Tenchi Muyo     -       Alliance        -       Chapter Four
Author: Rann Aridorn
Warnings: Violence, Death
Comments: Things take a somewhat dark turn, at least for a part or two. Be 
prepared to get sad, angry, or pissed with the author if she doesn't write 
part five soon. ^^;;;

         Queen Washu of the Hyurodan, ruler of one of the more 
technologically advanced races in the galaxy, and wearer of hair that 
looked remarkably like a crab, groaned quietly in frustration. She could 
hear her daughter Ryoko and her daughter's fiance Ayeka upstairs, bickering 
loudly over who-knew-what, and it wasn't making the attempts to arrange 
their wedding any easier.
         "The rituals of binding are very important to the Juraian 
culture," Empress Funaho repeated calmly, leaning forward over the table 
slightly. "It represents a giving of oneself to one's partner, as well as a 
solid bond of trust and love."
         "Look, Funaho, what you call an all-important ritual is just 
another fun night in bed for the Hyurodan," Washu replied, leaning forward 
as well and tapping her finger repeatedly on the table. "In such a setting, 
to us it would symbolize being tied down, being restricted by the marriage! 
And that's not exactly a good way to start off an alliance between us."
         "No, I suppose you are right," Funaho agreed with a sigh, leaning 
back in her chair and closing her eyes. The Empress' rich, dark brown hair 
was starting to come loose a little bit from the long parts bound and held 
over her shoulders, casting strands of it across her face.
         Washu realized she was staring a little and shook it off. "It's 
tough going," she allowed, softening her voice somewhat. "And it's been a 
long day."
         "Indeed. It is... difficult, at the least, determining a ceremony 
that will satisfy the hearts and minds of two peoples, one of whom prefers 
to focus on restraint and togetherness, while the other values uninhibition 
and independence." Funaho sighed again, brushing more strands of hair away 
from her face. "If only there were a way in which we could portray Ayeka 
and Ryoko being bound together without it becoming, as you said, 'restricted'."
         "Manacles without the chains," Washu murmured wryly, letting a 
grin curl her lips. Then she blinked and sat up. "Heeey, that's not such a 
bad idea!"
         Funaho blinked once, sitting up as well. "I'm afraid I don't follow."
         "Manacles without the chains! A way to show that they're held 
together, but not actually restricted by it."
         "... Bracelets," Funaho murmured after a moment, starting to smile 
herself. "Matching bracelets. 'Manacles without the chains'."
         "Exactly. It would symbolize that they're being joined, but that 
it's not something you'd equate with being thrown in the dungeon."
         Funaho's smile turned a little bemused. "Yes, well, being thrown 
in a dungeon can be fun in its own way." The Empress flushed, then shook 
her head. "... Forgive me, as you said, it's been a long day."
         "Quite all right," Washu chuckled, then jumped just a little at 
the sound of a crash from upstairs. Sighing, she shook her head. "I wish 
those two would find a less expensive way of expressing themselves."

         Princess Ayeka leveraged herself up out of the remains of the 
small table, then noticed that the vase that had been resting on it had 
somehow come through things unscathed. Grabbing it up, the Juraian hurled 
it at her opponent with a shriek of outrage.
         Princess Ryoko ducked in time to avoid having the vase slam into 
her face, the expensive piece of ceramic shattering on the wall and 
scattering pottery shards and dust in the Hyurodan's hair. Straightening up 
and shaking herself off a bit, Ryoko smirked. "That's just the sort of 
thing you'd do, throwin' stuff. You are SUCH a spoiled little brat!"
         "I'll show you!" Ayeka shot back, at the moment too enraged to 
think up anything snappier. She hurled herself forward, only to squawk 
indignantly as her forward motion was arrested from behind.
         "Excuse me, Princesses." Kallista, the captain of the royal 
guards, released her grip on the back of Ayeka's kimono, then took a step 
back to give a small bow. "There's something I've gotta talk to the queen 
about, but you should be there as well... Princess Ryoko."
         Ayeka blinked, noticing the strange emphasis that the guardswoman 
had placed on the word 'Princess'. She looked to Ryoko, and saw that there 
was a slight tightness around the other woman's eyes. But Ryoko simply gave 
a quick nod. "Alright. I'll be down in a minute."
         "Thank you." With that, Kallista sketched another quick bow in 
Ayeka's direction, before turning and walking down the nearby stairs.
         "Well, guess we'll have to finish this up later," Ryoko said 
brightly, moving to follow Kallista. "See you in a little while..."
         Ayeka huffed a few times, suddenly realizing they'd been 
interrupted in the middle of a fight, and that her clothes and hair were in 
disarray. "That WOMAN," she muttered, stomping one foot.

         "So, what's the big deal?" Ryoko snorted, leaning back in her 
chair and propping her feet up on the table, just to show her mother how 
unconcerned she was. "Half these 'rebel' guys are offworlders. I could 
probably take care of most of 'em myself."
         "And what if they endangered our guests, hm?" Washu lay both her 
hands on the table to lean forward and look Ryoko in the eye. "We drove off 
the Terrans, but do you honestly think we could deal with it if the entire 
Juraian fleet showed up on our doorstep?"
         "... Okay, so maybe you have a point," the Hyurodan princess 
grumbled grudgingly, swinging her legs off the table. "So assign a double 
watch of guards."
         "I already have. Just remember that you may need to take care of 
your fiance."
         "Of course I will!" Ryoko answered, a little too quickly for her 
own comfort, so added a scowl and rather petulant, "If that little idiot 
got hurt while she was staying here, I'd never hear the end of it."
         "Mm-hm. So just keep that in mind, alright?"
         "I am not a CHILD, Washu!" Ryoko snapped back, yellow eyes 
flashing indignantly.
         "You're my child," the Queen answered back calmly.
         "... Yeah." Slowly, Ryoko got to her feet, then took the smaller 
woman in her arms and hugged her tightly. "Yeah, okay, I'll keep it in 
mind, mom."
         Washu patted Ryoko's back gently. "Good. Now, go on. We'll be 
leaving for Jurai in a few days, and I don't whining you whining to me that 
you didn't have enough warning to pack!"
         "Motherrrr! I don't whiiiiiine!"

         Ayeka lay in bed, one arm laying stretched out at her side, her 
other hand resting lightly on her chest. Her pink eyes stared unseeing at 
the darkened ceiling, wrapped in her own thoughts more than the blankets or 
her light sleeping kimono. Ryoko... a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, 
wrapped in a gorgeous body that Ayeka had found herself noticing more and 
more as the days went by. She just didn't understand Ryoko... nor her own 
reactions to the other princess.
         Dinner last night had been... odd. Ryoko had obviously been 
struggling to be courteous, polite, and good company. And Ayeka had found 
herself growing ever more unnerved by it. As the meal had gone on, she had 
grown gradually more uncomfortable, and she thought that others noticed it 
as well. Even Ryoko seemed dismayed by it. Then, the Hyurodan princess had 
slowly smiled, and in a loud, even tone, stated,
         "What's the matter, Ayeka? The food not stink enough to make you 
turn your nose up like usual?"
         Before the fight was over, most of the dinner was scattered over 
the table, the floor, and the two combatants. And Ayeka had limped back to 
her room with a grin on her face.
         'It seems so strange. When I fight with her, it's comfortable, 
it's... it's almost as if I really do like it. But why?'
         Still struggling with that question, and a thousand others like 
it, she eventually drifted off without really noticing she'd gone to sleep.
         And she almost stayed that way forever as, sometime in the night, 
she awoke to a man with dark skin and ridged cheekbones standing above her, 
holding a wicked knife in his hand with the blade aimed at her heart.
         Ayeka drew in breath to scream, but choked it off when she saw 
slender female fingers wrap around the assailant's wrist. It was the alien 
who screamed as his upper arm was suddenly bent double around a jagged 
break in the middle. His wrist was turned loose, the knife clattering to 
the floor from limp fingers, and those slender, soft woman's hands went 
around his face, resting on his cheek almost as if in a carress, the other 
fingers visible in his dark, tangled hair. There was a sound like dozens of 
tiny, wet twigs being turned until they tore.
         Kiyone stepped back, allowing the assassin to fall to the floor, 
his head turned almost backwards. Calmly, the white kimono-clad attendant 
offered her hand to Ayeka. "My lady, we'd best get you out of here. It 
appears that the castle is under attack."
         Shaking a bit, Ayeka took Kiyone's hand and pulled herself to her 
feet, absentmindedly pulling her thin sleeping kimono more tightly around 
her, as if it could shield her from what had happened. Always, always in 
the back of her mind, she had known that Kiyone was a trained bodyguard as 
well as a maidservant. In the back of her mind, she knew that her 
lady-in-waiting was there to protect her, and if necessary, kill for her, 
and probably had at some point without her ever knowing.
         But she had never truly KNOWN until she'd seen it with her own eyes.
         Kiyone hurried to the doorway, glanced outside quickly, then 
ducked back in and pushed the doors closed. Moving smoothly, efficiently, 
but with all the speed and grace of a shadow stretching across the floor, 
the maidservant crushed a chair, then shoved several long pieces of wood 
through the handles and under the doors, jamming them in until they were tight.
         "There are more outside. We'll have to find some way of going out 
the window, my lady."
         As if summoned by the words, the windows swung inwards with a gust 
of air, admitting Ryoko. Kiyone whirled around and moved in an instant in 
front of Ayeka, and did not relax her pose of combat readiness despite the 
new arrival's identity. Ryoko touched down lightly, then glanced around, 
eyes settling on the dead assassin.
         "There's no time to waste, I guess, then." She looked back up to 
Kiyone and Ayeka. "I can fly one of you out of here, but I can only carry one."
         Slowly, Kiyone nodded. She didn't seem eager to give up her 
charge, but she'd felt Ayeka's body suddenly relax slightly when the other 
princess had flown in, even if the Juraian royal was unaware of it herself.
         "Alright then. Take good care of her... or I'll come after you, 
flight or no flight."
         Ryoko bit back a snappy comment, and simply nodded, meeting 
Kiyone's determined gaze, then turning to Ayeka. "Well, c'mon, we don't 
exactly have all night."
         Tentatively, Ayeka moved forward and stepped into Ryoko's open 
arms. She flushed as she felt those strong arms wrap tightly around her, 
muscles like liquid metal, strong and supple. And then she was being lifted 
off her feet, and felt cold wind rushing past her, cold mingled with the 
warmth of her fiance's body.
         Kiyone watched Ryoko fly away holding Ayeka close to her, her face 
set in a solemn mask. Without another look back, she turned to the door 
that was beginning to shake from an outside assault, and reached into her 
sleeve, withdrawing a hilt made of entwined, smooth wood. The faceted blue 
gem on the hilt flashed once as the long indigo blade of energy flickered 
into being.
         The maidservant took one step back to make sure she had plenty of 
space, then readied herself for the tide.

         "Seems like you picked a poor weekend to visit, princess," Ryoko 
said conversationally, her voice right in Ayeka's ear, the calm thrum of it 
easily heard over the whistling, stinging wind.
         "It is an inappropriate time for joking, Ryoko," Ayeka murmured 
back, still a little too much in shock to snap at her fiance. She 
cautiously turned her head away from the Hyurodan's shoulder, looking back 
to see that the castle was dark, save for a few rooms where there were 
flashes of light. One in particular was alight with sweeping arcs of green, 
purple, and bright orange-red.
         "My mothers!" Ayeka cried, eyes going wide. "Ryoko, you MUST take 
me back down, we must help them!"
         "You ain't gonna help 'em by getting yourself killed," Ryoko 
snarled back.
         Before the argument could escalate any further, Ryoko pulled up 
short as Kallista flew to meet her in a flash of gold and white, the head 
guardswoman's long, backswept orange hair seeming more bristled than usual, 
like an angry cat.
         "Gimme the girl, I'll take her to her sister," Kallista said 
quickly. "You should probably come too."
         "No, I'll take 'er to her sister. You get back to her room and 
help her friend, I hadda leave her there."
         Kallista hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain, then nodded 
rather reluctantly. "Alright. I left the kid and her pal near the big 
outcropping of boulders and that almost-cliff to the east." And with that, 
the guardswoman angled her spear in front of her and flew off with a 
flutter of her loincloth.
         "Ryoko, no!" Ayeka protested. "I want to help my mother and 
Empress Funaho!"
         "It's too dangerous!" Ryoko growled.
         "Ryoko, PLEASE!"
         Something in that please made the Hyurodan princess actually look 
at her fiance. There was an honest pleading in those pink eyes, an openness 
to the aristocratic features that had never been there before.
         "... Okay. But you don't leave my side, okay?"
         "I won't leave your side," Ayeka answered, with a sincerity that 
would have disturbed her... if only she'd had the time.

         "Mihoshi, I'm scared," Sasami whispered, her back as close to the 
flat rock as she could manage, her legs pulled up and arms wrapped around 
them. The solid, comforting mass and warmth of Ryo-Ohki was nestled between 
her chest and legs, and vigilent brown eyes peered out from the little 
enclosure of limbs.
         "I'm scared too, princess," Mihoshi answered, a quaver in her 
voice that showed she was on the edge of bursting into sniffles. Her baby 
blue eyes shone with unshed, fearful tears, and she seemed likely to jump 
should anyone sneak up on her and shout 'Behind you!' Luckily, the usually 
mischievious Hyurodan guards accompanying them were all business now. Three 
of them had remained behind to guard this fallback position, and were now 
fanned out in a loose perimeter.
         "This was so sudden... it's strange," said Ada, the one on the 
left. The hair she chopped almost boyishly short was a very light blue, 
with faint green highlights, and her eyes were a very nervous grey. She was 
also gripping her golden spear so tightly that her knuckles were white, and 
her hands trembled.
         "Not all that sudden," Riyata called back from her position on the 
right. Her own hair was so black that it was only visible against the night 
sky by where the stars didn't show around her, almost sweeping the ground 
with every turn of her head. Her narrowed orange eyes scanned every last 
rock with a practiced eye. "A lot of the outer planets in our system have 
always felt Washu got too much glory for her part in things."
         "Ridiculous," the third guard put in, from her perch on a boulder 
in the center. Kuska apparently saw no further need for comment, as she 
remained silent, calmly running a hand along one of the two indigo "fins" 
formed by her hair. Seeming unconcerned by the possibility of attack, she 
instead watched Ada pace, apparently fascinated with the other guard's 
backside.
         "I hope everyone's okay," Sasami said quietly, mostly to herself, 
fighting to keep from whimpering. She was a Juraian Princess, she'd be 
strong, just like Funaho, just like Ayeka, she'd be tough...
         Mihoshi started to agree with her young charge, then stopped 
moving completely, eyes going very wide. "... Someone's here."
         Ada froze, too, at Mihoshi's words, seeming torn between turning 
towards the maidservant and continuing to look for trouble. Riyata, without 
turning, said, more quietly than they had been, "What are you talking 
about, woman?"
         "I heard them... they're out there in the sand." Mihoshi took a 
step back towards the cliff face. "There are enemies close."
         "Closer than you think!" came the lusty cry, as camouflaged forms 
rose not thirty feet away, shedding sand. But the cry had come not from any 
of them, but Kuska, as she lept down from her boulder perch. The tip of her 
golden spear touched against the flesh of Ada's back, for one horrible 
moment simply dimpling it, before sinking into the skin, a rose blossoming 
from the other guard's shoulderblades.
         Ada's eyes went wide, tears of surprise and pain flung from them 
as the spear emerged between her breasts, ripping through the armor plate. 
The young Hyurodan fell forward with the motion of the thrust, blood 
falling from her lips as she whispered in a tiny, lost voice, "Riyata... 
help..."
         "NOOOO!" Riyata wailed in anguish, tears streaking her own cheeks 
and spilling like diamonds into the night even as she turned and rushed 
towards her lover's killer, spear brought up to be swung like a sword.
         Kuska yanked her spear from Ada's body as she would have from a 
block of wood, leaving the murdered guard to fall forward and stain the 
sand with what remained of her life. With a grim, almost insane smile, she 
turned and lowered the point of her weapon at the oncoming avenging angel.
         It was not Riyata's spear that claimed the traitor's life. 
Startled by a sudden flash of yellow light, Kuska tried to leap backwards, 
only to have her head come away from her body. She felt an intense, almost 
curious surprise as she thumped to the ground, and that expression was, 
half a moment later, frozen on her face forever.
         Riyata pulled herself up short, clenching her spear more tightly, 
still feeling burning in her eyes and dampness on her cheeks. She was torn 
between satisfaction that Ada's murderer was dead, and fury that she had 
not been the one to claim that right. Confused, she turned her gaze to 
Ada's avenger.
         Mihoshi angled her Juraian energy sword downwards, calmly drawing 
a half-circle in the sand with the tip of it where she stood in front of 
Sasami. Those sky-blue eyes, that Riyata last remembered wide with fear, 
were now very calm, and it seemed that a smile almost played over the 
dark-skinned maidservant's lips.
         "If you wouldn't mind, please... I know it's hard right now, but 
could you be our first line of defense?"
         Tucking away her grief as only a professional soldier could, 
Riyata nodded once and turned to face the oncoming assailants, making sure 
to give the formidable warrior behind her enough room to wield her weapon.

         Ryoko set down on the balcony outside Funaho and Misaki's room, 
releasing Ayeka, who stepped away and started to move towards the windows. 
Ryoko quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "If you've 
got to do this, you ninny, stay behind me!"
         Just about to snipe back that she could take care of herself, 
Ayeka was instead stunned into silence as Ryoko summoned forth a ball of 
bright orange-red energy and closed her fist around it, the swirling light 
bursting forth into an energy sword. Moving forward quickly, the Hyurodan 
princess kicked the window inwards and strode forward, energy blade 
humming, golden cat's eyes flashing and almost glowing with battle-lust.
         Inside, war was raging. Funaho and Misaki had obviously been 
caught by complete surprise, and it showed in that neither Empress was 
wearing much. Misaki had only her light blue sleeping kimono, which was 
hanging open in front, the dangling belt trailing behind her movements like 
some odd tail, and Funaho's black sleeping kimono was almost falling down 
around her shoulders.
         Neither of them seemed to care, however, their faces somewhat 
drawn, eyes hard and set. Back-to-back, they calmly and efficiently fended 
off each incoming attack, Misaki's purple Juraian blade and Funaho's green 
one casting dancing light over their features as they impacted against the 
natural energy swords of the rebel Hyurodan.
         "Bitches!" Ryoko yowled, wading into the surprised 
insurrectionists from behind, her own energy blade cutting through flesh 
and bone as if it were air. Quickly, some of the assailants turned their 
attention to her, and Ryoko soon found herself clashing lightblades with 
others.
         "Thank you, Princess Ryoko," Funaho said calmly, as if she were 
giving the proper response to Ryoko passing the salt at dinner, rather than 
fending off two energy-wielding wild women. "Your assistance is much 
appreciated."
         "Thank your daughter, she's the one that insisted!" Ryoko called 
back with a smirk, ducking in under her current opponent's swing and 
slicing her in half at the waist.
         "Ayeka?!" Misaki cried, looking over her shoulder and seeing her 
daughter standing nervously on the balcony. "Ayeka, you shouldn't be here!" 
Motherly instinct overriding even the common sense of a trained 
swordswoman, Misaki whirled around and began to run towards Ayeka.
         Funaho felt Misaki leave her back, and turned her head, saw an 
attacking Hyurodan thrusting the tip of her sword towards her co-wife's 
back. Without a second thought, Funaho cried Misaki's name and threw her 
shoulder against the other woman's, knocking her out of the way. She felt 
the boiling energy pierce her bare stomach and burn all the way through 
her, a certain cold radiating out all around it as it came out her back. 
She fought the urge to fall to her knees, knowing that it would slice her 
in half.
         'Please God... if I die... at least let it save my family...'
         "Empress!" cried Ryoko, surprised at her own pain at the sight.
         "Funaho!" Misaki screamed, tears bursting to her eyes, feeling as 
if the energy sword had instead pierced her own heart.
         Ayeka could only let out a long, wordless wail of loss.

To be continued in Alliance Part Five: Mourn the Dead


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