Chapter 128: Confessions on a balcony

"Certainly there will always be remorse to be dealt with." The voice of Katsuhito Misaki continued as Key's distance from source had sufficiently diminished. "No matter how favorable the outcome."

"Well, the layer I got hanging on me right now I couldn't clear with a belt sander!" Washu griped bitterly.

Uncertain, 'at that moment' even why she was doing so, Kiyone crouched lower even as the two figures came into view.

"So what if they got every thing they could possibly want!" Washu grumbled, her tiny hands gripping the rail. "Doesn't change that I personally handed them over on a silver platter!"

"It also doesn't alter that you had little choice in the matter!" He told her emphatically, stopping a slight distance behind where she stood at the railing.

"Oh, but that's where your wrong!" Washu chuckled dryly. "I had choices! Lots of 'em!"

"We've been over this already." Katsuhito smiled tightly.

"And every one of them stunk to high heaven!" She paused, fuming. "You of all people know if there was anyone who'd have a snowballs chance of standing up to Jurai..."

"Hai..." He nodded solemnly. "But the utter futility of such an act, cancels any potential gain."

He paused, turning slightly from the light, a smile stealing its way cross his face.

"And you're far too intelligent to commit such a wasteful act."

"Flattery huh?" She grinned at him sideways, more than grateful for his 'diversion'.

"You always did have a silver tongue."

"Hmmm..." He muttered gravely, now studying the room below.

"The dilemma of my youngest half sister is hardly that Dissimilar." Katsuhito gaze lingered considering.

The sight of Hero, sitting up sound asleep with Ryo-oki resting blissfully against him was positively charming to his eyes.

Mayuka nestled snuggly between them completing the scene, though seeing the child often instilled a lingering regret.

Yet it was only one among countless many.

"My sins, however are far greater than yours." He concluded.

"Huh." Washu countered, observing him curiously. "How so?"

"When I fled Jurai, I even had myself convinced it was only to pursue, to punish Ryoko."

"Now who's beating a dead horse?" Washu sniffed.

"The point is taken," He pressed.

"But I believe then as I do now. I would have never been accepted as emperor. Always seen as some half breed perched on the thrown!"

"Yeah," She quipped. "But your marriage to Ayeka would have legitimized that 'little' problem I'm sure."

"At the cost of my honor!" Katsuhito spat.

"Neither I nor my mother EVER approved of the incestuous ways the Royal houses seem to condone!"

"Imagine that..." Washu smiled.

"One need look no further than the house of Cameo to see the fruits of such labors!" He added gravely.

"That is a pun I take it?" Washu smirked. Studying him carefully, obviously amused.

Like everyone in the household she'd gotten more than a good look at Seiryo when last the emperor had come to call.

"Ya know, The Jurians always struck me as a bunch 'o xenophobic snobs" Washu added.

"But you really believed your sovereignty would have caused that much infighting?"

"It would have torn the empire apart." He nodded.

"You seem to forget the turbulence surrounding my father's own ascension had hardly quieted."

"Price you pay for all that longevity I guess." She shrugged.

"Then there is my unpardonable act of forcing Funaho to take root here!" He continued bitterly.

"Now both YOU and I know that's a load!" Washu almost chuckled.

"You couldn't force a 'space tree' to do anything it didn't specifically want to!"

She paused, eyeing him.

"The only Reason Funaho took root was so you wouldn't have to return! And that's because you wanted to stay."

"Which only adds to my shame." He murmured darkly.

"My time on earth has been spent mostly living with my regrets. Attempting with little success to bury my past."

"Guess that explains why you waited so long to get married huh?" Washu added glibly after a slight pause.

"Eh?" Katsuhito mildly grunted, turning from the railing, his eyes hardening at her squarely.

"I mean, waiting over six hundred years before finally finding Achicka's mother!" Washu sighed elaborately; wrapping arms about her self.

"Washu." Katsuhito spoke flatly.

"You know better than most, I took my first earthy bride just over ten years after I came to this planet."

"Took you THAT long to get over her huh?" She smiled, now looking directly into his eyes.

"Or are you going to lie and say the real reason you didn't go back was that 'The little princess' wasn't quite so 'little' anymore?"

Katsuhito regarded her quietly, but even in the dark his eyes seemed to smolder.

"That's enough."

"Maybe," She continued with a shrug. "But I've listened to you over the years. Going on about Ayeka's purity and Beauty..."

"Washu..." Katsuhito spoke slowly, almost an uncharacteristic growl.

"All those years, Momma Funaho, probably filling your head with her opinions about incest!

Though, 'guess' its not exactly taboo far as 'Jurians' are concerned, at least generally." She faced him squarely.

"Why can't you face the fact you could handle it while she was just a child?

But when she hit puberty, started gaining 'the equipment' she batted her big soft red eyes, you got horny and freaked!"

Leaning slightly now away from the rail, Katsuhito offered no reply, other than continuing to hostility glare.

"Ok, let's examine the clues," Washu continued.

"There are Earth/Jurian plant hybrids all over this area. 'The Royal teardrop' is one of the few that couldn't actually cross-pollinate but which had enough 'breeding stock' to thrive here largely unaltered.

Which tends to indicate the crash that 'stranded' you and Funaho couldn't have been nearly severe as what happened to Ayeka's Ryeo!

That means a violent but 'controlled' landing." Washu paused speculatively.

"I think you just covered up and filled in, let nature take its course rather than patch up and limp home or even have Funaho send a distress signal before having the old tree go into stasis!"

She paused infinitesimally, watching a portion of his fury abate, his eyes widening from mild shock.

"Don't forget I've been studying Jurian bio-types for centuries!" She smirked mildly.

"For instance, I've known that, that little 'time freeze trick' you Jurians pull is something you gleaned from the trees not vice versa."

"You're guessing." Katsuhito replied dryly.

"Maybe, but everyone of 'em's educated!" She shrugged.

"Look I'm not saying that's the reason you didn't go back. But you removed Ryoko's gems! Had her helpless!

So, I'm 'guessing'," She emphasized, "You were so in love with your half sister that you couldn't bear it."

Washu glanced strait in to his eyes.

"That, and the other thing..." She added carefully choosing her words with the utmost care.

"You seem to think you know something." Katsuhito eyed her coldly.

"Com'on." Washu sniffed indignantly. "It doesn't take a genius."

She favored a slight pause at the word. "Just a bit of digging through the right data bases."

She then waited, regarding him as he eyed her coldly in turn.

"Fine, its just the two of us up here..." Washu added angrily.

"Only that it isn't!" Over on the landing Kiyone resisted the desire to even think louder than necessary.

"Washu..." Katsuhito cautioned his companion firmly.

"So, I'll say the name 'Haruna' even if you won't." Washu continued while the only sound that issued from Katsuhito exited as a marriage between a grumble and a tired sigh of resignation.

"Daughter of one of the elder shipwrights wasn't she?" Washu asked though not really expecting an answer.

"Or are you going to stick to that garbage about how there would have been a struggle over succession with Ayeka?"

Katsuhito continued to study her coldly, holding his face absolutely, impassive.