.
Silence greeted her for a few seconds, then a quiet sigh sounded from the
man at her side.
"Yes. Let's do it." he said. Aeka suppressed her own sigh of
happiness. He hadn't changed his mind, like she thought. He was really
going through with it. She was really going through with it. For a moment
Aeka hesitated. But only for a moment. She took a deep breath, opened her
mouth to begin the ceremony -- and was lifted up and thrown several yards
as multiple explosions erupted around her.
"What?" she screamed, lifting her head and looking around. The
nobles had scattered, the Guardian's of Juari taking up protective
positions before their respective masters and mistresses. Tenchi was still
kneeling before the tree, looking about in confusion. Miraculously none of
the explosions had come near him.
"Or maybe not so miraculous." she mumbled as several bolts of
energy lanced down from the sky. Bolts with a very familiar red glow to
them. Aeka narrowed her eyes in anger as the attack scattered the few
remaining nobles.
"Ryouko." Aeka said even as the pirate came to a landing in the
clearing. The green haired woman looked around, staring down the Guardians
and nobles. Aeka blinked back a thread of fear as she stared at Ryouko.
The demon's lone gem was producing small bolts of lightning, which danced
all along her body. The princess had never seen this level of a reaction
from Ryouko, not even when she'd thought Tenchi was dead. Finally, Ryouko
turned and her eyes, gold no longer but firey red, lighted on Aeka.
*****
Aeka.
That was Ryouko's one and only thought.
Aeka.
She wouldn't let that stuck up princess steal what was rightfully
hers. She wouldn't give Tenchi up. Not without a fight. Not because of a
lie. Not because of that phoney child. When she had seen the gathering at
Funaho, she'd dived into Jurai's nobility like a hawk into field mice. She
sent them scattering to the four winds and even managed to send Aeka flying
away from Tenchi. All without harming him in the slightest.
Now, she was face to face with Aeka. Now, she would settle
everything with her. She didn't care what they did to her afterwards. She
was beyond caring, now. She was going to take her wrath out on the person
that had started this charade.
"Ryouko."
The person responsible for all of this.
"Ryouko."
Ae--
"RYOUKO!"
Ryouko blinked, pulling her eyes off of Aeka. She finally noticed
that someone had placed themselves between the princess and herself. Arms
spread, Tenchi walked slowly towards Ryouko, calling her name over and
over. Tenchi. Ryouko tried to maintain her anger. Tried to focus on her
hatred of Aeka, but she couldn't. Not with Tenchi there. Her anger melted
away.
"Ryouko." he said. She looked away.
"You can't do this Tenchi." she breathed. "You can't."
"Ryouko." he said, apologetically.
"No!" she cried. She teleported out of the clearing before he
could say anything else. She faded in at her cave entrance, tears
streaming down her face. He couldn't do this. He couldn't. Didn't he
understand how much he meant to her. Didn't he understand that she loved
him.
"Didn't he!" she shouted, then broke down into tears.
"Ryouko?" Tenchi called.
Startled, Ryouko looked up and blinked back the tears. How long
had she been crying for Tenchi to catch up to her like this? She looked up
at him and smiled. He looked so handsome, in those Jurai clothes, looking
so much like the prince he was.
"Ryouko." he said and took a few steps toward her.
"Tenchi. Please." she whispered. "Please. I -- I don't know what
I'd do without you."
Tenchi pulled Ryouko into an embrace, feeling her body as it was
wracked by sobs. All he could do was hold her, try to comfort her. He
hadn't understood the depth of her emotions for him. Hadn't known just how
much she'd cared. Slowly, Tenchi pushed Ryouko away from his chest, but
didn't let go of her. He looked into her golden eyes -- then had to look
away at the pain in them.
"Ryouko... I have to do this." he said.
"No, Tenchi." she said, shaking her head. "You don't 'have' to do
it."
She reached up and brushed the back of her hand against his cheek.
As she looked over Tenchi's shoulder, Ryouko noticed Aeka standing in the
trees. Her eyes locked on the princess', then dropped away. She pushed
Tenchi away softly, then took a step back. He blinked at her in confusion
as she hugged herself and stared at the ground.
"Go, Tenchi." she whispered. "I was wrong. You 'have' to do
this."
She looked over at the man she loved. Watched as her main rival
for his affection walked out of the trees to stand next to him.
"You 'have' to do this." she repeated, her voice catching. "You
'have' to, otherwise you wouldn't be the man I love."
Tenchi took a step toward her again, but Ryouko stepped away and
shook her head. She peirced Aeka with a burning gaze.
"Be good to him, princess." she said, then turned away. She took
two steps and faded from view, leaving them with three parting words.
Words that rang coldly familiar to Tenchi.
"You've won, Aeka."
*****
Tenchi looked back at the rapidly shrinking blue-green orb he
called home. He searched for the island nation he'd been born to, but they
were too far away now. Even at maximum magnification, he could no longer
see Japan. Could no longer make out his house. He sighed and turned the
monitor off. That life was behind him now. He took one last look at the
dark screen, then turned and swept out of room.
*
Ryouko stared up into the night sky, watching the lone "star" as is
made its way across the dark sea. She watched, long after she was unable
to see the Jurai ship. She was numb. So numb that she had long since
stopped feeling the tears that flowed down her cheeks.
*
Washu grinned as she pushed a small crate behind several machines
in her lab. So far her plan was working perfectly. It was only a matter
of time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This ends the second installment of the conversion of a Roleplaying
(RP) session, done on the channel #washu# on the IRC, by myself and GenSao.
Any comments (flames, suggestions, or -- heaven forbid -- praise) can be
sent to nekokun@prodigy.com.