This was my entry into the FFIRC one hour challenge.
Diclaimers: All characters portrayed in this story are owned by
Pioneer/AIC.
C & C welcomed.
Red Lanterns
By
Donny Cheng
"Not again? Is this what you do every night?" Sasami asked.
"I don't see you doing something else?" Ryoko said, but her eyes
did not move from their spot.
"Yes, Sasami. It will not be you again tonight, so why don't you
run along." Ayeka's eyes were also glued upon the red lanterns hanging
over the courtyard hallways.
"You're still not angry with me are you, Ayeka." *I couldn't help
how things turned out,* Sasami wanted to say. But she knew they
wouldn't believe her, even if it were the truth. It just happened.
"No, of course not, fifth sister."
Sasami sighed. Always the 'fifth'. Why couldn't she go back to
just being Ayeka's younger sister?
"Lay off her, Ayeka. It's not like she went out and tried to bag
Tenchi. Your mother set the whole thing up." Ryoko was getting tired
of the bickering. It was partly her fault as she was one of the first
to get angry. She did not offer a word of support later, when she
forgave the little gir... no woman in her heart, if not with her mouth.
"Only because she couldn't get married in a hundred years!"
"I... I just couldn't find the right guy," Sasami said, her voice
wavering. "I did try. I saw how happy you all were. It was something
I wanted. But every guy I met, no matter how nice or good they were,
just didn't give me the same feeling Tenchi does."
Ayeka was silent as she looked at Sasami's bowed head. She was
getting tired of being angry herself. She slowly put her hand on her
sister's shoulder. Sasami's raised her head, eyes wide, mouth agape.
Ayeka forced herself to smile slightly. Her smile widened as Sasami
glomped onto her, causing her to gently pat the younger woman's back.
"Shh, he's coming. I've been messaged by the 'bots. The
messenger is at the gates," Washu whispered. "According to my tally, it
should be...."
"Mihoshi's turn," Washu, Ayeka, and Ryoko said simultaneously.
"What?" Mihoshi asked, looking at the lantern that hung at the
entrance to the hallway that led to her bed chambers. "Oh, yay!"
"How did you figure that out? I thought it was Mihoshi's turn
just two days ago?" Sasami asked. She still hadn't gotten used to how
everything was managed here.
"Tenchi has visited me, Ayeka, and Ryoko 9125 times. Mihoshi is
at 9124. It may look random, but Tenchi really tries hard to be fair."
"You've _been with_ Tenchi that much?" Sasami asked, blushing red.
"I've only been with him that month together at the honeymoon."
"Yes, 36 times altogether including the honeymoon. Tenchi will
come up with some way so that, from the point where you joined us, we'll
all be equal. We've each got him to ourselves 12 times since you came.
Eventually, all the numbers will match again in another couple of
months," Washu calculated as she looked at the graphs.
"That's hardly romantic," Sasami sighed.
"You'd be surprised. Somehow he sets extra time for when we are
sick and when we have our birthdays. He still manages to make us all
equal to him," Washu sighed. She loved it when Tenchi foiled her
calculations with his timing. Still, it didn't stop her from trying to
squeeze an extra day out of him.
"Yes, also, I do not think any of us has ever gone lonely for any
length of time," Ayeka supplied.
"I think the little sneak has cameras on us," Ryoko winked. "How
else can he tell who is down and who is not?"
"You think so? Is that why you always mope around naked, Ryoko?"
Mihoshi asked. "Should I do that too? I need to find that old bunny
suit that Tenchi likes. I always need to catch up to you."
"It couldn't hurt," Ryoko said slyly. "It most definitely could
help though."
"Don't listen to her, fourth sister. More often than not, it is
because of your insistence at continuing to work with the Galaxy
Police."
"Oh, I couldn't give that up. Kiyone-chan wouldn't know what to
do without me."
Ryoko rolled her eyes. She wondered how many generations of
Kiyones would have to be subjected to Mihoshi. Their late friend's
family was truly born under a bad sign.
"He's here!" Sasami found herself excited despite her initial
disinterest. Her heart nearly sang when she saw the messenger walk into
the courtyard. She, along with her other 'sisters', nodded their heads
in greeting. A slight disappointment filled her when she saw the
messenger walk to Mihoshi's hallway and light the lantern hanging over
it. Her disappointment changed, however, when she saw Mihoshi's face
light up. She almost jumped and cheered with the GP officer, in fact.
"Go get 'im," Ryoko, said, patting Mihoshi wholeheartedly. "He'll
need the warm up when it comes to my turn tomorrow."
"You mean, my turn," Ayeka said frostily.
Sasami blinked. "They still fight like that?"
"Wouldn't be them if they didn't," Washu said, shrugging. "Too
bad for them though, I've scientifically calculated it with ninety
percent accuracy, that it'll be my turn."
"Has he ever lit more than one lantern? You know, uh, to catch
up?" Sasami asked delicately.
"Well there was that one time...."
"It wasn't like that! He just wanted us to make nice with each
other," Ryoko and Ayeka yelled, glaring at Washu, daring the scientist
to make an issue.
Washu giggled mischievously. "Anyway, he doesn't really, unless
he needs our help with something or needs to talk to more than one of us
for a few hours."
"Is it always like that?" Sasami asked as she pointed to the still
cheering Mihoshi.
"Find out in another couple of days when it gets back to you. Ask
me then."
"I don't think I will need too," Sasami said, feeling her heart
only beginning to calm down from the anticipation.
* * * * *
The End. (maybe)