Pale Blue – Chapter Two: Foolish Impressions

Flowingly memories of the previous evening began to return, causing him to sit straight up and quickly scan the ancient stone room. He found himself to be alone, which worried him. Where had Ryoko gone? And how was he supposed to get home like she had promised if she wasn’t around to fly him out? He spotted his shoes across the expanse of the large stone bed and crawled over to them, slipping on his socks first, and then securing his feet in the snug leather casings. However, now that there was nothing to preoccupy himself with, he began to worry.

“Hello?” Tenchi called out, unsure if he would even receive a response, “Ryoko? Are you there?”

No answer came, and after a few minutes a heavy anxiousness caused him to holler again, “Hello? Ryoko? Where are you?”

The beginning swells of panic started setting in, causing his imagination to fire off worse case scenarios. What if all of last night was an act? That she was only pretending to be his friend so she could lure him to this hole and leave him to waste away? Or what if she couldn’t be around during the day and she meant to keep him here as her nighttime prisoner for the rest of his life? Or maybe she did mean to eat him and was only saving him for tonight’s dinner?

He slid down the soft rock, wanting to make his way to the opening which they flew through last night, but lost his footing on the round surface and fell. The next moment he was submerged in freezing cold water. The icy stab of it all caused him to gasp and struggle, for not only were these waters shockingly frosty, but also very deep. In fact he could not feel nor see any bottom. He did his best to stay calm and paddle to the embankment, but he had started to struggle right from the beginning, and kept sinking, making him kick out and flail which did little good for his situation other than get his mouth above the surface.

“Ryoko!” He managed to yell fearfully before his head was enveloped by the water again, now he truly was sinking, and barely able to keep up the fight. It was stingingly cold, dark, and quiet. He tried holding his breath, but knowing he couldn’t breathe made it hard to do so, causing his lungs to burn. Darker and darker, colder and colder; he didn’t want to die! Why had he never learned to swim? Why was the water so deep here? Why couldn’t he see the sunlight from up above?

As his vision began to wane, he spotted a disturbance up above. From it two piercing yellow lights, moving swiftly through the water were heading right for him! His eyes widened as the pain from not breathing seared his insides. Was this it? Were these tiny glowing orbs penetrating the darkness somehow a representation of death, come to take him away? He saw them move right up to his face, felt his body being pulled forcefully into something solid, and then experienced the sensation of rushing upwards through the heavy solution. Breaking the surface caused water to spout up from below in all directions, catching the sunlight in its speckled gleam. He gasped for air, coughing and hacking, feeling a harsh burning sensation in his nose and mouth, but he was breathing. He was going to live!

“You idiot!” screamed a familiar womanly voice as she flew him back down onto the massive moss laden boulder and set him there, “Why would you go take a dip if you don’t know how to swim?”

“I fell!” was all he could come up with, still breathing rather heavily.

“Don’t give me that! Your shoes are on, so you were awake. Why did you jump in?” She sounded exceedingly angry, and it was frightening him.

“I wanted to look for you, I’m sorry,” he thought it unwise just now to point out that she was unfairly mistaken.

“I heard you calling me, you could have waited!” suddenly he felt stupid for rushing in a panic, and hung his head as she kept shouting, “What the hell was I supposed to do if I came back here and you were dead? Huh?”

“I… I dunno, I’m really sorry.”

“Damn it all!” She yelled, turning away from him in mid air, “Stop acting all pathetic, I’m not the bad guy here!” In truth seeing him feel so guilty for making a mistake was tearing at her heart strings, though she would never admit to having them. After listening leniently to him catch his breath she turned around again to look at him, “You know why I yelled at you?”

“Because I messed up…” Tenchi whimpered in a small, strained voice.

“Yes, that too, but you also scared me. What if I had been here just a few moments later? You could have died!” She took notice that he was shivering now, out of fear or just the chill of his wet clothes, she couldn’t tell; but she knew those waters all too well and they were not meant for a human boy his size.

“I’m sorry, Ryoko,” he apologized again, though this time with more wavering in his words.

The demoness sighed and crossed her arms tighter still, “Alright, just don’t do it again, you got it? Now wait here, stay in the sunlight, I’m going to find you something dry to wear,”

True to her word she shot off into the sheer passage way they came through last night. Once she reached her storage room she immediately landed by the large assortment of clothes she had stolen off her victims through the centuries. She usually avoided attacking children though, so he would have to make due with a man’s large haori jacket and mismatching sash.

In a matter of seconds she was gone from the dilapidated dwelling and was zipping around him before landing by his side, “Here,” she said perhaps a little too stern, “I don’t have much for a kid to wear, so make the best of it.”

Tenchi reached out for the clothing with shaking hands and grasped it lithely, “Th-Thank you, Ryoko,” even though he was shivering worse than before, he seemed reluctant to change garments.

“Well?” Ryoko demanded with inpatients riddling her voice, “What are you waiting for? You’ll catch your death of cold, you know.”

“Can you… Um, I mean, please don’t watch,” if he wasn’t so chilly, he would probably be blushing from embarrassment.

The demon understood and sighed in frustration as she turned away from him, constricting her arms into a weave while deciding to further her ridicule, “You humans are so weird about your bodies. Sure, cloths are fun, but being naked is natural. If I felt like it I could roam these damn woods without anything to cover me up. I have, in fact, and I don’t act all vulnerable and ashamed.”

Tenchi did not respond to her until he had completely changed his cloths, though even when he did he had little contribution, “I… I don’t know…”

“You ‘don’t know’ what?” she let off, “out with it.”

He was feeling pressured now, remembering just who, and more importantly what, it was he was conversing with, “I, um, don’t know if I could do that.”

She noticed there was less shivering in his voice, and it made her smile, “What? Walk around the forest naked like I have? Sure you could! It’s easy! Only thing that’s stopping you is your moronic human customs.”

“Moronic?” He felt offended then, and Ryoko heard it like a ton of bricks.

“Err,” she started awkwardly, remembering she was supposed to be getting him on her side, not making an enemy of the kid, “probably the wrong word for it. Ah well, don’t mind me, I’m just bitter and irritated. You know, humans did this to me, and now you go and fall into that death pool, not to mention I somehow lost my favorite cloak from last night. Remember, the one I was wearing when me met? Um, well, just a lot on my mind, ya know?” sure, it was a patch job, but he was a kid and wouldn’t be any the wiser, right? “Say, you decent then?”

“I’m good now,” Tenchi affirmed quietly. He was now criticizing himself inwardly for not being more patient with this woman; she had gone through a lot and was now going out of her way to help him, not to mention how she just saved his life, and then he had the gall to get uppity when she fumed a little? His Grandfather would be ashamed.

Ryoko spun around and had to hold in a snort, for he looked downright silly, like a toddler who got into all the wrong cloths. Strange, for some reason she wasn’t angry with him anymore, had she ever forgiven someone this quickly? She couldn’t recall. In any case she picked him up, much to his squeaky surprise, and lifted off directly into the skies above.

Tenchi’s initial reaction was alarm, for she had snatched him even before he could grab his wet clothes! However this soon was blown away by the overwhelming feeling of thrill coursing through his body, reigniting new life into his previously shaken form. He had never been this high up before, nor traveled this fast! What a rush! Half of him worried that she couldn’t keep a hold of him, making him clench onto her with uncertainty, yet the other half didn’t care and just wanted to feel the swiftness of the wind slide through his hair and press against his skin. To enjoy the sensation of falling and rising as his host spun circles in the warm late-morning air; laughing, giggling, and soaring as they skimmed the massive tree tops together. She was so lucky to be able to fly, and the possibility of being able to do this again and again with her in his following evenings to come filled his leaping heart with a long lost joy. Somehow he saw her luck as his fortune too, and it made him smile and hug onto her a little tighter.

All too soon it seemed his blue haired friend had slowed to a drifting decent, as if she were a colorful exotic feather. As Ryoko took foot on solid ground she gently settled her young new friend in front of her. He looked up at the happy demon, windswept and messy haired; but he was smiling, and she knew she had done right.

The boy glanced around casually, and it slowly dawned that he recognized the landscape. They were still high up, yes, and he could see a massive, glittering lake body far below, surrounded by a visual fire of autumn colored trees stretching from where he stood all the way over to the adjacent mountain. Then he was aware of where exactly it was he had been set down on. Through his bare feet he could feel it was stone upon which he stood, and as he turned around he was greeted with the sight of the Masaki shrine, old but well maintained, and owning a consoling charm, much like its head priest.

Tenchi turned to face Ryoko and had to stop himself from bowing, remembering that she wasn’t all that fond of formalities. Instead, spurred on by the adrenaline still pumping rampant through his veins, he wrapped his arms around her middle. She was taken aback by his sudden act of affection, though really if she thought about it she couldn’t blame him. He had just gone through a whole mess most would never have survived, given her a choice. She gladly accepted the smile gracing her features as she returned the hug.

“Thank you,” Tenchi almost choked, “I mean, for everything, thank you…” he should have never doubted her.

“Anytime, kiddo,” She said as she stroked the back of his messy head with her long fingers a few times before dethatching herself from his little frame. He seemed almost reluctant to let go, “I’m guessing you wanted to see your Grandfather, correct?” She asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah…” he was feeling something was slightly amiss, but couldn’t quite understand what.

“He lives at this shrine, right? I sometimes see an old Masaki man walk up and down those long stairs.”

“He’s the head priest! You should come and meet him, he loves guests!” He wanted to suddenly spend more time with Ryoko, and in some way show off his new friend to whoever he could.

Ryoko continued to smile at his childish excitement, but spoke with a slender forlorn tone, “I’m sure he does, but I can’t follow you any further even if I wanted to. This is a Shinto shrine, and every part of it is hallowed ground, even all those steps leading up here. So since I’m a demon, and one who has all of her power under lock and key, I can’t cross this barrier.” She motioned to their feet, and Tenchi saw that she still stood on unpaved forest floor, while he was safely on the shrine’s stone pavement.

Tenchi opened his mouth to say something; however before he could even pass one word to her, a loud, pitiful shout of distress rang across the grounds. The child recognized the voice right away and spun around to find his considerably emotional wreck of a father running for him. He was probably once a well built man, but had let himself go a touch in his middle age. He had a nonthreatening mustache upon his upper lip and wore thick glasses.

“Tenchi! My boy!” the father cried, tears streaming comically down his face as he lifted his son and held him close, “You have returned! Oh Tenchi you worried us! Where have you been?” Ryoko took note that his voice sounded almost congested, perhaps he was fighting off a cold?

“Father!” young Tenchi chimed in now, hugging his dad and looking happy to be reunited with a family member, “I was lost in the woods, but its okay, this lady took care of me and brought me back!”

An odd sort of change came over Tenchi’s father as he set his son down gingerly. His glasses seemed to fog in acknowledging what he perceived as a strangely adorned, yet none the less beautiful young woman, “Oh miss,” he proclaimed enthusiastically, stepping forward and grasping her hands in his own, which she thought felt rough and meaty, “Please, allow me to thank you for taking care of my only child. Why it nearly drives me to tears thinking what could have happened to him out there all alone in those haunted woods.”

“Err, yeah, sure thing,” Ryoko said, growing uncomfortable by the man’s ever encroaching closeness. She noticed that Tenchi didn’t look at all embarrassed. On the contrary, he seemed to think this was completely normal. Was this how strangers thanked one another now-a-days, or was her friend’s father just always this weird?

“What a lovely kindness you have shown this family,” the man complimented, though it felt almost rushed.

“Um, thanks?” she replied, noticing that she couldn’t remove her hands from his grip with a normal human assertion of strength.

“My name is Nobuyuki, Nobuyuki Masaki. Please pretty miss, won’t you let me know your name?” Nobuyuki wore a clean, wide smile which had eager written all over it.

“Uhh, it’s Ryoko,” she stated hurriedly, not much caring for his intrusion of her personal space.

“Oh, Miss Ryoko, what a pretty name you have, fitting for such a kind hearted woman who would rescue a child not her own,” his voice dropped to a sultry, suggestive tone, “Tell me now, why not accept my gratitude by going to a romantic getaway with me?”

The look of utter incredulity on Ryoko’s face sent warning signs to fire off for the boy. It happened in a flash to young Tenchi’s eyes. His savior had yanked her hands from Nobuyuki’s with such force that it caused him to lose balance and stumble backwards, landing on his rump with a dull thud. In an instant the wild haired woman tried to rush forward, forgetting what she had just told Tenchi about not being able to come any closer, and was immediately forced back upon her own rear end by some powerful invisible force. Tenchi was pulled between who to tend to first, but was saved the trouble of acting by the announcement of a fourth person on the scene.

“My, my,” a gentle, yet somehow somber voice beamed, “seems like two miscreants have met with the guiding hand of fate.”

All three had turned their heads to find a tall old man. He was sporting long grey hair tied into a fluid pony tail running the length of his back, which complimented his neutral colored Shinto priest attire rather nicely. His glasses, which were resting neatly high up the ridge of his mustached nose, gleamed brightly in the light of the warming sun, effectively hiding his eyes from view. He was holding a folded bundle of brown cloth in one of his arms, which seemed to be somewhat out of place.

Ryoko’s eyes narrowed. She was able to sense the presence of Tenchi’s father, which was laughably easy. But how could she have not felt this old man nearby? Or even picked him up with her superior senses? Somehow she was feeling unsettled by his presence, and every moment he stood near compounded upon her unease. Caution would have to be taken around this geezer, she thought, least he somehow trigger her wrath toward the Masaki clan. And that was a real possibility, for he was acting too much like her foe of old.

“Grandfather!” Tenchi yelled, happiness sprinkling his voice, “I’m back! Ryoko here helped me and-” He had to stop talking, for his grandfather had reached a polite free hand down for Ryoko take hold of, only to receive a low, monstrous growl in return from the fallen beauty. The sound of it sent chills flowing down the boy’s spine. He had never in his life heard anything so threatening. Tenchi’s heart was racing, what was he supposed to do in a situation like this?

The air had become suddenly tense as his new friend and his guardian locked eyes. Neither one of them dared to move; least it caused the other to react. It was at last Nobuyuki, standing slowly to his feet, who broke the silence, “Umm, is there a problem?” he asked with mild concern, though seeming lost.

“R-Ryoko?…” Tenchi asked with a worried voice, though he didn’t know exactly what, he could still tell something was wrong.

The demon’s eyes faltered at the sound of his scared voice and broke contact with the Shinto Priest to look at the child. The moment she had shown concern for his peace of mind, however, the old man retracted his hand slowly. This casual gesture caused her to sharpen her gaze back to her opponent and move with a speed Tenchi’s eyes could not follow. She had pushed herself off the ground and leapt so quickly backwards away from his grandfather that the youngest of the Masaki family could have sworn it was her teleporting again. He noticed that she landed just short of the shine grounds, and felt a sense of enclosure for her here. She was limited in her movements, he thought, and it must be putting her on edge.

The eldest Masaki man seemed to have noticed this too and straightened up slowly as his gentle voice passed over the entire group, “I see,” he began with a slow but strong pace, “so that is who you are. Though I must wonder if it was bravery or foolishness for you to come so close to this shrine, especially as the sun is still quite young in the sky.”

“Shut up old man!” Ryoko snarled, “What I do is my own business!”

“So it may be,” he responded with a bemused smile, “Unless that business includes my family, then it becomes mine as well.”

Tenchi and his Father stood slack-jawed. Neither of them could ever recall anyone taking this tone with the head priest before. However Tenchi was not content with just staring on hopelessly, especially when two people he cared about were at odds. Ryoko had opened her mouth to shout again at the quiet old man, but her small friend had spoken before she could let him have it.

“Ryoko, please, what’s the matter?” He was approaching her now and she stared at him, a mixture of concern and spite splashed across her pretty face.

She considered him hard as he came to stand between the two, stopping abruptly in front of her. On the one hand she had never felt so threatened for her well being by another simple by being in this old man’s presence, not since Yosho had defeated her seven hundred years ago. Though on the other hand she was worrying Tenchi by reacting so strongly, and that was making her feel horrible inside. So which mattered more, finding an excuse to fight this strange old man, or keep on Tenchi’s good side? She sighed heavily, knowing the obvious answer.

“Its nothing, only…” she realized that apologizing to the boy just now would be fine and all for him, but he would be spending his company in the presence of these two men a lot longer than in hers, so she switched gears, “No, uh, I’m sorry old man, you just… brought something out in me,” which wasn’t a lie either, there was an eerie sense about him, as if there was much more to him than he was letting on. The fact that she couldn’t discern exactly what that was reminded her all too well of her fight with the Samurai Yosho.

Tenchi and his Grandfather smiled at the same time, only Tenchi’s was adorable, while the priest’s was mischievous, “Good to know I can still bring that out in a woman,” he commented lewdly.

Ryoko’s apologetic façade clunked immediately, and she decided to address Tenchi than either of the older two perverts he called guardians, “Well, I kept my word and brought you back safe and sound. Now you make sure to keep up your end of the deal, okay?”

“Sure!” Tenchi exclaimed happily, “I promise!”

Ryoko ruffled his hair, and made to leave without another word of goodbye to anyone, only to be hailed by the strange old man,

“Now wait a moment young lady,” he commanded rather persuasively, and to her surprise she wanted to hear what he had to say, though still retained an air of displeasure as he continued to speak, “I believe this belongs to you, does it not?” he held out the bundle of deep brown cloth for her to receive.

She stared at the pile cautiously, slightly wondering if it was safe to touch, then curiosity allowed her to reach out a swift hand. She held it up gingerly and watched at it unfurrowed sloppily into the shape of her lost cloak. Her eyes widened at the sight of it before she turned back to face the old man with surprise. However he had already turned his back on her, much to her annoyance in not being able to sense this too, and had beckoned Tenchi to his side. So instead she swung the cloak around her form and turned to walk away slowly, keeping a keen ear on the conversation between the young and old.

“Tenchi, this means extra chores,” said the old man.

“Because Tenchi had become lost in the woods, Father Katsuhito?” asked Nobuyuki, “Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“No, not when you consider that while lost he had resorted to making a deal with the demon of the woods and brought her right to our shrine’s doorstep,” Katsuhito said cooly.

“What?” Tenchi and his father shouted in surprise, though the boy added on, “Grandpa, how did you know that?”

“You just told us,” the priest said smugly.

Ryoko smiled to herself, even though she didn’t like him, she had to admit that old man had style. She decided then, as her amused smile twisted into that of a revenge hungry animal’s, that once Tenchi freed her, his Grandfather would be the first to go. As the sun entered its high noon position she phased gradually away into the darkness of the ancient forest.