Hello. This is my absolute first attempt at a fanfic, so please be gentle.
I ask that you please keep in mind that this is just the first chapter, so
if it seems dry, just be a little patient. I have a big story to tell and
I just cannot get right into the thick of it until I lay out the
foundation. So sit back and enjoy and of course and C&C is welcome.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Misguided Destiny: A Tale of the Heart
By KajiSan
Usual disclaimer: All characters belong to AIC and Pioneer Entertainment. So please don't sue me! :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: Reality Bites
The room was still rather dark from the previous night. The clock did say it was already 8:00 in the morning, but Tenchi Masaki decided to stay in bed this time rather than to get up and start his daily chores at the Masaki shrine. He can see that the morning sun was trying to make it's way into the dimly lit room, but the window shades were blocking most of the attempts at its entry. But even if it did, Tenchi had his head buried in the pillows so that even the brightest light could not get through to him.
He lay there half conscious with one side of him still in dreamland and the other side awake to reality. No! He did not want to go back to his reality! The real world has done nothing recently to help neither him nor his badly broken heart. No. He wanted to go back to his dreamland. The place where he is happy. The place where he would much rather be. The place where SHE is alive and well.
"Sakuya.." whispered Tenchi in a barely audible voice.
The events took place only a few weeks ago. The events that exposed Sakuya for who she really was - just a shadow of a girl manipulated by an evil being. This "shadow" did in fact have honest feelings, but was not a real person. It was this "shadow" that was the first "being" that truly stole Tenchi's heart. But, in the end, she wasn't for real. And when the shadow dissipated, it seemed that Tenchi's heart did as well.
A pain shot through his heart as an image of Sakuya popped into his mind. She was looking at him with those deep brown eyes and had that smile that made his legs turn to jello. He knew that he was in love. But then his consciousness shifted from dreamland to reality again. The pain he felt was real. This was for real. She was gone.
"Sakuya.."
Tenchi muttered her name again, this time a little louder. He closed his eyes as a single tear started to roll across his face. This had become a far too familiar event for him. How many tears has he shed for her these past few weeks? He probably could've filled an entire river by now with all those tears. It seemed that the pain would just not go away. And with it just came more tears. When it hit the pillow, he could feel that it was wet. He knew he had been crying again in his sleep. He closed his eyes even tighter this time and more and more images of her continued to pop into his head. Sakuya smiling, laughing, even one of them kissing. He couldn't take it anymore! He turned and buried his face in a pillow.
"Sakuya!!!!"
This time, the scream was VERY audible. Even though he faced into a pillow, the sound was heard throughout the house. Everyone heard it.
In the kitchen, Sasami was cooking breakfast when she heard Tenchi's scream. "Oh Tenchi," she said to herself with a very worried tone. The past few weeks was breaking not only Tenchi's heart, but also that of Sasami. She could not bear to see Tenchi like this. He thought of him an older brother who she constantly relied on for support. Now, seeing him like this after he had lost his true love, it was hard for her to bear it as well. If there was only something she could do to help him. But, she knew that there was nothing she could do, but be there for him. He had to get over her. She was gone. She helped by trying to keep his mind off of her. But mornings were always like this. He was left to the mercy of his dreams and imagination. And both of them always lead to one person.
"SAKUYA!!!!"
His cry was once again heard throughout the house. This time however, Sasami heard several footsteps approaching.
"TENCHI!!" cried two voices in unison. It wasn't very long before Ayeka and Ryoko were both clawing at each other for the lead in the race to Tenchi's room. As they made their way towards his room, the two girls just kept grabbing at each other trying to pull themselves in front of the other. This see-saw battle kept repeating itself over and over until finally they reached Tenchi's room. But both cannot enter the room together as the doorway was not hat large.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU HUSSY!!" cried Ayeka as she kept trying to make her way into Tenchi's room while at the same time trying to shove Ryoko out.
"I GOT HERE FIRST, YOU LITTLE PRISSY!!" replied Ryoko also trying to make her way into the room.
As they continued to struggle with each other, Ryo-Ohki, the little cat- rabbit bounded over them and leapt onto Tenchi's bed.
"M-meow," purred the cute little creature as she gently laid her paw onto Tenchi's damp cheek. A look of obvious sadness and concern was painted onto Ryo-Ohki's face. Still crying, Tenchi could feel the soft paw on his cheek. Obviously knowing who it was, he slowly opened his eyes to great the lovable creature.
"Ryo-Ohki." murmured Tenchi as he finally stopped sobbing. A small smile started to appear on Ryo-Ohki's face as Tenchi finally awoke into reality. It was very comforting for him to see the cute little cabbit smiling at him after he had another very rough night. He sat up and patted the little fella on the head.
"Are you alright, Tenchi?" asked Ayeka as the two girls stopped fighting as soon as they saw Tenchi was up.
"Yeah, we heard you scream again from the other side of the house!" added Ryoko. She added a quick little punch to Ayeka as she asked this.
"OOF! Why you little." started Ayeka as she was ready to retaliate.
"Please stop, you two!" shouted a voice from the hallway. "Tenchi does NOT need to see the two of you fighting again first thing in the morning." Sasami walked between the both of them with a tray of food and proceeded to Tenchi's bed. "I heard you screaming again, so I thought it would help feel better if I brought you your breakfast in bed, Tenchi."
Sasami's smile was something that Tenchi could never ignore. No matter how bad he was feeling, seeing the little girl smile before him temporarily made him forget about Sakuya. A small smile crept onto his face as he turned to his attention to the wonderful breakfast that Sasami had prepared from him.
"Thank you, Sasami," replied Tenchi as he sat up some more and started to eat.
"You're welcome, Tenchi," Sasami answered. "I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will, "Tenchi said with an even bigger smile this time.
Sasami returned the smile before she turned to leave. On the way, she shuffled the other two troublemakers out with her. "Tenchi does NOT need the both of you fighting to start off his morning! Now leave!!" She pushed Ayeka and Ryoko out of the room before she turned back to Tenchi. "If you need anything, just let us know. C'mon Ryo-Ohki."
"Me-ow," replied the little creature as she bounced off of Tenchi's bed and out of the door. Sasami followed and shut the door behind her.
Tenchi smiled softly as everyone left. He looked at the food and started to eat. He was happy that he had all of these people to help him through this very difficult time. "Thanks, Sasami," he said to himself. He started to chuckle a little at the thought of Ayeka and Ryoko squabbling. Sure, it got a little aggravating after a while, but he knew that their hearts were in the right places.
Back in the kitchen, Ayeka and Ryoko were continuing their argument. Now that Tenchi was not around to witness them, they let it all out!
"IF YOU WEREN'T THERE, TENCHI WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN UPSET!" screamed Ayeka.
"OH, SO IT'S MY FAULT! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WAS ABOUT TO START ARGUING AGAIN AFTER TENCHI WOKE UP!" replied Ryoko.
"That was because YOU socked me one!" Ayeka said with her blood starting to boil.
"Hey, I was just stretching!" Ryoko said trying to sound innocent. "It was an accident!"
"Accident?!?" cried an appalled Ayeka. "Accident my a."
"THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!!!" scolded Sasami as she walked into the kitchen. Apparently her presence was enough for Ayeka to hold her tongue. "Do you two always have to argue when it comes to Tenchi?"
Ryoko jumped at the opportunity to tease Ayeka. "Well, if little princess over here would just get out of the way, I could have been there to console Tenchi myself. After all, a mature woman like myself is probably what Tenchi needs right now - not a spoiled, self-absorbed little wench like Ayeka!" Ryoko snided that last part and sneered at Ayeka.
"W-What did you just call me?!?!" asked Ayeka in complete shock! Even Sasami looked up from her work after Ryoko said what she said. "You take that back right now, you barbaric slut! I am NOT a wench!!"
Ryoko just turned away and smiled. "Truth hurts, doesn't it, princess"
You can hear Ayeka's teeth grinding now. "Why you little.!!" But then suddenly, she calmed down. "Sorry for loosing my cool a bit back there. I must set an example for the barbarians in our audience. After all, I know Tenchi would want a civilized woman to be with and console him, rather than some ravaging animal with no respect for herself. Tenchi is an educated man and needs someone on HIS level of intellect. Of course he doesn't want someone who would throw herself at him in pure lust. Oh, no. Tenchi would much rather prefer the company of a calm and demure woman would can satisfy his mind and heart before getting into his pants!" Ayeka then continued with one eyes open toward Ryoko, ".unlike some whore that we all know!"
Ryoko glared are Ayeka in a rage. "Why you little." They both glared at each other with sparks flying and teeth grinding. It seems like a nuclear bomb was ready to explode in the Masaki home - until someone else walked into the room.
"Good morning, ladies," said a very mature and calm voice. Everyone turned to face and bow to the patriarch of the Masaki home.
"Good morning, grandfather," replied Sasami. "Breakfast is almost ready. I had to prepare a special one for Tenchi as he had another rough night. I thought it would be good for him to have breakfast in bed." She then bowed deeply to him. "Please accept my apologies for not having the food ready yet."
Katsuhito Masaki smiled. "No need to apologize, Sasami. After all of the work you do here in this home, it is US who should be thankful to YOU. You are very helpful to us here in our home. I only wish that some other people can be as helpful as you, Sasami." He then cast a quick glance over at Ayeka and Ryoko who quickly forgot about each other and their argument as soon as the Masaki elder entered the room.
"Er..," squirmed both girls. After feeling ashamed for a moment, bother girls started to leave to room in search for something to do around the house to be helpful. "Please excuse us. We have work to do before breakfast," they both said in unison as they left the kitchen.
Sasami chuckled as the two girls left feeling quite embarrassed. Katsuhito just smiled. "So, how is my grandson doing this morning?" he asked Sasami. "I heard him screaming again."
Sasami sighed. "He's still thinking about Sakuya. I noticed his eyes were red again this morning - probably from crying again." Sasami looked up at Katsuhito. "Grandpa, I'm worried about Tenchi."
Katsuhito closed his eyes and nodded. "Indeed. I knew Tenchi was very much in love with Sakuya. I will NEVER forgive Yuugi for what he did to my grandson - not to mention how he toyed with the being we had all come to know as Sakuya."
"But what can we do now to help Tenchi," asked Sasami. She had that look in her eye that no mortal can resist - not even Katsuhito.
"We can only be there to help him through this very difficult time," was all he could say to her. "We've got to do what ever we can to distract him away from feeling sad. Although we must not forgot that we cannot make him just forget about Sakuya."
Sasami was confused. "I don't understand, Grandpa."
Facing Sasami, Katsuhito replied, "Sakuya will always be a part of him. Although she is no longer with us, her memory will always be alive in Tenchi's heart. Yes, he is very sad now that she is gone, but there will always be a spot for her in his heart. You must agree with me when I say that the Tenchi that we have now, Sakuya is definitely and always will be a part of him. She will help him grow more mentally." He paused before concluding, "We must not help him FORGET about Sakuya. One the contrary, we must help him get over Sakuya and move on."
Sasami then understood. Sakuya helped Tenchi to realize that he can truly love someone. Up until he had met her, he never really did "love" anyone in that way. Sure Ayeka and Ryoko were around who were always pining over him. But never has HE really pursued anyone - let alone loving them. If anything, Sakuya helped Tenchi realize that he has a heart capable of loving someone truly and deeply. Unfortunately, Sakuya is gone, but the love in his heart is still there, waiting to be released. Right now, it seems that only Sakuya is the only girl that Tenchi is willing to give all of the love to. But, now everyone must help him get over Sakuya, so that one day, he may once again be able to share all of the love with someone. Sasami was determined to help Tenchi through this. "You're right, Grandpa," she answered.
Up in his room, Tenchi set down the tray of dishes onto the floor near the door. "That was a very tasty breakfast," he said to himself. "I've got to remember to thank Sasami."
He went over to his dresser to find some clothes he can change into after he took a shower. He noticed a little picture frame on the top. It was of him and Sakuya during one of their dates. Once again, he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He started thinking about all the good times they had again. "What am I going to do now, Sakuya?" he sobbed. ".now that you're gone."
Outside his room, Sasami walked toward the closed door to Tenchi's bedroom. She could hear Tenchi crying again before she opened the door. "Oh, Tenchi." she murmured. "You've got to get over her and I'm gonna help you!" She perked up and had a look of determination on her face. She was gonna do whatever it takes to help Tenchi move on. She faced the door and knocked before entering. "Tenchi."
The young Masaki boy heard the knock shortly followed by Sasami's voice. "Oh no!" he said to himself. "Stop crying! You must not let Sasami see you like this." He had this strong feeling inside him that he should be a strong figure for Sasami to look up to. What would she think if he let her see him still sobbing over a girl? This morning was bad enough. He was determined to be "strong" for Sasami. Drying off the tears on his face with his arm, he answered her, "Sasami. Hang on a sec, ok?"
"Ok," she replied. She could hear rummaging and Tenchi moving around for about a minute before he finally came to opening the door. He was dressed in sweat pants and an old T-shirt - quite obvious he just got up and didn't take a shower yet.
"Good morning, Sasami," he said. Remembering the meal that she prepared for him, he thanked, "Oh, thank you for the delicious breakfast you prepared for me."
"You're welcome, Tenchi," answered Sasami. "Anytime."
Feeling a little over-pampered, Tenchi apologized, "You didn't have to go through all that trouble preparing breakfast for me in bed you know. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you in any way." He bowed to her in apology.
Seeing and hearing this, Sasami was shocked. "Oh, no. I don't mind at all!" she replied. "In fact, I LOVED doing it for you."
"Well, in that case," said Tenchi. ".thank you very much. I was a DELICIOUS breakfast. Please allow me to at least do something for you." He went back into his room and grabbed the tray of dishes from the floor. He made his way to the kitchen with Sasami in tow. He put them into the sink and started to Wash them. Sasami quickly went up the sink.
"Oh, no, Tenchi," she said. "Let me. You've had a rough morning as it is." She tried to make her way to the dirty dishes to clean them.
Tenchi then dwelled a bit on those words. ".you've had a rough morning as it is." An image of Sakuya washing the dishes at his apartment entered his mind. It was very similar to Sasami washing the dishes right now in front of him.
"Are you sure, Sasami," he said. "At least let me wash the dishes after you have prepared such a wonderful meal for me." He again thought about that image in his mind - for those were the exact same words he had said to Sakuya when she was washing the dishes at his place.
"Tenchi, I insist," was what Sasami replied. "No go into the living room and relax while I finish up in here."
He obliged and took his leave of the kitchen. He made his way into the living room were he found his father, Nobuyuki. He was relaxing on the couch before he was ready to go off to work. "Ah, Tenchi, m'boy," he said as Tenchi walked in and sat on the couch. "I heard you were screaming Sakuya's name again last night."
"Yeah, I was," Tenchi replied. "I just can't seem to forgot about her, dad."
"I know the feeling, son," answered Nobuyuki. "I don't think I'll ever get the image of you mother out of my head for the rest of my life. But you know son, unlike me, you still got you're whole life ahead of you. You gotta somehow find a way to get outta this funk. Now, I know I never really got to know Sakuya, but son, she's just one girl - one girl in this whole ocean full of 'em!!"
You can see the ire build up in Tenchi as his father was saying all of this. How dare he call Sakuya "just one girl." He had cared about, no, LOVED this girl with all of his heart. He realizes that just like him, his father lost the one true love of his life as well. How can he be so callous at a time like this. He thought for sure his father would know exactly how he was feeling and would know what and what NOT to say. Before Tenchi could think about a response, his father got up.
"Ok, Tenchi," said Nobuyuki. "I gotta head off to work. I hope that you feel better today. If you need anything, do hesitate to call me - even at work, ok?"
"Ok, dad," replied Tenchi. "Thanks. Have fun at work."
Nobuyuki sneered. "Fun? At work? You're joking, right?" He walked out the door and waved goodbye.
Tenchi waved as well. He was still a bit miffed at what his father just said. Oh well. You can't blame him. After all, nowadays, he just seems like a dirty old man especially when Ryoko walks around the house half- naked and all. Maybe it was his way of trying to cope with the loss of his wife. His thoughts were interrupted as Sasami came bounding into the living room.
"Did I just miss Father leaving for work, Tenchi?" She asked.
"Yes, you did, Sasami," replied Tenchi.
"Oh," Sasami sighed. "I'll make it up to him with a nice dinner tonight." She then turned to Tenchi. "You should be getting ready too, you know. Grandpa is waiting for you at the shrine."
"Oh yeah," said Tenchi as he stood up. "I'd better get ready before Grandpa gets mad." He started to make his way back to his room. "Thanks again for breakfast, Sasami."
"Anytime." Sasami was thinking of what else she can do to help Tenchi get over the late Sakuya. She couldn't stand to see him like that every morning. No. Tenchi deserved better! And she was determined to do whatever she can. "Don't worry, Tenchi-niichan1," she thought to herself. "I'll help you get through this if it's the last thing I do." Determined, she went off to her room to think of what she can do.
----------------------------------------
1 oniichan - older brother-type person
Ok, I know I really didn't touch on much of the main plot yet, but, what do you think so far? It's gonna get better, I promise. I already have most of the plot in my head.. It's just a matter for getting it on paper, or in this case, the word processor.
R/R and C/C please.. Thanks!! :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Misguided Destiny: A Tale of the Heart
By KajiSan
Usual disclaimer: All characters belong to AIC and Pioneer Entertainment. So please don't sue me! :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: Reality Bites
The room was still rather dark from the previous night. The clock did say it was already 8:00 in the morning, but Tenchi Masaki decided to stay in bed this time rather than to get up and start his daily chores at the Masaki shrine. He can see that the morning sun was trying to make it's way into the dimly lit room, but the window shades were blocking most of the attempts at its entry. But even if it did, Tenchi had his head buried in the pillows so that even the brightest light could not get through to him.
He lay there half conscious with one side of him still in dreamland and the other side awake to reality. No! He did not want to go back to his reality! The real world has done nothing recently to help neither him nor his badly broken heart. No. He wanted to go back to his dreamland. The place where he is happy. The place where he would much rather be. The place where SHE is alive and well.
"Sakuya.." whispered Tenchi in a barely audible voice.
The events took place only a few weeks ago. The events that exposed Sakuya for who she really was - just a shadow of a girl manipulated by an evil being. This "shadow" did in fact have honest feelings, but was not a real person. It was this "shadow" that was the first "being" that truly stole Tenchi's heart. But, in the end, she wasn't for real. And when the shadow dissipated, it seemed that Tenchi's heart did as well.
A pain shot through his heart as an image of Sakuya popped into his mind. She was looking at him with those deep brown eyes and had that smile that made his legs turn to jello. He knew that he was in love. But then his consciousness shifted from dreamland to reality again. The pain he felt was real. This was for real. She was gone.
"Sakuya.."
Tenchi muttered her name again, this time a little louder. He closed his eyes as a single tear started to roll across his face. This had become a far too familiar event for him. How many tears has he shed for her these past few weeks? He probably could've filled an entire river by now with all those tears. It seemed that the pain would just not go away. And with it just came more tears. When it hit the pillow, he could feel that it was wet. He knew he had been crying again in his sleep. He closed his eyes even tighter this time and more and more images of her continued to pop into his head. Sakuya smiling, laughing, even one of them kissing. He couldn't take it anymore! He turned and buried his face in a pillow.
"Sakuya!!!!"
This time, the scream was VERY audible. Even though he faced into a pillow, the sound was heard throughout the house. Everyone heard it.
In the kitchen, Sasami was cooking breakfast when she heard Tenchi's scream. "Oh Tenchi," she said to herself with a very worried tone. The past few weeks was breaking not only Tenchi's heart, but also that of Sasami. She could not bear to see Tenchi like this. He thought of him an older brother who she constantly relied on for support. Now, seeing him like this after he had lost his true love, it was hard for her to bear it as well. If there was only something she could do to help him. But, she knew that there was nothing she could do, but be there for him. He had to get over her. She was gone. She helped by trying to keep his mind off of her. But mornings were always like this. He was left to the mercy of his dreams and imagination. And both of them always lead to one person.
"SAKUYA!!!!"
His cry was once again heard throughout the house. This time however, Sasami heard several footsteps approaching.
"TENCHI!!" cried two voices in unison. It wasn't very long before Ayeka and Ryoko were both clawing at each other for the lead in the race to Tenchi's room. As they made their way towards his room, the two girls just kept grabbing at each other trying to pull themselves in front of the other. This see-saw battle kept repeating itself over and over until finally they reached Tenchi's room. But both cannot enter the room together as the doorway was not hat large.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU HUSSY!!" cried Ayeka as she kept trying to make her way into Tenchi's room while at the same time trying to shove Ryoko out.
"I GOT HERE FIRST, YOU LITTLE PRISSY!!" replied Ryoko also trying to make her way into the room.
As they continued to struggle with each other, Ryo-Ohki, the little cat- rabbit bounded over them and leapt onto Tenchi's bed.
"M-meow," purred the cute little creature as she gently laid her paw onto Tenchi's damp cheek. A look of obvious sadness and concern was painted onto Ryo-Ohki's face. Still crying, Tenchi could feel the soft paw on his cheek. Obviously knowing who it was, he slowly opened his eyes to great the lovable creature.
"Ryo-Ohki." murmured Tenchi as he finally stopped sobbing. A small smile started to appear on Ryo-Ohki's face as Tenchi finally awoke into reality. It was very comforting for him to see the cute little cabbit smiling at him after he had another very rough night. He sat up and patted the little fella on the head.
"Are you alright, Tenchi?" asked Ayeka as the two girls stopped fighting as soon as they saw Tenchi was up.
"Yeah, we heard you scream again from the other side of the house!" added Ryoko. She added a quick little punch to Ayeka as she asked this.
"OOF! Why you little." started Ayeka as she was ready to retaliate.
"Please stop, you two!" shouted a voice from the hallway. "Tenchi does NOT need to see the two of you fighting again first thing in the morning." Sasami walked between the both of them with a tray of food and proceeded to Tenchi's bed. "I heard you screaming again, so I thought it would help feel better if I brought you your breakfast in bed, Tenchi."
Sasami's smile was something that Tenchi could never ignore. No matter how bad he was feeling, seeing the little girl smile before him temporarily made him forget about Sakuya. A small smile crept onto his face as he turned to his attention to the wonderful breakfast that Sasami had prepared from him.
"Thank you, Sasami," replied Tenchi as he sat up some more and started to eat.
"You're welcome, Tenchi," Sasami answered. "I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will, "Tenchi said with an even bigger smile this time.
Sasami returned the smile before she turned to leave. On the way, she shuffled the other two troublemakers out with her. "Tenchi does NOT need the both of you fighting to start off his morning! Now leave!!" She pushed Ayeka and Ryoko out of the room before she turned back to Tenchi. "If you need anything, just let us know. C'mon Ryo-Ohki."
"Me-ow," replied the little creature as she bounced off of Tenchi's bed and out of the door. Sasami followed and shut the door behind her.
Tenchi smiled softly as everyone left. He looked at the food and started to eat. He was happy that he had all of these people to help him through this very difficult time. "Thanks, Sasami," he said to himself. He started to chuckle a little at the thought of Ayeka and Ryoko squabbling. Sure, it got a little aggravating after a while, but he knew that their hearts were in the right places.
Back in the kitchen, Ayeka and Ryoko were continuing their argument. Now that Tenchi was not around to witness them, they let it all out!
"IF YOU WEREN'T THERE, TENCHI WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN UPSET!" screamed Ayeka.
"OH, SO IT'S MY FAULT! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WAS ABOUT TO START ARGUING AGAIN AFTER TENCHI WOKE UP!" replied Ryoko.
"That was because YOU socked me one!" Ayeka said with her blood starting to boil.
"Hey, I was just stretching!" Ryoko said trying to sound innocent. "It was an accident!"
"Accident?!?" cried an appalled Ayeka. "Accident my a."
"THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!!!" scolded Sasami as she walked into the kitchen. Apparently her presence was enough for Ayeka to hold her tongue. "Do you two always have to argue when it comes to Tenchi?"
Ryoko jumped at the opportunity to tease Ayeka. "Well, if little princess over here would just get out of the way, I could have been there to console Tenchi myself. After all, a mature woman like myself is probably what Tenchi needs right now - not a spoiled, self-absorbed little wench like Ayeka!" Ryoko snided that last part and sneered at Ayeka.
"W-What did you just call me?!?!" asked Ayeka in complete shock! Even Sasami looked up from her work after Ryoko said what she said. "You take that back right now, you barbaric slut! I am NOT a wench!!"
Ryoko just turned away and smiled. "Truth hurts, doesn't it, princess"
You can hear Ayeka's teeth grinding now. "Why you little.!!" But then suddenly, she calmed down. "Sorry for loosing my cool a bit back there. I must set an example for the barbarians in our audience. After all, I know Tenchi would want a civilized woman to be with and console him, rather than some ravaging animal with no respect for herself. Tenchi is an educated man and needs someone on HIS level of intellect. Of course he doesn't want someone who would throw herself at him in pure lust. Oh, no. Tenchi would much rather prefer the company of a calm and demure woman would can satisfy his mind and heart before getting into his pants!" Ayeka then continued with one eyes open toward Ryoko, ".unlike some whore that we all know!"
Ryoko glared are Ayeka in a rage. "Why you little." They both glared at each other with sparks flying and teeth grinding. It seems like a nuclear bomb was ready to explode in the Masaki home - until someone else walked into the room.
"Good morning, ladies," said a very mature and calm voice. Everyone turned to face and bow to the patriarch of the Masaki home.
"Good morning, grandfather," replied Sasami. "Breakfast is almost ready. I had to prepare a special one for Tenchi as he had another rough night. I thought it would be good for him to have breakfast in bed." She then bowed deeply to him. "Please accept my apologies for not having the food ready yet."
Katsuhito Masaki smiled. "No need to apologize, Sasami. After all of the work you do here in this home, it is US who should be thankful to YOU. You are very helpful to us here in our home. I only wish that some other people can be as helpful as you, Sasami." He then cast a quick glance over at Ayeka and Ryoko who quickly forgot about each other and their argument as soon as the Masaki elder entered the room.
"Er..," squirmed both girls. After feeling ashamed for a moment, bother girls started to leave to room in search for something to do around the house to be helpful. "Please excuse us. We have work to do before breakfast," they both said in unison as they left the kitchen.
Sasami chuckled as the two girls left feeling quite embarrassed. Katsuhito just smiled. "So, how is my grandson doing this morning?" he asked Sasami. "I heard him screaming again."
Sasami sighed. "He's still thinking about Sakuya. I noticed his eyes were red again this morning - probably from crying again." Sasami looked up at Katsuhito. "Grandpa, I'm worried about Tenchi."
Katsuhito closed his eyes and nodded. "Indeed. I knew Tenchi was very much in love with Sakuya. I will NEVER forgive Yuugi for what he did to my grandson - not to mention how he toyed with the being we had all come to know as Sakuya."
"But what can we do now to help Tenchi," asked Sasami. She had that look in her eye that no mortal can resist - not even Katsuhito.
"We can only be there to help him through this very difficult time," was all he could say to her. "We've got to do what ever we can to distract him away from feeling sad. Although we must not forgot that we cannot make him just forget about Sakuya."
Sasami was confused. "I don't understand, Grandpa."
Facing Sasami, Katsuhito replied, "Sakuya will always be a part of him. Although she is no longer with us, her memory will always be alive in Tenchi's heart. Yes, he is very sad now that she is gone, but there will always be a spot for her in his heart. You must agree with me when I say that the Tenchi that we have now, Sakuya is definitely and always will be a part of him. She will help him grow more mentally." He paused before concluding, "We must not help him FORGET about Sakuya. One the contrary, we must help him get over Sakuya and move on."
Sasami then understood. Sakuya helped Tenchi to realize that he can truly love someone. Up until he had met her, he never really did "love" anyone in that way. Sure Ayeka and Ryoko were around who were always pining over him. But never has HE really pursued anyone - let alone loving them. If anything, Sakuya helped Tenchi realize that he has a heart capable of loving someone truly and deeply. Unfortunately, Sakuya is gone, but the love in his heart is still there, waiting to be released. Right now, it seems that only Sakuya is the only girl that Tenchi is willing to give all of the love to. But, now everyone must help him get over Sakuya, so that one day, he may once again be able to share all of the love with someone. Sasami was determined to help Tenchi through this. "You're right, Grandpa," she answered.
Up in his room, Tenchi set down the tray of dishes onto the floor near the door. "That was a very tasty breakfast," he said to himself. "I've got to remember to thank Sasami."
He went over to his dresser to find some clothes he can change into after he took a shower. He noticed a little picture frame on the top. It was of him and Sakuya during one of their dates. Once again, he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He started thinking about all the good times they had again. "What am I going to do now, Sakuya?" he sobbed. ".now that you're gone."
Outside his room, Sasami walked toward the closed door to Tenchi's bedroom. She could hear Tenchi crying again before she opened the door. "Oh, Tenchi." she murmured. "You've got to get over her and I'm gonna help you!" She perked up and had a look of determination on her face. She was gonna do whatever it takes to help Tenchi move on. She faced the door and knocked before entering. "Tenchi."
The young Masaki boy heard the knock shortly followed by Sasami's voice. "Oh no!" he said to himself. "Stop crying! You must not let Sasami see you like this." He had this strong feeling inside him that he should be a strong figure for Sasami to look up to. What would she think if he let her see him still sobbing over a girl? This morning was bad enough. He was determined to be "strong" for Sasami. Drying off the tears on his face with his arm, he answered her, "Sasami. Hang on a sec, ok?"
"Ok," she replied. She could hear rummaging and Tenchi moving around for about a minute before he finally came to opening the door. He was dressed in sweat pants and an old T-shirt - quite obvious he just got up and didn't take a shower yet.
"Good morning, Sasami," he said. Remembering the meal that she prepared for him, he thanked, "Oh, thank you for the delicious breakfast you prepared for me."
"You're welcome, Tenchi," answered Sasami. "Anytime."
Feeling a little over-pampered, Tenchi apologized, "You didn't have to go through all that trouble preparing breakfast for me in bed you know. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you in any way." He bowed to her in apology.
Seeing and hearing this, Sasami was shocked. "Oh, no. I don't mind at all!" she replied. "In fact, I LOVED doing it for you."
"Well, in that case," said Tenchi. ".thank you very much. I was a DELICIOUS breakfast. Please allow me to at least do something for you." He went back into his room and grabbed the tray of dishes from the floor. He made his way to the kitchen with Sasami in tow. He put them into the sink and started to Wash them. Sasami quickly went up the sink.
"Oh, no, Tenchi," she said. "Let me. You've had a rough morning as it is." She tried to make her way to the dirty dishes to clean them.
Tenchi then dwelled a bit on those words. ".you've had a rough morning as it is." An image of Sakuya washing the dishes at his apartment entered his mind. It was very similar to Sasami washing the dishes right now in front of him.
"Are you sure, Sasami," he said. "At least let me wash the dishes after you have prepared such a wonderful meal for me." He again thought about that image in his mind - for those were the exact same words he had said to Sakuya when she was washing the dishes at his place.
"Tenchi, I insist," was what Sasami replied. "No go into the living room and relax while I finish up in here."
He obliged and took his leave of the kitchen. He made his way into the living room were he found his father, Nobuyuki. He was relaxing on the couch before he was ready to go off to work. "Ah, Tenchi, m'boy," he said as Tenchi walked in and sat on the couch. "I heard you were screaming Sakuya's name again last night."
"Yeah, I was," Tenchi replied. "I just can't seem to forgot about her, dad."
"I know the feeling, son," answered Nobuyuki. "I don't think I'll ever get the image of you mother out of my head for the rest of my life. But you know son, unlike me, you still got you're whole life ahead of you. You gotta somehow find a way to get outta this funk. Now, I know I never really got to know Sakuya, but son, she's just one girl - one girl in this whole ocean full of 'em!!"
You can see the ire build up in Tenchi as his father was saying all of this. How dare he call Sakuya "just one girl." He had cared about, no, LOVED this girl with all of his heart. He realizes that just like him, his father lost the one true love of his life as well. How can he be so callous at a time like this. He thought for sure his father would know exactly how he was feeling and would know what and what NOT to say. Before Tenchi could think about a response, his father got up.
"Ok, Tenchi," said Nobuyuki. "I gotta head off to work. I hope that you feel better today. If you need anything, do hesitate to call me - even at work, ok?"
"Ok, dad," replied Tenchi. "Thanks. Have fun at work."
Nobuyuki sneered. "Fun? At work? You're joking, right?" He walked out the door and waved goodbye.
Tenchi waved as well. He was still a bit miffed at what his father just said. Oh well. You can't blame him. After all, nowadays, he just seems like a dirty old man especially when Ryoko walks around the house half- naked and all. Maybe it was his way of trying to cope with the loss of his wife. His thoughts were interrupted as Sasami came bounding into the living room.
"Did I just miss Father leaving for work, Tenchi?" She asked.
"Yes, you did, Sasami," replied Tenchi.
"Oh," Sasami sighed. "I'll make it up to him with a nice dinner tonight." She then turned to Tenchi. "You should be getting ready too, you know. Grandpa is waiting for you at the shrine."
"Oh yeah," said Tenchi as he stood up. "I'd better get ready before Grandpa gets mad." He started to make his way back to his room. "Thanks again for breakfast, Sasami."
"Anytime." Sasami was thinking of what else she can do to help Tenchi get over the late Sakuya. She couldn't stand to see him like that every morning. No. Tenchi deserved better! And she was determined to do whatever she can. "Don't worry, Tenchi-niichan1," she thought to herself. "I'll help you get through this if it's the last thing I do." Determined, she went off to her room to think of what she can do.
----------------------------------------
1 oniichan - older brother-type person
Ok, I know I really didn't touch on much of the main plot yet, but, what do you think so far? It's gonna get better, I promise. I already have most of the plot in my head.. It's just a matter for getting it on paper, or in this case, the word processor.
R/R and C/C please.. Thanks!! :-)