Chapter 40: Fear This

In her room, Ayeka paused regarding herself in her full-length mirror.

With the original destruction of Reyo, she had gone for the longest time unable to stand the sight of any artifacts, which they had managed to reclaim from the wreckage.

So when Misaki's mirror had been recovered, seeing it broken covered in muck, only seemed to vigorously salt an open wound. She had no idea at the time it could be restored in such a fashion! She was a princess, not an artisan after all! So when Tenchi had unveiled it as a gift to Sasami, reclaiming it would have been the height of perceived pettiness!

She had settled upon the one now before her after seeing it in a local shop, simple understated, elegant. But at times, it did bother her how many other things of hers her younger sister both secretly and openly coveted!

Thankfully, their rowdy guests had finally departed and the picnic grounds had been cleared! The day seemed at last to be winding down, approaching something resembling normality. Though she wondered as she often did if the word truly had any meaning any more.

Nothing had been a definition of 'Normal', at least, as she understood it, since descending upon the surface of this remote world. Time and time again she reasoned this was just a phase. A sort of extended holiday, from which she, one day would finally return, to her duties and rightful place.

She'd been telling herself that for over five years now.

Earth years, not Jurian of course, because Jurai was further from its sun with a solar year equivalent to twenty-four earthly months. Putting it that way always made the interval seem shorter, somehow.

"Stop it." She found herself murmuring. "You know very well why you are staying."

She was in love. Strange, how long it had taken for her to come to grips with it.

So simple an admission, yet evoking depths greater than any ocean.

"Tenchi." Ayeka sighed, unable to fathom how such a thing could even be possible, let a lone that now, she was to lose him or that someone such as Ryoko could even be her rival for any mans affection!

She was so ... different.

Boyish, opinionated, loud, rude and in most cases just plain awful!

It had been so easy to dislike, even to hate her! Without full knowledge her past. Ravager, destroyer, pirate, thief!

At least ... until you came to know her, that is the real Ryoko. To learn ultimately the truth, of her and her past as both Tenchi and, begrudgingly even Ayeka finally had.

Weapon, cast off madman's plaything and little girl, lost.

Past that rude, course exterior lay a soul, noble as any knight. Courageous, tenacious and well, in her own strange way, exceedingly sweet, though the princess would never admit that to her in a million years!

Ryoko's finer qualities came to the forefront especially where Mayuka was concerned, actually seeming to possess something approaching a maternal instinct! Though she was still clueless as a post when it came to some aspects of child rearing.

"Such as manners and educate!" Ayeka seethed aloud recalling an incident not less than a week ago. The very ideal! Teaching Mayuka to belch at the supper table!

As if cued by her current thoughts Ayeka heard the patio door open.

"I don't get why I'm stuck up here watching the brat AGAIN!" Ryoko grumped.

"While Kiyone's off, doing who knows what at the training ground with Tenchi!"

"Quit letting your imagination run away from you!" Mihoshi sighed reproachfully. "Like you don't know they're just insulting 'n beating on each other!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Ryoko snipped.

"An they not want you up there!" Quipped, a small voice instantly recognizable as Mayuka's. "Cause you just get in way!"

"Oh! Is that how it is?" Ryoko shot back after a slight pause. "Listen up good shorty! Keep on mouthing and auntie Ryoko's gonna treat you to your first fat lip!"

Ayeka drew in a breath. Ryoko's approach with the child was so course!

"You an what amy?" Mayuka sassed right back.

"Ooooo!" Came the response. "Get'n sassy! Huh little britches?" There followed a sound of rapid movement.

"YOW! LET GO!" Mayuka yelped.

"Ryoko!" What are you doing?" Mihoshi gasped.

"Head'n to the toilet," Ryoko replied calmly. "Gonna show sugar lumps here what a swirly is!"

"UH UH! " Mayuka yelled. "KNOW ALREADY!!"

"Well," Ryoko returned wistfully. "You can just think of it as a refresher course!"

"You're packing her like a banjo!" Mihoshi wined.

"HELP! SO-SUE-ME!" Mayuka cried.

"Not a flame'n chance!" Came her sisters more distant voice. Most likely from the kitchen, Ayeka reasoned.

"KITCHEN TRAMP!" Mayuka called hotly.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU LITTLE NOSE MINER?" Sasami yelled indignantly.

"Mayuka," Ryoko said, sounding the very soul of patience. "Let go of the door frame, your holding things up!"

"DAT CAUSE I DON WANNA SWIRLY!" The toddler retorted, clearly unimpressed with Ryoko's apparent generosity.

"Think of it as your own little spa!" Ryoko added sweetly.

"YOU STICK YOU HEAD IN IT THEN!"

"Whoa, that's one heck of a grip!"

"Ryoko, no!" Mihoshi gasped.

"Make sure you don't flush it first Ryoko!" Sasami called.

"ZIP LIP! KETTLE GIRL!"

"Will do!" Ryoko affirmed.

"Now, you know you can't do that!" Mihoshi cried passionately.

"Oh?" Ryoko asked. "And who's gonna stop me Blondie? You?"

"Well..."

Ayeka sighed tiredly yet unconcerned, dysfunctional or not it was a happy family.

She knew Ryoko would rather die than see Mayuka harmed any appearance aside.

The ringing of the hallway phone interrupted the moment.

"I'll get it!" Ryoko grumped. There came a soft 'runch' probably the sound of a toddler suddenly being extracted from a door's facing.

"Here, you take the shrimp Barbie!"

"Miho!" Mayuka sighed.

"Ok, ok it's ok." Mihoshi cooed to the little girl.

"Don't get too cosey rug rat!" Ryoko called. "This'll just take a sec then its white water time for you!"

"Now, I just don't think." Mihoshi began.

"Like that's something new?" Ryoko responded, her voice growing noticeable louder as she entered the entrance hall.

"Yellow?" There was a pause during which Ayeka could hear Mayuka muttering something, probably to Mihoshi, below her ability to make out.

"Oh?" Ryoko answered the unknown party on the other end. "Mihoshi!" She then called. "Its that fat slob of a boss of yours!"

"Ryoko!" Mihoshi answered, as her voice now grew more distinct. "Mr. Migi is an amateur Sumo wrestler! That's really rude!"

"Whatever." Came the response.

"Hello? Mr. Migi? " Mihoshi began, ignoring or at least trying to ignore Ryoko. "I'm fine thanks." After another short pause during which Ayeka heard a distant yet distinctly startled sounding 'Me!' with an emphasis on the 'Yow!'

Followed by "Well, don't stick your finger into the pot when it's boiling silly goose!"

"Sasami's starting dinner already?" Ayeka mused. The day had certainly flown!