The Masaki Curse
By
Geor-sama
A Nekoshipper
Tenchi stared up at the clear blue sky, there wasn't a cloud to be seen but he felt like the rain was pouring down on him. He had felt like this since he had figured something out a long time ago, his heart had finally settled on one of the girls. For a year his heart had held the secret he could never tell her. All because of the "Masaki Curse." The curse that had taken his father's wife and his grandmother from his grandfather. The curse was standing between him and his love. If he told her, they would have a few years of happiness then she would die and he would be left with heart wrenching pain. No, Tenchi knew that it would be best if he kept it to himself. Otherwise, three would suffer because of the curse.
Katsuhito stood at the top of the steps watching his grandson. He knew well what was tormenting his grandson. He also knew that no matter what he said or did nothing would change Tenchi's mind. Tenchi was convinced that the Masaki males were under a curse, and though he and Nobuyuki had tried to explain that it didn't exist, Tenchi remained adamant that it did. Katsuhito also knew something that Tenchi did not: his love knew how he felt and she also knew why he would not tell her. Katsuhito smiled grimly as he watched his grandson turn and start towards the shrine. This was not going to be a pleasant training session.
Tenchi emerged from the path onto the last landing in front of the shrine. He glanced around and spotted his grandfather standing in front of the shrine office. He quickly jogged over and bowed. His grandfather shook his head and stood to the side.
"You will be learning a parable today, Tenchi."
Tenchi sighed and entered the office. His grandfather followed and slid the door shut behind him. The office was small. On the walls hung several paintings of cherry blossomed trees and a few of samurai. In a corner sat a small table flanked by a couple of cushions. An ancient tea set rested on top. Tenchi sat down and Katsuhito followed suit. They sat there for a few minutes before Katsuhito poured the tea for his grandson and himself. Silence filled the office for some time then Katsuhito spoke, his voice wise and comforting,
"Tenchi, once, many years ago, there was a warrior who set out on a journey. He wanted to accomplish a dangerous task to prove his ability. He mounted his horse and rode off into the East where an old hermit lived.
"He rode for days, finally reaching the hermit, he approached him and bowed. The hermit, knowing why the samurai had come, said, 'Samurai, you seek to prove yourself.'
"The samurai looked at the hermit in surprise, 'How did you know?'
"The hermit smiled and chuckled, 'Many warriors have sought the same thing and none have succeeded.'
"The samurai clenched his fist and vowed, 'Set before me the task and I will prove my self.'
"The hermit laughed, 'All have said that, but I will tell you the task. To the North of here, in a land of great peril, there is a cave where your greatest challenge will reveal itself. Go there and overcome the challenge. Then you will have proven yourself.'
"The samurai bowed, left the hermit and started north. He faced kappa, oni and other demons. He face the beasts of the field and evil men. At last he stood before the cave. The samurai drew his sword and entered. Once inside, the entrance closed and a weak white light filled the chamber before him. He stared as, slowly, a figure appeared in the light.
"He lowered his sword as he recognized the figure. It was his love. She stood, her hands folded in front of her, her eyes down cast. Before the samurai could do anything, his love was struck by a sword and she slumped to the ground, dead. The samurai's sword slipped from his fingers to clatter on the cave floor. He fell to his knees, tears escaping his eyes. His mind was cast into confusion as to what his greatest challenge was.
"Days went by, then weeks and finally months. Then the samurai came to himself and picked his sword up. He sheathed it and turned his back on the spot where his love lay dead and went back to the entrance. It opened and the samurai walked away from the cave. He headed, not in the direction of the hermit, but towards his village.
"He walked for weeks until he caught sight of the village and then he took off in a run. He burst through the doorway to his lovers house and grabbed her and kissed her.
"He had finally understood what his greatest challenge was."
Katsuhito sipped his tea and then sat it down. He looked across the table to Tenchi.
"So Tenchi, what was the challenge?"
Tenchi sat his tea down and frowned. This was the most confusing story his grandfather had ever told. Slowly, Tenchi spoke,
"Not to focus on pain and violence?"
Katsuhito raised an eyebrow.
"Are you telling me or asking?"
Tenchi frowned and answered how he knew that his grandfather wanted,
"Telling."
Katsuhito rose, walked over to the door and slid it open. Tenchi rose and wondered if he had said something wrong. He approached his grandfather but stopped when the old man raised his hand.
"Tenchi, you are to stay here until you learn the true meaning of the story. Do not leave before you do, this is a lesson that you should not avoid."
Tenchi moved back to his cushion and sat down. He was confused as to what his grandfather meant, but he did as he was told and if his grandfather said that this was a lesson that he didn't need to avoid then he would make sure to learn it. He absently heard the door slide shut and then closed his eyes. He began to go through the story again.
Night had fallen and Tenchi still didn't understand what his grandfather wanted him to get from the story. He had rejected thoughts like 'to forsake the sword' and 'do not try not to prove yourself' along with others. They were not right and Tenchi knew that, but they were the only things he could think of. He looked out a window and saw the night sky filled with stars. He closed his eyes and focused his mind again on the story. Only this time, he saw it as if he was the samurai and the girl was his love. Tenchi's eye's snapped opened and he shook his head violently, unsure why his mind had done that. He took a few deep breaths and then closed his eyes again. This time focusing on the ending. Again, he was the samurai and his love was the girl. He opened his eyes and silently cursed himself.
He started to stand but then forced himself to sit back down. His grandfather had said that he needed to learn this lesson so he would. Silently, he poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it. He contemplated the meaning of the story.
'Is the meaning to love others? No, that's not right. What does the girl represent? Innocence? Is the meaning not to forsake innocence? No, that's wrong. What else could she represent? Hope? Is the meaning to find hope? No, that's wrong, too.'
Slowly Tenchi's mind turned from what the girl meant to why he had put his love in her place.
'Why did she take the girls place? She has no bearing on the stories meaning.'
He shook his head and focused his thoughts on the samurai.
'What does the Samurai represent? Honor? Bravery? Courage?'
Tenchi sighed and sat the now empty cup on the table. He moved over to the futon. He wouldn't figure it out tonight. He needed to sleep and would use his grandfather's futon for that. He hadn't been told not to sleep, anyway. He lay back on it and closed his eyes. Slowly his mind drifted off to sleep. Just before it gave into nothingness, a question entered his mind.
'Why did I take the samurai's place and my love the girls?'
The birds chirped and Tenchi opened an eye, silently. He moaned when he saw that he was still in his grandfathers office. He had thought it might have been a dream .
He sat up and thought that it was wrong for Ryoko to not be here to see him first thing in the morning. Sighing, he rose and stretched. Walking back over to the table, he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. He drank it in silence, wondering why he even bothered trying to understand the story. He had school, family, and fields that he needed to attend to. Unbidden, a thought entered his head, only it wasn't really a thought. It was like someone whispered in his ear.
'So why do you tend the fields?'
Tenchi frowned and narrowed his eyes. Either his mind was playing tricks on him or someone was here with him and reading his mind. He strained his senses but couldn't find anyone. He calmed down and sipped his tea. He found himself thinking,
'Why do I tend the fields?'
He sat his tea down and completely forgot about the story. Thinking of something else was much better. Silently, he answered himself,
'So that Ryo-ohki has something to eat.'
He shook his head as he felt the inner debate begin.
'Or is it because you feel it is your duty to do it? Or because it is a way of proving yourself?'
'I do it because it needs to be done. Who else would do it?'
'Well Washu could invent a machine to do it so you wouldn't have to.'
'But I don't want Washu to do that, I want to do it.'
'Why do you want to do it? Is it because you are trying to prove yourself?'
'I do it because it is expected of me.'
'By who? You do it just so you can prove yourself.'
'...'
'Well? Am I right?'
'Ok fine, you are right. I do it so I can prove myself.'
'So who are you trying to prove yourself to?'
'Myself.'
'That's only a little of the truth. Come on, you can tell me. I am you know.'
'Fine, I do it to prove myself to me and to everyone else.'
'So what about school?'
'What about it?'
'Why do you go?'
'Because I am supposed to.'
'But why do fight to do so well in the classes? Even completing the extra work? You kill yourself for a letter. Why?"
'So I can live up to every one's expectations.'
'Who's? Aekea's? She doesn't care. Neither does Sasami, Washu, Mihoshi, your father, your grandfather or Ryoko. No one has such high expectations. They just want you to be happy and the best you can be. So why? Maybe it's another way to prove yourself.'
'...I hate you.'
'So you hate yourself. That's nothing new. So, am I right?'
'Yes, it is a way to prove myself.'
'Thought so. You know, you're kind of like the samurai in the story. Always trying to prove yourself.'
Tenchi half growled and half sighed. His other side was right. He was always trying to prove himself. Tenchi sipped his tea and shook his head. Why did he have to learn this story? It was pointless. Sighing again, he put his cup on the table and made his way to the door. He reached out to open it but stopped himself. He would learn this if it was the last thing he did. He would not let it defeat him. He returned to the table and sat down again. The youth rested his chin in his hands and sighed heavily (he seemed to be doing that a lot today). Slowly, painstakingly, his mind worked over all the answer's he had already discarded.
Tenchi was standing, looking out the window. He felt a hand slip around his chest. He smiled and continued to stare out the window. Her warm breath on his neck caused his excitement to rise. She whispered his name and he turned around. Just as he was about to kiss her, he snapped his eyes open and he gazed around at the small, cramped office and exhaled an angry breath. He turned his head and looked out the open window of the office and noted that the day was almost gone. In the distance he could see the sun's dying rays and he longed to just leave this office and go back home, back to her. But he didn't. Instead, he rose, went to the futon and laid down. He was going to figure this out.
Just before he drifted off, his inner self spoke,
'Why are you so determined to figure this out?'
In the night, as Tenchi tossed and turned in fitful dreams, two others stood at the bottom of the stairs talking. One was tall and the other was about the size of a child.
"I would have thought he would have figured it out already."
The taller one shook their head and spoke,
"He has, he's just not paying attention."
The shorter one sighed and looked around the forest.
"There's something else. She should have already stormed up there after him."
"She won't. She doesn't know he's there, she will after tonight, though."
"Why doesn't she know yet?"
"I told them all that he was on an errand for me in Okayama."
The smaller one frowned.
"You do realize that when she goes up there after him, the lesson will be forgotten and he'll still be hung up the curse."
The taller one nodded and turned and with a glance back spoke,
"I think it is time that we go to sleep."
The other one nodded and quickly fell in step besides the other.
Tenchi blearily opened his eyes. Before he had a chance to do anything else, the voice from last night spoke,
'Why are you so determined to solve this?'
Tenchi rubbed his eyes and wondered why he had to deal with the voice first thing in the morning.
He yawned and made his way over to the desk. He sat down at it and again the voice asked,
'Why are you so determined to solve this?'
Tenchi answered wearily,
'Because grandfather said that I didn't need to avoid this lesson.'
He sighed as he began another inner debate,
'Or is it because your trying to prove something?'
'What!? How can I prove anything by figuring this out?'
'Please, you can't lie to me.'
'I'm not lying. How can I?'
'Why don't you leave?'
'I need to figure out the lesson.'
'Really? Do you even remember the parable?'
'...'
'You don't, do you?'
'Shut up.'
'No! You ignore me when she's around and when you're around them. But up here, you can't. I am not going to shut up.'
'But you're me, how can I ignore you?'
'Why you stupid...'
'Why are you calling yourself stupid?'
'Because I am.'
Tenchi sighed. The inner voice was right, he was stupid. He should just leave this office and go to her. But the curse... He shook his head and rose. No more of this. The curse be damned. The lesson be damned. He was going to go to her and tell her the truth.
He was halfway down the steps from the shrine before he realized the meaning of the story. It was to live.
He began to run and jump down two steps at a time. He was running so fast that he didn't realize that Ryoko was flying up the stairs until they crashed into each other. Their independent momentums caused them to fall down backwards. Tenchi slowly sat up and rubbed his head, unsure as to what he had ran into: Ryoko or a brick wall. He looked around and noticed Ryoko, hand on her head, looking at him. He saw a smile stretch across her face.
Suddenly, before he had a chance to do anything, she crashed into him and started to hug and kiss him. She was crying and laughing at the same time. Tenchi, for his part, was in pain but enjoyed the attention all the same. He smiled as she kissed him again and then frowned when she punched him in the arm. She grabbed him in a bone crushing hug, only to release him and kiss him again. Once she had calmed down enough, he managed to pry her off of him and help her up. She smiled and nearly glomped onto him again but managed to restrain herself (if only barely).
Tenchi smiled back, silently wondering what was wrong with her and why she was flying up the stairs. He nearly jumped when she spoke, answering his questions as though she had read his mind.
"Oh Tenchi, I thought you were gone, thought you had left. I was coming up here to find you."
Tenchi looked at her, more than a little confused.
"Why? I mean why did you think I'd left? Why come after me?"
Ryoko gave him a sort of "I can't believe he had to ask" look.
"Because I thought you'd left because of me. I wanted you to come back. Even if I had to stay hidden, I was going to be with you."
Tenchi felt realization slowly dawn on him. Before she could say anything, he pulled her into a hug, rocking her back and forth.
Ryoko felt her face turn red. Part of her was screaming at her to do something. The other part was screaming to leave, something was wrong. She settled for a compromise and phased back a few feet, causing Tenchi to stumble slightly.
She stared in confusion as he started to laugh. She felt her anger rise. Tenchi's laughter slowly died away and then stopped completely. He raised his hands in front of him when Ryoko frowned and nearly shouted,
"What is so funny?"
He waved his hands in defense and began to explain quickly,
"Well you see, it's just,um...this isn't good, uh...please don't get mad. Let me explain."
Once Tenchi saw that she was waiting, he began,
"I was laughing because of the situation, you were rushing up to see me and I was rushing down to see you."
Ryoko raised an eyebrow and squashed the feelings of hope that were beginning to rise.
Tenchi smiled and continued,
"I was so stupid I convinced myself that the curse was real."
Ryoko ignored the feeling in her chest. She began to grin and spoke,
"You've discovered it's not?"
Tenchi looked at her in surprise and suspicion. Hesitantly, he spoke,
"You knew? How? Why?"
Ryoko blushed and looked away,
"Oh well, I, err...I kind of over heard you and your grandfather talking."
Tenchi nodded and felt his confusion grow even more. Ryoko, as if reading his mind spoke,
"I figured it would be awkward if I told the others, especially Aekea."
Tenchi couldn't help but grin.
"You thought something through?"
Ryoko frowned and refocused her eyes on him, narrowing them.
"Yes, I did. Is that so hard to believe?"
Tenchi shook his head.
"No, it's not. It's just that I'm not used to it."
Ryoko stared at him as if trying to burn a hole through him.
Tenchi flinched and added,
"Actually, I'm kind of disappointed you didn't."
Ryoko's face took on a look of shock and tried to speak. When she failed, she closed her mouth and then tried again, this time succeeding,
"What do you mean?"
Tenchi grinned and walked forward until he stood within arms length and answered,
"I would have realized sooner that the curse wasn't real."
Ryoko began to speak but Tenchi cut her short when he pulled her to him and kissed her. It was deep and sensual. It was loving and caring. It was a lovers kiss. For the two of them, time seemed to stand still and all became right with the world. Nothing was more important than what they were doing right then. When they finally broke the kiss, Ryoko was both shocked and excited. Tenchi was blushing. He smiled at her and she smiled back. After a few moments of silence, she spoke asking a question she needed answered,
"Why?"
Tenchi frowned and raised an eyebrow as if she had asked what color the sky was. After a moment he answered,
"Because, I love you."
No sooner had Tenchi got the words out of his mouth than Ryoko tackled him and began to smother him with kisses which he returned as best he could.
And the moral of this story is :
Don't deny your feelings. Don't worry about everything that might happen. Live. Otherwise, you will be as the dead until the day you join them.
Authors notes:
Hope you liked this, really I do, it was just nice to write something bedside's Happiness Tears and War. Consider this a Christmas present since you've probably read all of my other works and are waiting breathlessly for Chapter 4 of Happiness, Tears and War. (Hey I can dream can't I?) Thank you Blev for your help with this.
Anyway let me know what you think good day. Oh before I forget I don't own any of the Tenchi characters so please don't sue me, domo.
Author runs away through the falling snow sing Christmas carols.