Disclaimer: I do not own the Tenchi Muyo gang.
Content Disclaimer: This story deals with homosexuality. If you are offended by gay people, or if reading stories about them is illegal where you live, please hit the back button on your browser, and read a nice children's story. Maybe you can find one about prancing ponies and magical rainbows.
My Name is Willow (A Truly Happy Ending)
"Green
turns to brown
summer turns to fall
just as my
heart
changes
tunes
like a
songbird calling to
it's mate."
The warm summer air that often carried the sent of cherry blossoms from the mountain was becoming more chilly. Fall was definitely on its way, and it had no qualms about forcing the residents of the Masaki family to continually sweep away the earthy-colored leaves from various places on the property, the worst spot being the steps leading to the shrine. Literally hundreds of steps, and millions of leaves to be swept aside.
Just as the leave were swept, so was one family member's continual thoughts.
Aeka was lonely. She just wanted someone that she could talk to, no more. Sasami was her sister, and yes, dear sweet Sasami was understanding, kind, and definitely cared a great deal for Aeka, but she just wasn't what Aeka was looking for.
All of this changed, however, when one day a visitor came to the Masaki home. Her name was Willow.
Willow appeared to arrive on a particularly large gust of wind that Saturday morning. The entire family was outside, trying to clean up the leaves that seemed to come from no where. Aeka was bent over, scooping up a handful to place into the large bag at her side, when a shadow fell over the ground. She stood to see a dark figure standing near her. The figure stepped forward. Tenchi and Ryoko came up behind Aeka at the sight of this strange person as the dark figure raised it's head. She had long black hair, which seemed to flow around her like a waterfall, and blue eyes that were almost white they were so light. She had a sword strapped to her back, and was obviously a warrior of some sort. She stood tall, at 5'11" and appeared full of mystery.
Ryoko was the first to speak.
"Who are you?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in a silent challenge.
The dark figure looked at Ryoko for only a moment, before her gaze landed on Aeka. Although she answered Ryoko's questions, she seemed to be speaking only to the princess.
"My name is Willow." was all she said.
Aeka looked at Willow, curiosity and confusion evident in her eyes.
"Have I met you before...?" Aeka asked the stranger. Willow only stared deeply into Aeka's eyes.
"It would seem that way, wouldn't it?" Willow replied, a smug smile on her face.
"Why are you here?" Tenchi asked. He wasn't about to have a mysterious, and possibly dangerous person standing in his yard without knowing their business there.
"I have come to see the boy that the Jurian's believe is trying to steal the woman of royal blood." Willow said, a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I don't see what the fuss is all about." She stated plainly, raising an eyebrow.
Ryoko stood up straight and glared at this strange new woman (and possible rival for Tenchi's affections?). "Now just wait a minute, you! Tenchi is worth plenty of fuss!"
Willow simply raise her eyebrow at Ryoko and gave her a half-smile.
"You think that, and I do not condemn you for thinking so, but not all woman share your... strong opinion of him."
"Who wouldn't?!" Ryoko challenged. "Aeka, help me talk some sense into this bitch!"
Aeka had been looking at Willow with such intensity and fascination that she didn't hear what Ryoko said. When Aeka didn't reply, Ryoko turned to look at the princess. She saw the intrigued look that had overtaken her features, and she waved her hand in front of her face a few times, before she poked Aeka's arm. The princess started, and then turned to the space pirate.
"What did you say, Ryoko?"
"Never mind." Ryoko muttered, sounding exasperated. "Tenchiiii, get this woman off of your property!"
"No!" Aeka said rather adamantly. "I mean... no, Ryoko there is no reason Miss Willow should have to leave. Lord Tenchi, please, why don't you let Willow stay. Just for a while?"
Willow smiled slightly at Aeka, her eyes never left the princess's face the whole time.
"All right, I don't see why not..." Tenchi said.
At least she isn't going to be another one of those crazy space ladies that fall for me... He thought to himself with a small smile on his lips.
Aeka smiled. "Thank you Lord Tenchi. Come Willow, you may stay in Sasami's and my room."
And with that, Aeka and Willow walked into the Masaki household, Ryoko staring in disbelief as they went.
XXXXXX
"Here, you can sleep between Sasami and I." Aeka stated as she laid a futon on the floor.
Willow
smiled.
"Why did this Tenchi let me stay without any sort of
fuss?" Willow asked. A look of recognition passed over Aeka's
face.
"Your accent! You...your from Antarga, aren't you?!"
Willow simply nodded.
"Oh, Lord Tenchi trusts my judgment, I suppose. That's probably why he allowed you to stay. Believe me, Ryoko will make sure you don't step out of line." Aeka gave Willow a warm smile.
"So, Aeka, when were you planning to return to Jurai."
Aeka frowned. "I don't know if I'll ever go back. I really do love it here on Earth..."
Willow nodded.
"It is a nice planet. The earthlings are polluting it so much that it'll be useless soon..."
"Yes but.."
"But what?"
"Never mind." Aeka said, realizing that there was no argument.
"AEKA! TIME TO EAT!!" Sasami shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Aeka stood, as did Willow and they retreated down the stairs quickly.
XXXXXX
After
the Masaki family, plus Willow, had had their delicious lunch, Willow
asked Aeka to take her on a tour of the property. Aeka, who had been
rather bored lately, was quick to oblige.
Aeka showed Willow the
lake, and the carrot field, before taking her to see Yosho's
tree.
"You really love Tenchi, don't you?" Willow asked after a long period of silence.
"Well..." Aeka had been caught off guard by the question. "I thought I did, but now I'm not too sure..." Aeka said, a confused look on her face.
"What do you mean?" Willow asked, looking at Aeka. The two had stopped walking, and they were now standing just inside the clearing that held Yosho's tree.
"You stay on this planet, fight your father to be here, and you aren't even sure if you love Tenchi?"
"I can't explain it..." Aeka began. "but I feel that if I stay on this planet, my destiny will arrive. At first, I thought that destiny was Tenchi...but now I'm not too sure..." Aeka looked very confused now.
Willow smiled. "Did you ever think that your destiny may be somewhat...different than expected..?"
"What do you mean?" Aeka snapped.
"Well... Tenchi is kind of your average man...nothing too...different.."
Aeka nodded.
"Did you ever think that your destiny was...different?"
"No... not really..." Aeka replied slowly.
Willow nodded.
"Just curious. What are you going to show me next?"
Strange... Aeka thought to herself, she clammed right up..
"Well, lets go look at Yohso's tree." Aeka offered, and then led Willow along the stone path.
XXXXXX
"Aeka! There you are!" Sasami said excitedly. Aeka stretched and shifted, to feel pressure on her shoulder, she looked over to see that Willow's head was resting on her shoulder. Aeka's mouth quirked in a small smile, and she shook Willow awake.
"Hmm..? Whaaa...?" Willow mumbled as her sleepy eyes opened just a bit, before closing for a moment and then opening fully.
Sasami stood next to Aeka.
"I've been looking all over for you two!" She exclaimed. "We're all going to roast marshmallows in the fire pit! Do you want to come?" Aeka and Willow looked at each other for a moment before nodding, and following the blue-haired princess to the rest of the 'family.'
XXXXXX
While all roasted marshmallows, Aeka noticed Tenchi's gaze landing on her more and more often.
"Kiyone!" Mihoshi wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I've got MARSHMALLOW in my HAIR!!"
"Oh, Mihoshi...hold still..." Kiyone said in a soft, loving voice as she tried with questionable results to get the sticky marshmallow out of her best friend's long blond hair. Mihoshi sniffled, and Kiyone smiled.
"It's okay...we'll get it out. C'mon, lets go up to the house, and you can wash your hair. It'll come right out, then."
Mihoshi
nodded, and the two walked back to the house.
"What?!" Ryoko
questioned, confused. "Why didn't Kiyone yell at
Mihoshi,?"
Noboyuki smiled. "It's that Paxil, I tell you... works wonders on Kiyone's nerves!"
Ryoko groaned, and Noboyuki chuckled.
Aeka caught Tenchi's gaze, and he blushed slightly and looked away. Aeka frowned.
Willow, who had watched the whole thing, sighed and poked her stick into the fire dejectedly.
"Aeka, may I talk to you..?" Tenchi asked.
Aeka looked to Willow, to see a tear stream down her cheek. Aeka was torn. Tenchi had rarely wanted to have private conversation with her, but at the same time, Willow was obviously sad, and in need of her new friend. Aeka gave Tenchi a smile.
"Lord Tenchi, could we talk later?" Aeka asked, and motioned to the silently crying Willow.
Tenchi nodded.
"O-okay, we
can talk later..." He said, and Aeka smiled gratefully.
Aeka
knelt down beside Willow
and put her hand on her new friend's shoulder.
"Willow..?" She questioned, her eyes were worried. Willow only seemed to cry a bit harder.
"Let's go for a walk." Aeka said gently, as she helped Willow up. Willow nodded slightly, and Aeka put her arm around Willow's shoulders, and walked her into the woods.
Once they were a good distance away from everyone else, Aeke spoke.
"Now, whatever is the matter?" Aeka asked.
Willow sniffled.
"It...it's nothing."
"It's a rather big nothing, to cause you to cry like this.." Aeka said, giving Willow a small smile. Willow returned it though her tears.
"Now, please tell me what is wrong..."
Willow sniffled and then began to speak softly.
"Tenchi..he..he likes you. You do realize this, right?" Aeka's eyes went wide.
"How would you know that?!" Aeka demanded.
"Think about it Aeka, you know the answer." Willow stated, her voice low.
"Why
did Tenchi let me stay without any fuss?" "Your
acccent..you..your from Antarga, aren't you?!"
Aeka's eyes widened.
"Antargeans can...read minds..." Aeka remembered. Willow simply nodded sheepishly.
"Seems that all the royal schooling about neighboring planets paid off." Willow said, smiling through her tears. Aeka couldn't help but think that her new friend was resembling the tree that she was named after, weeping as she was.
"What does Tenchi have to do with you crying?" Aeka asked, a confused look on her face.
Willow sighed.
"Tenchi loves you. He has for a long time. He's been too afraid to tell you, because he knows how Ryoko will react. He doesn't want to hurt her. Tonight... tonight he was going to tell you how he feels. That was what he was going to talk to you about."
Aeka's eyes narrowed.
"I remember enough from my schooling to recall that you have to want to read a mind to do so. You have to make a conscious effort. Why were you snooping around in Lord Tenchi's mind?!"
Willow lowered her head in shame. She sniffled once, twice, three times before she took in a deep breath and answered Aeka's question.
"I had to know." She whispered.
"Had to know what?" Aeka demanded.
"If I... had any chance...with you." She finished, and then covered her face with her hands, clearly embarrassed by the whole ordeal. Aeka's eyes were as large as dinner plates, and she gaped at Willow.
"Oh...Willow...I just..I had no idea that you felt that way about me..."
"Aeka, I have felt like this towards you since I was 12 years old." Willow stated.
"How?! You only met me a month ago!"
"That Aeka, is where you are wrong. I lived on Jurai. My family worked at the palace. When we were both just kids, we met in the Royal Kitchen. You had come down for something to eat. I made you food, and we talked for hours..."
"Oh my, your right...Willow, I'm so sorry for not.."
"Remembering?" Willow cut her off. "It's okay. I didn't expect you to remember me. When my family moved back to Antarga, I remembered you. I was so in love with you, but I didn't tell a soul. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. Rumor had spread that Princess Aeka and her sister Sasami were staying on the planet Earth, and so I decided to leave home, and find you."
Aeka
was deep in thought.
I
feel strange...there is this great pull inside of me for her..but,
but, Tenchi! he finally loves me! And Willow...
"Willow,
I don't know what to say."
"It's all right Aeka, I don't expect you to feel the same way about me or anything like that..."
"But Willow..I think..I think that I do..." Aeka said softly. Willow's eyes widened.
"You..do?" She questioned, disbelief evident on her face.
"Yes." Aeka confirmed.
She too remembered, now that the catalyst had been set, the young girl with the long black locks who had taken up so much of Aeka's loneliness and turned it into joy back when they were children. She remembered holding hands as they ran through the endless fields of flowers, laughing, making crowns for one another, laying on their backs as they looked up at the stars and talked about their dreams…
Willow stepped up to Aeka. They stood facing each other for a few moments, although those moments stretched like years, before Aeka flung herself against Willow. Willow held Aeka close, as Aeka cried tears of joy softly into Willow's chest.
Aeka pulled away gently, and Willow brought her lips down. For the first time, she kissed the Princess of Jurai, and the Princess of Jurai kissed her back.
And for the first time since they were children, the two women were finally home.
XXXXXX
Willow and Aeka stayed in the woods almost all night just talking, and deciding what to do next.
The following day, Aeka took Tenchi aside an told him of her and Willow. He was disappointed, but understood that Aeka was not going to change her mind. Later that day, Willow and Aeka told the rest of their friends about their new found love. They were all surprised, but took the news quite well.
Grandfather performed a joining ceremony the following month, and all truly lived happily ever after.
FIN