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Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki trademarks and related indicia are property of AIC and Pionner Entertainment. This work is not done for profit, and I do not own the series.
Author Notes: This fic is based on the OVA continuity. If you read any of my other stories you know the drill. Review. That's all I'm asking for so just leave a word for me ok? I wrote this fic some time ago, I guess it's a little introspection on Aeka & Tenchi. It's short so just read it and you'll find out.
*…* Thoughts
"…" Talk
//...\\ Mind Link
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Tenchi stood in front of the door leading to Aeka's room. He hated the thought of doing it, because he knew she would be hurt, but he knew it would be worse if he tried to hide it. All this time it had come down to this. The girls knew that he would have to choose someday, and that the choice would most probably be down to Aeka and Ryoko.
Tenchi sighed and racked his fingers through his hair pleading that something – somebody would give him courage. Finally summoning the little strenghth he managed to aquire he knocked on the door softly. At once, as if Aeka had been waiting for him to come, the door dashed open.
"Lord Tenchi!" She said her voice cheerful, her eyes tinted with a purplish tinge shone as if a little magic had dropped into them just because she saw him standing there. Tenchi noticed the way she stood, regal and royal, yet strangely calm and sincerely gentle. Then he had to suppress a chuckle as he thought of how she could somehow turn into a different person when she was angered.
"Aeka" Tenchi said, the only word he could muster at the time. He had rehearsed for days how he would break the news to her, yet he had forgotten it all when he saw her standing there, so sincerely cheerful.
Aeka frowned a little at the expression he was carrying. He looked as though something was weighting down on him. She decided to probe a little "Did you need something, Lord Tenchi?"
Tenchi nodded. "Could I have a word with you Aeka?" He asked slowly, hesitation slowing his words.
Aeka smiled. "Sure Lord Tenchi, come in" She said as she opened the door and waved him in.
After he was inside Aeka invited him to sit in one of the two chairs that were placed next to a small wooden table in front of a window. The window had a beautiful view of the mountains of Okayama and a little of the lake in front of the Masaki house. The sun glistened off the surface and the light was reflected into the small bedroom.
Aeka noticed that Tenchi was unusually quiet. Sure, he was shy, but today he looked downright shut off. "Tenchi, is there something wrong?"
Tenchi faced her and shook her head. Then he took up of her offer and sat on one of the chairs. Aeka followed suit and soon she was staring out the window, thinking that maybe if she wasnt looking at him, Tenchi would feel a little more relaxed. She sneaked a glance at him and saw that he was looking out the window also.
A few seconds after that Tenchi finally spoke.
"A-Aeka I have to tell you something"
Aeka, now feeling a little too much hesitation responded, "Oh my, it sounds serious"
"Unfortunately... it is" Tenchi said sighing. *This is it...* he thought grimly *No turning back now...*
Aeka just looked at him, waiting for him to carry on.
"Aeka... I have made my choice." Aeka gave a squeal of delight and her eyes shot open, Tenchi continued trying to ignore Aeka's sudden outburst of happiness, wishing that it could last longer.
"Actually..." He said fidgeting a little "I made my choice some time ago..."
Aeka opened her mouth to ask him when, but he rose a hand to silence her. "Please... just let me finish"
Aeka nodded.
"I tried to wait as long as I could, because I knew that when I finally revealed it the other girls would be hurt" Tenchi cleared his throat willing himself to go on "But by not telling you, I also hurt you because it was a time of constant uncertainty"
Tenchi paused a second to look out the window. He saw Ryoko floating towards the fields, probably looking for him. He had managed to come up here without her seeing him. He wanted to tell her after he told the rest of the girls.
He was brought back to reality as Aeka gave a little cough urging him to go on. She couldnt wait anymore so she just blurted out "W-who d-did you choose?"
Tenchi was a little shocked that Aeka had been so straight forward, that it took him a couple of seconds to understand what Aeka was saying. After his brain finally processed the words and they sunk in he hung his head and whispered his reply. "Ryoko..." he said. A barely audible sound, yet, loud enough for Aeka to hear.
Aeka forced herself to believe that she hadnt heard him right. "I-I'm sorry" she said forcing her voice to stay as normal as possible, although she was doing quite badly. "I don't think I..." she broke off, her sentence forgotten as tears came.
Tenchi got up and made a motion to comfort her but she got up from her chair also and moved away. After a couple of muffled sobs she managed to squeeze out the one question that was tearing throught her. "W-why?" She choked out, as Tenchi came forward and wrapped his arms around her "Is there something wrong with me?" she cried on his shoulder as he ran a hand through her hair.
"There is nothing wrong with you Aeka" He said pulling back and forcing her to look into his eyes.
"Then why?" Aeka cried, she was trying, trying so hard to understand what she had done wrong, why Tenchi didnt love her "Why not me? Why her?"
Tenchi thought that this wasn't the best time to tell her but she seemed so desperate for an answer that he decided to be truthful with her. "Because..." he said looking for the right words to describe how he felt around Ryoko without hurting Aeka. Tenchi sighed. There was no way he could tell Aeka why he loved Ryoko without hurting her. "I... I don't know"
"Please... Tenchi just tell me the truth" She said looking up at him "I don't care how much it hurts"
"But Aeka..."
"Please at least do that for me"
Tenchi sighed and put his head down, trying to avoid Aeka's eyes "I-I've always loved Ryoko"
Aeka gave a sob that racked her whole body. *I fought over her all this time... hoping to take a hold on his her and he always loved... her*
"I couldn't tell her because I knew you would be hurt when you found out. But by not telling you I hurt you also. It has only been now that I realized that."
Aeka took comfort in his words, *Tenchi didn't tell Ryoko... he didn't allow himself to love her because he knew it would hurt me..." and as she started getting tired because of all her tears she asked him "I have the feeling you didn't tell her yet"
Tenchi smiled and shook his head.
Aeka smiled back and whispered "Promise me you'll make her happy, Tenchi..." A few more tears spilling out of her eyes. "She has had a hard life as it is already."
"I promise"
"Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked
"Yes?"
"Tell her soon"
"I will"
"Oh and one more thing" she said pulling away from him and giving him a small smile "Thank you"
Tenchi frowned and cocked his head to the side "What for?"
"For being so kind to me this whole time..." Aeka said as she turned away from him and faced the window, so he would not see the tears that wouldn't cease. "And above all for what you just told me"
"What did I..."
"Now Lord Tenchi" She said as she turned him around with a gentle but present command. She extended her arms, put them behind his back and started giding him out of the room "You musn't stay here any longer. If Ryoko was to find you here, and she misunderstood what has happened between us, I wouldn't dare think of what would happen"
"But..."
"AND" Aeka said giving every word as much command as she could *he has to leave soon... otherwise he will see all the pain this causes me... which will make him even sadder that he finally told me... but under no circumstances must he be ashamed or hurt of what he did * Aeka thought as she willed her 'Im-a-though-girl' mask to stay on a couple of minutes more. "I must deal with my feelings alone"
"B-but Aeka..."
"No buts. You promised you would tell her soon" Aeka said *just a little more* as she started slowly sliding the door shut "And honor my request and set off to tell her now"
Tenchi nodded. He bowed before giving a few steps back. "I'm sorry Aeka"
Aeka just gave him a pained look before sliding the door shut slowly. Once she did, she put her back agains the door and dropped to the floor. Her legs not fully extended, her ams on her kness, her head on her hands. She cried harder than when he was here, there were a few hesitant seconds when Aeka wondered if if her tears and her sorrow would ever cease. She soon brushed that off. She was strong; she could come out off this. She had too much to live for. She was sure someday she would find the love Tenchi had found in Ryoko.