Author's Note: If any of you hadn't noticed, I have a real problem with writing endings to my stories. The ending to "When We Were Young," has been through the blender several times, and still is not satisfactory. It will be finished sooner or later, but here's a little something to preoccupy my idle hands with…

Never is a Promise

Chapter 1: Stupid Love Stories

They had said it wasn't my fault. They told me that sometimes things have to end. They told me that no matter what happened they would be there for me.

They didn't tell me what happened that night.

It seems to be the only thing driving me these days. What could have caused such hatred between those who loved each other so dearly? What drove them to the point where speaking to each other was not an option? Surely petty cat-fights over a boy wouldn't lead to… this.

A young woman sat alone in the small coffee shop, her gloves and trench-coat not fulfilling their sole purpose. She shivered as tarnished memories that had been shoved into the depths of her mind now danced freely in her subconscious.

"I have to know," Sasami told the thick brown coffee. She rubbed her hands along the warm mug in an effort to fight off the cold. Steam rose from her drink and Sasami's nostrils flared, letting the musty aroma calm her tense nerves.

For a moment she peered out the window next to her, taking in the bleak scene of a gray city on a rainy day. People passed by, umbrellas raised in vain attempts to block out the light drizzle of rain.

Sasami smiled for a fleeting moment as she watched a little boy try and pack brown slush into a snowman. He bit his tongue, determined not to let the last of the snow go to waste.

The small bell above the front door chimed, causing Sasami to jerk her head in it's direction. She watched, transfixed, as the person who had entered lowered her umbrella and shook the rain from it

Wearing an oblivious smile, the woman placed her order. She drummed her fingers on the counter and glanced at her watch anxiously, scanning the many booths for a certain somebody.

Memories were awakened by the woman's face, and came back in a deluge. Sasami struggled to breath. That face had been engraved into her long forgotten innocence, and suddenly it was all back. She was home, just by seeing this little piece of it.

Sasami could feel tears swelling up behind her eyes, ready to burst at any moment.

The pair of feral eyes finally settled on Sasami's trembling features, and grew wide in surprise. For a moment, the deep flaxen irises just stared, lost in the same sea of forgotten days when the sun seemed to shine brighter.

Ryoko had to pinch the skin on her arm to collect herself, trying to force down the knot in her throat. She gave a watery smile and approached the little girl that wasn't so little anymore.

Sasami stood, greeting her friend that she had not seen since her childhood. At this, Ryoko faltered. Sasami was nearly as tall as Ayeka had been.

Sasami's chin trembled as she watched the Space pirate shake her head wearily. Unable to fight off tears any longer, Sasami threw herself into Ryoko's open arms and muffled her sobs in the brown jacket the pirate wore.

Ryoko returned this embrace, holding the young woman tightly. At last, the two pulled away. Sasami wiped tears away shamefully and managed to mumble an apology for her behavior. The two sat opposite each other in the small booth as a waiter placed Ryoko's order in front of her.

"Don't be sorry," Ryoko said, unnaturally kind. She had always had a soft spot for the little girl. "I've missed you, too."

"It's been so long," Sasami said staring down at her coffee mug intently. She stifled a sob as Ryoko reached out and held her hand, rubbing it reassuringly.

"It's been too long. You're so big!" Ryoko beamed, still in shock. "Am I looking at the same Sasami-chan I knew before?" Sasami gave a weak smile and nod. "You're the spitting image of Tsunami!"

"You knew it'd happen, Ryoko-san. Don't play dumb," Sasami said playfully.

"Yea, I knew it'd happen. But I never thought it'd happen!" she said with emphasis. The two took a few minutes to get a good look at each other.

Ryoko wore low-cut jeans and a yellow tank-top, covered with a brown leather jacket. Sasami noted that her clothes were a bit out of season, but since Ryoko had no body temperature it all evened out in the end. Her usually wild spikes had been tamed into a ponytail.

Sasami wore skirt and sweater, barely noticeable under her coat. Her long hair was bundled up in an impossible bun.

"You said you wanted to talk about something in particular. What was it?" Ryoko asked, unable to restrain her curiosity any longer.

"I-I… wanted to know why."

"Why what?" Ryoko said innocently, blowing on her steaming coffee.

"Why… you left. Why it fell apart. What happened that night, Ryoko?" Sasami asked, the words spilling from her mouth before she had time to reflect on them.

Ryoko shifted uneasily. "Sasami," she said at last, "You know we all love you, but some things just weren't meant to be told." The demoness tried to avoid Sasami's piercing gaze.

"That's what he said, before he left," Sasami slumped into her seat.

Ryoko suddenly stared at her, suspiciously. "He left?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Yes. He came here, to Tokyo. He's got his own place and everything," Sasami said nonchalantly. Ryoko rested her elbows on the table, her eyes shielded from the world as she contemplated this.

He left?

"He left about when you guys did. I don't think he knew you were here, though. None of them do; they all think you're in space."

Ryoko chortled. "Do they now? Tell me, Sasami. How long has it been?"

Sasami thought for a moment. "Almost four years, I expect."

"He's probably forgotten me," she said, more to herself than to Sasami. Suddenly Ryoko felt her chin being lifted up. Sasami was forcing the demoness to look into her eyes.

"He hasn't," she said somberly. "Trust me. I've talked to him on the phone a few times. He always asks if you've come back." Sasami sighed, "I don't think he accepts that you won't come home."

Ryoko's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, trying to think of what to say. She the turned from Sasami and stared out the window, her brow suddenly furrowing in anger.

"If there's one thing that I've learned in this lifetime, it's that there are no happy endings," she said, glaring at the lonely sidewalk. "I wanted a stupid love story. There's no such thing."

"Do you really believe that?" Sasami pleaded. When no reply came, she pressed further. "I don't think you do."

"Oh?" Ryoko asked sharply.

"No. Because if you did you wouldn't have come."

Ryoko couldn't respond. She sat quietly, stewing in her own cold, bitter future.

"Would you come home?" Ryoko nearly jumped. She hadn't been expected to be asked this.

"Never," she said flatly.

"Would you speak with them? If we could work this out, we could all go our separate ways and be done with it," Sasami said, hoping that they would never "be done with it."

Ryoko stood up, slamming her hands on the table and causing the dishes to rattle. "I've already gone my separate way! Let the Prince and the Princess meet and fall in love! There's no room in that fairy-tale for a demon!" she yelled and grabbed her umbrella, receiving several strange glances from the occupants of the coffee house, the likes of which she only ignored. Just before storming out, Ryoko stopped herself. She took a deep breath and turned back to Sasami.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"I know you didn't leave because of Tenchi loved Ayeka; because he doesn't. You know that. None of this has to do with you and Ayeka wanting Tenchi, does it? Something happened, Ryoko. What was it?"

"Sasami, please. Don't," Ryoko shook her head. She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and tossed it on the table. "Call me sometime," she said with a sideways smile.

The demoness then made a peace sign before turning and exiting. Sasami watched her go, feeling more defeated now than ever.

She rolled the paper in her hand thoughtfully, her chin rested in a balled fist. An idea crept across her troubled mind, causing her to smile and jump up excitedly. Sasami grabbed her purse and ran out the door, only slowing down when she came to Tenchi's apartment building. She had come to Tokyo to see him, but tracking down Ryoko proved to be harder than expected. She had seen neither hide nor hair of the boy.

*

The doorbell rang, causing a deep groan to erupt from one of the back bedrooms of Tenchi's apartment. He rolled out of bed, pulling on a pair of pants that was at hand.

Tenchi had managed to keep it together when he moved to Tokyo, for the most part. But now he was working what felt like 24/7 on a manga his editor had insisted he draw. True, he was rapidly becoming one of the most acclaimed artists, but it was really cutting into his sitting around time.

Tenchi yawned and stretched, slipping a loose shirt over his head. He peered out the peep-hole to see a blue-haired woman, anxiously tapping her foot.

"S-Sasami? Is it Saturday already?" Tenchi asked the door, hesitating before he swung it open.

"Oh, Tenchi!" Sasami yelled and quickly locked him in a hug that had obviously been inherited from her mother, Misaki. Tenchi smiled, trying to breath. He ushered the young woman inside while receiving loathsome glares from his elderly neighbors.

Sasami plopped down on the couch, shaking her head when coffee was offered.

"No thanks, Niichan. I already had some with a frie-" Sasami stopped herself, but not before Tenchi had heard.

"Oh, so you have someone in the city, do you?" Tenchi asked mischievously.

"Um… sort of…" Sasami smiled and rubbed the back of her head nervously, a habit that had been picked up from Tenchi. "What are you up to lately?"

"I was promoted," Tenchi said, glad to be able to brag to someone. "I've now got my own manga and everything. But the hours are draining."

Sasami gave him a sympathetic look, studying his features as she did so. His smile was the same, but he had grown just as Sasami had. He was still handsome, if not more so than before. Sasami blushed slightly.

"Tenchi, have you talked to Mihoshi at all?" she asked, hinting at something. Tenchi realized that the simple question was going to run deeper, and very soon.

"No, I haven't, Sasami," he said, pouring a cup of coffee for himself.

"How about… Washu?" Sasami continued, innocent as ever.

"No," a sweat drop appeared. "They'd have told you if I had. I mean, they are still living with you, right?"

Sasami nodded. "How a-bout… Ryoko?" Sasami seemed to hold out the syllables in this sentence longer. She cut a sideways glance at Tenchi when she heard his cup fall to the floor.

"Oh my!" Sasami said, suppressing a grin as she praised her own cleverness. She bent down and helped Tenchi pick up the broken glass.

Sasami flinched a piece of glass slit her finger.

"That looks deep," Tenchi exclaimed, helping her to the sink as he held her bleeding hand in his. Wordlessly he rinsed it off, and after grabbing a towel he walked her over to the couch where he began busily tending to the wound.

Sasami stared at him. "You didn't answer my question," she pressed, forcing him to look into her deep magenta eyes.

Tenchi sighed. "I knew you'd ask me something like this. No, I haven't. But I have to move on, Sasami. I'm sorry, but our old life is over," as if on cue, a woman walked from the back bedroom, frantically pulling on her shoes with an unbuckled belt and a sock in her mouth.

"Tenchi, I'm late! Why didn't you wake me up!" she asked, ignoring Sasami as she pawed through a nearby drawer for her keys. Sasami gaped at the brunette.

"Oh, Izumi, this is Sasami. She's my great au… my niece. She's my niece," Tenchi stuttered. Obviously he had not told this woman about his Jurain heritage.

Sasami tried to mask the horror in her face as Izumi turned and flashed a welcoming smile. "Hello, Sasami," she said, still rummaging through the drawer. "Will you be staying with us?"

Sasami hesitated, not realizing she had been spoken to. "N-no. I have… a hotel."

"The hotels around here are not very clean. Please do stay with us," Izumi pleaded halfheartedly.

Sasami reconsidered, a plan beginning to take shape in her mind "Of course," she smiled sweetly. Izumi gave Sasami one last "nice to meet you" and kissed Tenchi on the cheek before running out the door. Tenchi turned to Sasami anxiously.

"What did you think of her?" he asked, making it more than obvious that her opinion meant a great deal to him.

"She's… nice."

Tenchi sighed. "Sasami, I can tell you're not happy. Please understand that I can't dwell on Ryoko and Ayeka forever."

Sasami took a deep breath. "You're right, Tenchi. But the three of you can't hold this grudge forever. Suppose you just… talk to them…" she probed.

A grim smile settled on Tenchi's face. "No," he said as though he was in mourning. "I can't talk with them. I'm sorry." Tenchi avoided Sasami's eyes just as Ryoko had.

This seemed to infuriate the princess. She stood up, waving an indignant finger at him. "You can't be the Tenchi I knew!" she yelled, poking him. Tenchi only shifted lazily. "The Tenchi I knew would never let any of his family go, especially not like this!"

"… Sasami…"

"I'm not finished!" Sasami's cheeks began to flush. "How… dare you treat Ryoko and Ayeka this way! How dare you ignore them like you never knew them!" For a moment Tenchi saw a hint of Ayeka's irrational temper flare up. "But most of, how dare you hurt them so much! You now how much they loved you," Sasami whimpered, concluding her speech. After an awkward silence she sat down, hiding her face in her palms as tears of anger began to flow.

"I know it's been hard for you, Sasami. To have your sister leave like that…" Tenchi placed a comforting arm around Sasami's shoulder.

"I want it back," she choked. "Is it so selfish to want my old life? I miss you… all of you."

"It's not self-" Tenchi was cut off as her words dawned on him. "Loved?" he croaked.

Sasami wiped a few of her tears away, slightly frustrated. "What?"

"You said 'how much they loved me.' What do you mean, loved?"

"You said you moved on. Why shouldn't they?"

"I know but… but…"

"'But' what? You don't expect them to dwell on it, do you?" Sasami knew she had hit a button.

"I-I'm… sorry. You're right. But I never really thought they'd stop… you know…" Tenchi calmed down a bit.

"You know, I didn't really ask Ryoko if she still did or not," she said mischievously. "Oops," Sasami giggled. Tenchi was so wrapped up with what she was saying he didn't notice the manner in which it was being said.

"You talked to her!? Is she here?" he asked frantically.

Sasami turned to him, a satisfied grin on her face. "Well, I did ask you if you'd talked to her, didn't I?" she said smugly.

"What!?" Tenchi faltered. "She's here? You didn't tell me! How was I to know? How do you know? Where is she!?" he asked in one breath, receiving a few barely hidden giggles from Sasami. For a moment he regained his scatterbrained nature.

"You could have just asked in the first place," she said calmly, leaning on her knees and cupping her chin in her hands. "Yes, she's here. She's been here all along, Tenchi."

Tenchi nearly passed out.

*

"Good morning, Princess!" one of the handmaids chimed cheerfully at the disgruntled Royalty, who stretched and scratched herself in a rather obscene place before she had time to realize she was doing so.

"Oh, hello, Audrea. Please let the bathhouse maids know I am ready, and then you are excused."

"Thank you, you're highness. You look lovely, you're highness."

"Yes… um… right," Ayeka noted Audrea's obvious attempts at a higher rank. "Very good. You may go."

The maid bowed out, mumbling compliments to the princess. The likes of whom only rolled her eyes as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Taking a deep breath, Ayeka let her dainty feet (for as you know, a princess's feet are always dainty, even if Jurains have larger than normal feet) hit the cold floor. She winced slightly as she tiptoed across it, making a mental note to tell her father she would prefer carpeting in her bedchambers.

Of course, this was unheard of. Carpeting was an Earthling invention, and to the Jurains it was considered unneeded. But after waking on Earth's cold winter mornings and not having to deal with freezing floors, Ayeka had grown accustomed to it. She suspected her Father would be more than eager to bend a few customs for his darling daughter.

A knock came from one of Ayeka's cavernous doors as it peeped open, revealing a palace messenger.

"A holo-message, for your highness," he bowed, blushing slightly at the sight of the princess in her nightgown. In his mind, the young boy began plotting how he would tell his friends that he had found the Princess scantily clad in her underwear… no make that naked. It was juicier that way.

"Yes, thank you," Ayeka snatched it from him, aggravated at being interrupted while she prepared for her bath. "You may leave."

Ayeka made her way to the large bathhouse connected to her chambers. Her nerves relaxed as the warm steam enveloped her.

As she slid into the bath, three maids approached, carrying expensive bath oils and soaps. One washed her hair as another scrubbed her feet. To the third, Ayeka said, "Play that message, would you, Seraphim?"

Wordlessly the maid pressed a little button on the contraption, activating it. An image of Sasami popped up, causing Ayeka to jerk away from the maids.

"Hello Neechan!" the tinny little recording of Sasami's voice chirped happily. Ayeka gazed at it; Sasami seemed so much older. She vaguely remembered begging the little child to come home with her to Jurai…

"Everything is going as well as to be expected around here. I miss you terribly, and want nothing more than to have you come and stay with me, if only for a week. I understand you would prefer not to see Lord Tenchi, so I propose that you come and see me in Tokyo, where I am staying." The message was suspiciously formal. One of Ayeka's eyebrow's raised. "If you would come as soon as you receive this message, we would have more time to be together. Meet me at…" Sasami went on to explain exact places and metro stations she could travel by, since Ayeka would have to land somewhere on the outskirts of Tokyo.

"Please leave," Ayeka said to her maids, who stared at her, perplexed. "I said go!" she shooed them along once more. This time they complied, to leave the troubled princess to dwell on her thoughts.

Earth. I haven't been there in so long. I would have forgotten, had Sasami not stayed. Perhaps it is not wise to go back. Certain… silly emotions may be stirred up again. But then again, what have I to lose? I have no current suitor, nor do I want one.

I will do it for Sasami.

*

Ryoko rolled over, yanking the sheets over herself and grumbling slightly. "You hog the covers, you know that?" she asked the darkness.

"'srry," came a muffled reply.

"You know, you could-" Ryoko was cut off by the phone ringing. She groaned more, cutting her eyes to the figure that lay behind her. "Guess I'll get it," she said resentfully.

"'ess so."

Ryoko made her way through the dark apartment, stumbling over an something-or-other. She tossed a few magazines aside, until she located a cordless phone.

"What dya want?" she asked, swearing that if it was a tele-marketer, she would make them think twice before calling her next time…

"Hello may I please speak with Ryoko," Sasami said, knowing good and well who she was speaking to.

"Hey Sasami. What's up? You know it's 2:00 in the morning, right? Some of us do have to work tomorrow," she said kindly but firmly.

"Tomorrow's Saturday," the sound of held breath on the other side of the phone reached Sasami.

"Well, you know. Times are hard and all that…"

"I thought you had a secret stash or something. You were a pira-" Ryoko cut her off.

"Look let's not talk about that! Besides, you actually think is stole Earth money? Sure, I'd be livin' large on Jurai and a few of it's sister planets, but other than that…"

"I understand, Ryoko. I wanted to know if you'd come and spend a week or so with me. I have a place in the city where we could stay… Washu might come," she added, hoping to persuade the demoness.

Ryoko bit her lip. She, for some strange reason, wanted to see Washu. And perhaps it was time… after all, she was family…

"Ok, Sasami. It'd be… nice to see you both again. Would Mihoshi and Ryo-oki be there?"

"Of course they will! I can't wait! Meet me at the bus stop around Ohamiya Station tomorrow at three," Sasami instructed.

"Oh, and would you mind if I brought someone?"

"Not at all!"

Ryoko smiled softly. "See ya there," she waited till she heard the "click" before hanging up.

"Who was dat?" a voice yelled curiously from the bedroom.

"Just some old friends," Ryoko said quietly.

* * *

Author's Note: Right then. If you've guessed, this is going to be an angst filled fic. It's my first one so be nice. I'll be updating VERY soon! Comments or suggestions?