Tenchi Muyo - Alliance - Chapter Five
Author: Rann Aridorn (rann-chan@home.com)
Warnings: Death, angst, shoujo ai
Comments: Not really much to comment on, this time. Hope everyone's still 
reading and enjoying the series.



         The entire world seemed to go silent as the last of Ayeka's cry of 
misery trailed off. For the moment, insurrectionists and defenders alike 
were still, all eyes fixed unwaveringly on the Hyurodan rebel that had 
impaled the Empress Funaho. Funaho, herself, seemed to be staring down at 
the orange energy blade that had sunken into her stomach as if it were 
something that had happened to someone else... a shame, really, but what 
could she do about it?
         Slowly, as if somehow not wanting to do more damage than she 
already had, the rebel pulled the sword straight backwards, leaving a 
burned-black hole directly through the Juraian Empress' midsection. Like a 
puppet whose strings had been cut, Funaho sank to her knees and then 
tumbled onto her side, the carved wooden sword hilt falling from her hand 
to clatter on the floor, its green energy blade flickering and winking out.
         In anguish, Misaki dropped her own energy sword, letting its 
purple beam fade out as well, and dove down beside her co-wife, pressing 
her palm against the ugly wound, sobbing that Funaho would be alright, 
they'd get her a doctor, everything would be alright.
         Ryoko could only stare... and wonder why. She'd seen hundreds die 
right in front of her, caused many more deaths at a distance. Why did this 
one touch her? Was it the self-sacrifice? The nobility of it? Was it 
Ayeka's pain? She suddenly lurched into movement again, fending off a 
clumsy slash from her opponent, the battle starting to resume almost as if 
all the participants had to relearn the motions. The rebel that had stabbed 
Funaho raised her blade, apparently intending to slice off Misaki's head, 
and Ryoko opened her mouth to cry warning.
         And then shut it abruptly, as once again, everyone in the room 
stopped as if they had suddenly been turned to stone. Above the humming and 
sizzling of energy blades, a low thrum that wasn't quite audible and wasn't 
quite physical. Slowly, heads turned, towards where Princess Ayeka stood on 
the balcony, fists clenched, eyes shadowed by her bangs, body trembling.
         Princess Ayeka was glowing.

         Over a mile away, at the foot of a cliff that was little more than 
a huge boulder, another, still very active battle was still raging. Royal 
guardswoman Riyata's every movement kicked up sand as she thrust and 
slashed with her long golden spear, her ankle-length black spikes of hair 
swaying behind her like the protective covering of a hedgehog. Many of the 
desert-camouflaged insurrectionists fell to her attacks as they charged 
forward.
         Those that got past the Hyurodan soldier were cut down by the 
quick yellow energy blade wielded by Mihoshi, maidservant to the Princess 
Sasami. The dark-skinned woman, infamous for her empty-headedness and 
amazing ability to not only trip over her own feet but to drag down half 
the contents of a room with her, was now amazingly sure and steady, 
wielding her Juraian sword with an almost unearthly calm, baby blue eyes 
gazing past her assailant's sand goggles and into their eyes as she 
efficiently cut them down.
         Behind her, pressed tightly to the scratchy sandstone of the cliff 
face, Mihoshi's charge huddled, hugging her legs tightly, face buried 
against her knees. Eyes like tiny dark pools peered out from the enclosure 
formed by the little princess' limbs, occassionally disappearing as 
Ryo-Ohki moved her head up, tiny soft tongue flicking out to lick at 
Sasami's face. Sasami shuddered, her long ponytails shaking with the motion.
         'Won't cry, won't scream, gotta be strong, gotta be tough, won't 
cry, won't scream, gotta be strong, gotta be like Ryoko, Ryoko wouldn't 
cry, she wouldn't scream, she'd be tough, Ryoko'd-'
         Her mantra was cut off as Mihoshi gasped aloud in pain, and Sasami 
jerked her head up, pink eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears.
         Two attackers had gotten around Riyata by coming in wide while a 
third charged her head-on. Mihoshi had dispatched the attacker on her left 
quickly, but before she could bring her blade to bear on the second, the 
insurrectionist's own energy sword had sliced along her right upper arm, 
cutting through skin and muscle and slicing along the edges of the bone. 
Before the maidservant could rally herself from the wound, the rebel 
hyurodan raised her hand, eyes blazing as she prepared to bring the energy 
blade slicing down on the Juraian Princess.
         A blur of brown and white seemed to burst forth as if it had 
emerged from Sasami's body itself, a harsh, angry "Mya!" seeming somehow 
loud in the desert night. In midflight, the little cabbit's form seemed to 
stretch and enlongate, a faint shimmering like heat ripples clouding the 
air around her.
         Ryo-Ohki slammed into the rebel Hyurodan's chest with the momentum 
of a small creature's leap and the mass of a full-grown woman. The sound of 
ribs cracking was like an old, dry tree crashing to the ground, as the 
insurrectionist did much the same. Slowly, the humanoid creature stood, 
brown eyes looking about dangerously. She was as tall, as voluptuous as 
Ryoko, covered head-to-toe in a concealing coat of brown fur. Even her 
hairstyle mimiced her former mistress', in spikes of brown and white 
instead of cyan. The elliptical red jewel still graced her forehead, 
seeming to catch the starlight and glow with it.
         The rebel that had been about to engage Riyata suddenly screeched 
to a halt, kicking up a small cloud of sand. He was one of the aliens with 
dark brown skin and ridged cheekbones, and as he stared past the defenders 
at the tall, fur-covered form, his face paled to a sort of sickly beige. 
Taking one shaky step back, he suddenly found his voice, and screamed a 
single word with all the terror in his body.
         "CABBIT!"
         The rest of the rebels stopped completely still where they were, 
turning to stare at the screamer, then past him. Then they turned and began 
running in the opposite direction as fast as their legs could carry them, 
some screaming in fear.
         Riyata, Mihoshi, and Sasami all, as one, turned their heads 
towards the humanoid Ryo-Ohki. The cabbit blinked several times at the 
sudden attention, touching one fingertip to her lip in confusion. Then, she 
simply smiled and shrugged expansively.
         "Mya!"

         A low sound was building over the throbbing of forming energy, a 
sort of growl that seemed to be coming from low in Ayeka's throat. The 
energy surrounding her flicked further and further out, tendrils of blue 
darting like the tongues of hungry snakes.
         And then suddenly the Juraian princess was screaming, throwing her 
head back and screaming at the tops of her lungs, screaming in grief, 
screaming in fury. And it was as if with the sound she had unleashed a 
hurricane, with herself at its eye, the energy forming itself into 
gale-force winds that lashed out into the room.
         Ryoko and Misaki threw their arms across their faces, trying to 
shield themselves as they were rocked back by the force of it. The effect 
on the insurrectionists was far more intense, and the Hyurodan rebels 
screamed as they were lifted off their feet and tossed about like paper 
dolls in a tornado. They were slammed indiscriminently against walls, 
ceiling, floor, furniture, until eventually the snapping and screams became 
little more than dull thumps.
         But still Ayeka kept on screaming, and the power continued to pour 
off her in deadly waves. Misaki leaned down, firming up her hold on Funaho, 
staring with wide eyes at her daughter. Wrenching her gaze to Ryoko, the 
Juraian Empress raised her voice as high as she could to be heard over 
Ayeka's scream and the shriek of the wind.
         "You have to stop her!"
         "*I* have to stop her?!" Ryoko yelled back, turning a disbelieving 
golden gaze on Misaki.
         "Please, Ryoko!" Misaki's eyes were wide, showing white all the 
way around, her face drawn. "If you don't stop her, she'll die!"
         "What the hell...?" Ryoko growled, the low words lost in the noise 
of the power discharge as she turned her head back towards Ayeka. She 
remained exactly where she was for a moment, before taking one slow, 
careful step forward. 'I've gotta be out of my mind.'
         The Hyurodan princess leaned her body far ahead, having to push 
for every inch against the wind shoving against her. Briefly, she attempted 
to lift off the floor and fly, but quickly slammed her feet down on the 
floor as she was almost flung back in the manner of the dead rebels. She 
began the arduous forward process again, shoving herself forward, a great 
inner urgency driving her.
         Ryoko barely dared to lower her arm from in front of her eyes to 
look at her screaming fiancee. She saw dark streaks sliding down Ayeka's 
cheeks from her eyes, the winds cycloning around the Juraian creasing them 
into angular lines along her jaw and then whipping crimson drops through 
the air. 'Is she... crying blood?!'
         She forced herself closer, her feet almost cracking the floor with 
the force it required to push every step forward. The winds ripped at her 
green dress, tearing it along a few seams, loose fabric snapping like flags 
in a typhoon. And it was then that Ryoko realized she had no idea what she 
was going to do to snap Ayeka out of it! How was she supposed to know how 
to calm down a berserker Juraian princess?!
         Well... she'd just have to play it by ear. That was what she was 
good at, right? Right. So, she'd just have to come up with something that 
would save her fiancee's life from... herself, apparently, in the time it 
took to take the next two steps.
         She lifted one leg, felt it shake with the force pushing against 
it, using every last bit of her formidable strength to ram the ball of her 
foot down against the floor and push, putting her whole body into it, 
forcing herself those last few feet. She thrust her arms forward, feeling 
the winds yield slightly. She wrapped her arms around Ayeka, yanking the 
other princess forward against her and, gambling wildly, pressed her lips 
to the other girl's, pressing Ayeka's body to hers tightly.
         Ayeka's scream was cut off by the kiss, and for just a few 
moments, her body tensed up completely, and the winds shrieked even louder. 
And then, slowly, the Juraian princess relaxed against Ryoko, the gale 
ebbing and stopping, as Ayeka went completely limp in the other woman's 
arms. After a moment, Ryoko raised her head, breaking the kiss, and looking 
down at her unconscious fiancee.
         "Heh... I guess I'm just that good."
         She darted her head to one side at the sound of an explosion from 
outside, preparing to set Ayeka down and deal with more trouble. She 
relaxed slightly as Washu strode through the door, one arm up in a 
makeshift sling, her other hand still smoking somewhat from firing the 
energy blast. The Hyurodan Queen was flanked by Kallista and Kiyone, and 
all three looked somewhat tattered, but triumphant.
         "Well, looks like SOMEbody had just as much fun in here as we had 
out there," Washu chirped, looking around at the mangled bodies of the 
insurrectionists.
         "Queen Washu!" Misaki cried in a mixture of relief and urgency. 
"Funaho... she's been stabbed!"
         Instantly, the glimmer of amusement was gone from Washu's eyes, 
her face turning hard and set. "Damn. You two!" she snapped, apparently not 
drawing distinctions between her own bodyguards and other peoples'. "Carry 
her, and be CAREFUL!"
         Almost reverantly, but working with haste, the warriors moved, 
gathering up Funaho's limp form and lifting her, carrying her out and 
following Washu's directions. Ryoko watched them go, then easily swung 
Ayeka up into a carry in both arms and began to follow. She paused to look 
down at Misaki where she still knelt, trembling with her overwhelming emotion.
         "... Hey... 'mom'... don't worry about it." She grinned jauntily, 
showing a fang. "If anyone can save Funaho, Washu can."

         "There was nothing I could do," Washu said grimly, forcing herself 
to keep her gaze on the bereaved's face. The small queen's right arm was 
encased in thin bands of silver metal from shoulder to knuckles, the metal 
moving as easily as if it had been her skin. "I tried my best... all the 
medical technology I had, surgery, and you don't know how hard I prayed. 
But in the end... all I could do was clean up her body. I'm so sorry."
         Riyata forced herself not to sob. Soldiers did not cry, at least 
not in front of their leaders. The black-maned guardswoman nodded once, 
then quickly turned her head to one side, clenching her eyes tightly closed 
and pinching the bridge of her nose. After a few moments, when she felt 
steadier, she raised her head again and nodded once.
         "Thank you, my Queen," she replied, her voice threatening to break 
at any moment. "If you couldn't save her... I'm sure no one could have."
         Washu raised her uncovered hand to rest it against Riyata's bare 
upper arm, patting gently a few times, then moving away to the beds where 
others lay recuperating. There was nothing more she could say. Her loss 
simply was not the same as Riyata's.
         Funaho angled her head as much as she was able, most of her 
midsection completely covered in a thick arch of metal, the outside of 
which alternately frosted over and sweated with internal heat. She watched 
the black-haired guardswoman move to the plain metal bed where the body of 
another lay, face soft and gentle, composed as if for sleep; a new, elegant 
golden breastplate covered the deathwound in her chest, and her hands 
rested lightly on her stomach.
         The Juraian Empress watched as Riyata leaned her spear against one 
wall, then began gently stroking the dead woman's short blue hair, 
apparently speaking to her quietly in a voice shaky with emotion. Funaho 
suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if she were spying on another's pain, and 
looked up instead, finding Washu looking down on her.
         "There, but for the grace of you being wounded inside the castle," 
the Hyurodan Queen murmured, little humor showing in her features. "How are 
you feeling, Empress?"
         "Better than I would have expected," Funaho replied, attempting to 
be gently bemused, but failing. Despite the remarkable medical treatments 
she was undergoing, she had still had an energy blade thrust through her 
middle, and she felt it. "How many of your people were killed?"
         "Including poor Ada there? Only two... another two were wounded, 
excluding your own entourage."
         Between them was the unasked question, and either of them could 
have asked it... 'Does this mean the negotiations are over?' And, 
deliberately, both of them turned away from it, silently agreeing to let it 
go unasked.
         "What burial rituals do your people have?" Funaho asked instead as 
Washu moved to check the readings on the machine around the Empress' 
midsection.
         "No real cultural preset, really," Washu replied almost 
absentmindedly. "It's generally left up to those closest the deceased... 
family, lovers, spouses. Those are the people most likely to know what the 
dead would have wanted."
         "Sensible," Funaho murmured, with a genuine respect in her tone.

         Riyata felt nothing like sensible, but was luckily unaware of the 
conversation going on barely ten feet away. She simply continued to stroke 
the short blue silk of Ada's hair, allowing the tears to trickle slowly 
down her cheeks.
         "You weren't supposed to be the one that died," the black-maned 
warrior whispered. "You'd giggle if you heard me saying such cliches, but 
it's true. I'm the older one, I've been through more risk, it should have 
been me... I should have known that bitch Kuska was a traitor... I should 
have... I should... I..."
         Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stop speaking. Later, 
later she would break down, when she was alone and she could scream her 
questions of why and her curses to the sky. But not here, not in front of 
her Queen, in front of the Juraian Empress, in front of her recuperating 
fellow guards. No... never that.
         Carefully, with a tenderness few would have thought the fierce 
guard capable of, Riyata slipped her arms beneath Ada's neck and knees, 
lifting her slowly but easily. The body was still supple, barely cool... 
Riyata felt the irrational urge to convince herself that her lover was just 
sleeping, that if she called to her, Ada would awaken, would blush and ask 
if she'd fallen asleep in the middle of another war story. But it was 
fantasy, if an alluring one.
         Without a word to anyone, Riyata carried Ada's body towards the 
sliding doors of the infirmary, not even seeming to see them as they slid 
apart to grant her passage. She passed out of the ultramodern facility and 
into the more ancient-seeming stone of the castle, mounting the inset 
stairs that led up into a room of the castle. Ignoring the waiting Empress 
Misaki and her daughter, Riyata moved on past.
         She was barely out of the room when she felt a soft, warm hand on 
her arm. Pausing, she looked over her shoulder, saw the bright blonde hair 
and dark brown skin of the princess' lady-in-waiting, Mihoshi, her right 
upper arm covered by bands of metal, like Washu's. The maidservant's eyes 
were gentle, their usual openness and expressiveness magnified tenfold.
         "Where are you taking her?"
         "... There's a place in the castle's garden, just behind this 
little sweetflower tree." Riyata heard herself speaking in a distant, 
emotionless tone, and suddenly would have preferred the tremulous tones of 
before. "We used to go there to make love. I think that's where she'd want 
to be."
         Mihoshi nodded once, not saying anything for long moments. Riyata, 
had she only seen this woman the day before yesterday, would have expected 
childish crying, or at the very least the uncomfortable murmurs of being 
sorry that most people gave. But now, she was not at all surprised that 
Mihoshi simply let the honest sadness in her eyes, and the respect.
         "Could I help you bury her?" the blonde asked suddenly.
         Riyata was momentarily taken aback, then she nodded slowly. "I was 
honored to fight with you... I know Ada would be honored if you helped me 
put her to rest."
         "Thank you," Mihoshi said, very simple, very sincere, the ghost of 
a smile brushing over her lips.

         Kiyone turned her head as the door of the bedroom creaked open, 
her grip tightening on her unignited energy sword as she watched for 
whoever would enter. She had not slept since the night before the 
rebellion, and the time was obviously starting to take its toll. Despite 
her training to remain alert and unwavering for long periods of time, she 
had exhausted and injured herself in the battling, and she could feel how 
tight her muscles were, how her eyes were burning with redness and the 
heaviness of dark circles beneath them.
         She relaxed, but just barely, when she saw that it was Ryoko. The 
cyan-haired princess looked at her, and then at the pale form of Ayeka 
lying in bed, dark purple hair loose from its ponytails and spread out 
around her atop the blankets, her face just barely relaxed for sleep, hands 
resting atop one another on her chest. Ryoko slowly walked over and sat 
down on the edge of the bed, looking down at Ayeka's face. For a moment, it 
seemed she might reach out and touch her fiancee, but instead she simply 
turned to look at Kiyone.
         "So, what happened to her?"
         Kiyone rubbed at her face a bit, sighing. She seemed reluctant to 
speak, but something in her, be it duty, honesty, or the acknowledgement 
that Ryoko deserved to know, insisted she speak.
         "Juraians of royal blood, when they come of age, usually manifest 
special abilities. For most they're small, but for those of direct descent 
of the ruling family, they can be... big." Kiyone looked to where her 
princess lay asleep, collecting her thoughts before continuing. "A sudden 
increase of stress or emotion can trigger it, and if it's a strong enough 
trigger, all the power tries to manifest at once in reaction. I don't know 
how you stopped her, but if you hadn't, the power would have eaten away at 
her body until she died."
         Ryoko nodded after a few moments, silent. When she finally looked 
up, she said, quietly, "Do you think you could give me a little bit alone 
with her?"
         The protective instincts in her cried out NO! Attempts had been 
made on the royal family's lives, she must stay by her princess at all 
times and at all costs! But common sense won out, and she had to admit, 
there were few better people to leave Ayeka with if she needed defending. 
Slowly, now more to make sure she wouldn't fall over than with reluctance, 
Kiyone stood.
         "I'm going to sleep a little. Good day." She bowed slightly, then 
turned and left the room without another word.
         Ryoko watched her go, then turned her feline gaze back to Ayeka, 
pondering her fiancee's face as if it held the key to some great mystery. 
Without really noticing it, she sat there for over an hour, simply watching 
Ayeka's face, wondering, 'What does all this mean? What will the future be? 
Why am I wondering now, when I never did before?'
         She almost jumped as Ayeka actually moved, making a little sound 
low in her throat. Her eyes opened slowly, barely becoming slits of color, 
then sliding further open as they focused on her guest.
         "... Ryoko?" Ayeka's voice was hoarse, as if she were dehydrated.
         "Yeah, s'me." Ryoko seemed to heavily weigh her next action, as if 
it would determine the entire course of events ever to come in the future 
of the entire galaxy. And then, almost tentatively, she lay a hand atop 
Ayeka's. "You okay, princess? Need anything?"
         "... I..." Ayeka bit her lip, and tears welled up, threatening to 
spill.
         "Hey, hey... don't do that!" Ryoko tried to laugh, smiling at 
Ayeka and scolding her as if she were a child. "That's silly of ya. Your 
entire family's fine. My mom saved Funaho, and everyone's downstairs."
         "Alive?!" Ayeka gasped, trying to sit up, only to rather abruptly 
find herself on her back again through a combination of weakness and 
Ryoko's hands on her shoulders.
         "Whoa there! You almost bit the big one yourself!" Ryoko had 
leaned forward to push Ayeka back onto the bed, and for the moment stayed 
where she was, not thinking of how close her face was to the other girl's, 
how little it would take to press their body's together. "You got some 
power surge thing and almost died. So you just stay here and rest."
         "Almost died?" Ayeka's tone and the look in her eyes said she 
found that amazing, but perhaps not unbelievable. She surprised them both 
by continuing with, "Are YOU alright?"
         "Me? I'm fine." Ryoko smirked a bit now. "Had to save your silly 
little spoiled butt, but I'm fine."
         The Juraian princess momentarily tried to work up the energy to be 
insulted, but gave it up after a few moments' struggle. "How?"
         "Oh, it didn't take much. Just a kiss." Ryoko winked broadly, 
amber eyes dancing with mischief and delight, obviously waiting with bated 
breath for Ayeka's reaction to that one.
         "A... kiss?" Ayeka's eyes bugged a bit. "You stopped a Juraian 
Power Blossom with... a kiss?!"
         "And I'd do it again if I had to!" Ryoko replied with mock 
severity, before returning to her impish grin.
         They both suddenly went very still, as if realizing the somewhat 
intimate position they were in. Both girls were almost afraid to breathe as 
they found their gazes locked on one another, scent of one another's bodies 
in their noses from this close. Ryoko's other hand slowly came up to touch 
Ayeka's cheek, and still the silent, heavy moment was not broken, even by 
the touch of those long, warm fingers to soft, white skin that tried to 
steal the heat and pull it inside itself.
         It seemed so sudden when Ryoko took a breath that Ayeka felt the 
urge to jump, but didn't. It seemed like she was amazingly conscious of 
every move the other girl's lips made as that breath was taken in... just 
waiting for that one more move, that slight dip of the neck that would put 
those lips to hers. And then what? Would she kiss her back? Would she pull 
Ryoko to her? What then, what then...?
         Oh please, let her find out what then...
         "I..." Again, it was almost as if she could feel the movement of 
Ryoko's lips as the cyan-haired woman spoke. "I think I'd better go... let 
you rest."
         "Alright," Ayeka answered, frowning in unhappy confusion at the 
disappointment that raced through her. For those eternal moments, her 
entire being had yearned for Ryoko's kiss, for the feel of the other woman 
so close to her.
         Ryoko sat up, slowly, trying not to be to quick about it, nor too 
slow and show just how much she did NOT want to rise without putting her 
lips to Ayeka's. But for a few moments more, she held the princess' hand, 
feeling those soft, dainty fingers resting against her long, slim ones.
         "I'll come back and see you soon."
         "... Thank you."
         "Try to keep yourself from destroying the room while you 
recuperate, princess."
         "Get out, you impossible woman."
         "Hell with you."
         "Good riddance."
         The words, spoken without rancor, brought small smiles to both 
their faces. With one last long look, Ryoko stood and walked out the door, 
turning to watch Ayeka close her eyes through the crack as the door slid 
closed.

~End Part 5~


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