Siblings

This story deals with a conversation between Tenchi and Tennyo. It takes place after Nobuyuki's and Rea's wedding. Standard disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

It was late afternoon and the lowering sun still shone brightly and the breeze rustling through the trees in the area surrounding the Masaki shrine caused lacy patterns to dance on the ground.

Tenchi sat on the steps in front of Ryoko's cave still dressed in the dark formal attire he had worn to the wedding. He had been drawn there ever since he could remember. He now knew that the presence that he had always felt there was Ryoko's and even though she wasn't there any more, he still came when he needed to think and sort things out. He hadn't had a lot of time to just think about his situation lately due to all the fuss connected with his father's wedding. There just hadn't been enough peace and quiet in his hectic life to deal with all the revelations; about his power, about his grandparents, about his sister, and most importantly, now, about his mother.

"May I join you?" a familiar voice asked.

"Sure," Tenchi replied as he looked up to see his sister approaching still dressed in her own formal robes of deep purple but with her hair flowing loosely down her back, and gave her a small sad smile. He was still amazed at how much she resembled their mother.

Tennyo sat down carefully beside him while smoothing her clothing and looked at her brother for a moment before she spoke. "I used to watch you when I came for visits. I so wanted to run up to you, hug you, and tell you that I was your sister. Ha! That would have shocked you since I was disguised as an old woman then, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," he replied, laughing quietly at the thought. "I guess I would have thought you were crazy if you did that. I still can't get over how much you look like Mom, even though your hair is fixed differently now."

"We used to have a lot of fun pretending to be each other," Tennyo replied. "Of course, we never could fool Grandpa. He sometimes played along with us though. I'm not sure if we even fooled Dad." She laughed quietly for a bit before continuing. "Tenchi, I want to apologize for the trick I played on you. I should have realized how overwhelmed you'd feel if you thought Mom had actually returned from the dead. When I get an idea for a prank, I don't often bother to consider how it might affect other people. I'm too much like our mother and grandmother for my own good sometimes." She paused again and looked closely at her brother again before continuing. "What's wrong Tenchi? You look troubled."

"I didn't have much time to get to know Mom," he answered. "The image I've clung to all my life of the kind and gentle mother I thought I had seems to have been based more on Rea than on my real mother, and now I'm not sure which memories that I do have are really of her or of you. What was she really like?"

"She really was kind and gentle," Tennyo replied. "But, there was more to her than that. She wasn't only my mother; she was my best friend too. She lived to be 248 years old and had a lot of experiences in that time. She went to the Galaxy Academy. She even worked for Lady Seto. She was a lot like our grandmother, but she didn't lose her temper very often. She could be very serious one moment and silly the next. She loved children, she loved to cook and she loved practical jokes." Tennyo sighed and then straightened her back and stretched her arms. "I'm sorry; it's hard to describe her in just a few sentences because there were so many facets to her personality. I have some recordings, home movies if you like; would you like to see them sometime?"

"I would," Tenchi responded eagerly. "I don't have much to remember her by other than her yukata and parasol, and now, that crazy script she wrote." He picked up a small stone and began turning it in his hands as he considered how to ask his next question. Finally he turned to look at Tennyo again and asked, "Why did Mom write that story? I can't see any reason why she would have done something like that if she hadn't known she wasn't going to live to see me grow up. You're 80, our grandparents are over 700, Mom's sister, Minaho, is over 700 years old as well. Aeka even told me that great-grandfather Azusa's parents are still alive. I can't help wondering if I'm somehow responsible for her death, and if the power I have inside of me caused her to die. I really want to know the truth."

"Tenchi, Do you think our parents didn't try to have more children between my birth and yours?" Tennyo asked. "They tried a number of times but they all ended in miscarriages after a few weeks or months. Each failed pregnancy took it's toll on Mom both physically and emotionally, and she became more and more depressed for longer periods of time. She nearly died about thirty years ago and she never did recover fully. Even the best doctors at the Galaxy Academy couldn't figure out what was going wrong and they couldn't do anything to help her. They even tried using artificial wombs without success. Dad finally convinced her to stop trying even though he wanted a son as much as she did. I'm glad he's finally married Rea. Maybe now he'll stop nagging me to get married and give him grandchildren; he can have more of his own now."

Tenchi smiled and said, "He's been nagging me about grandchildren ever since I got into middle school."

"Mom and Dad wanted a large family; if they couldn't have more of their own, they wanted grandchildren. Then Mom got pregnant with you completely by accident. I won't lie and tell you that things went smoothly; they didn't. Mom was pretty much confined to bed for the last few months before you were born. Then she went into labor about six weeks before her due date. We were all terrified of what it would do to her if she lost you as well. You were born at the shrine because we hoped that Funaho-ki could help strengthen you if there were any problems. But you had no problems at all. The doctors were amazed at how perfectly healthy you were. They did all kinds of tests to make sure and they found nothing wrong with you. You were happy, healthy and absolutely beautiful. We were all thrilled. Sure, Mom might still be alive if she hadn't had you, but she would have been very sad. Please don't blame yourself for what happened. You made her last years very, very happy."

Tenchi took a deep breath before replying, "Thanks for telling me what happened. It's going to be hard to let go of the guilt I've felt. I know that there are risks involved in every pregnancy and sometimes women die. I know that I wouldn't blame anyone else, but it's still hard not to blame myself. I still don't understand why she wrote that crazy story about falling from a cliff, getting hit by a car and the other crazy stuff. Why didn't she just tell me what you did?"

"Hey! Mom must have had a lot of fun writing that story for you," Tennyo replied in mock anger. "I think it was also her way of telling you that you weren't to blame for her death any more than those crazy made up incidents were. Her only regret was that she wouldn't get to see you grow up. She was with you almost constantly, except for the times she she was sick and had to see her doctors. She often sat outside your room before you got up because she wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. She doted on you so much that it's a wonder that you didn't wind up being a spoiled brat!"

"Well," Tenchi said, "I think all the chores Dad and Grandpa made me do might have had something to do with that. I was kept pretty busy with them and learning martial arts. Outside of school, I didn't even get to play with other kids my age very much. Most of my summers were spent here, alone with Grandpa, and I often wished I had a brother or sister to spend time with because I was so lonely. Now I have you."

"Oh, you are just so adorable!" Tennyo exclaimed as she grabbed Tenchi and hugged him tightly.

Tenchi laughed as he returned his sister's hug before pulling away. He had gotten used to such treatment from her and their grandmother. "You really should let me breathe when you do that you know," he said. "I think I still have bruises left over from the wedding reception."

"Oh, come on!" Tennyo retorted. "You're tougher than that. I'm sure it would take a lot more than a few hugs to do YOU any harm."

"That may be," Tenchi replied. "But it still takes getting used to. You've got a grip like Ryoko's."

"I doubt it," Tennyo replied. "She's a real handful. Why haven't you taken her up on her invitations?"

The question took Tenchi by surprise and he considered how best to answer her. "It took me a while to get over my first impression of Ryoko," he then replied. "First, when she attacked me and destroyed my school, I thought she was trying to kill me; that's not something you get over very quickly. Then she tried to get her gems back, first by force and then through manipulation; I did give her back one because of the situation we were in. I didn't think someone like her would really be interested in someone like me so I thought her other come-ons were just teasing. I didn't realize just how much she cared for me until Dr. Clay kidnapped her and Zero was affected by her feelings for me. By then I had realized that she had been going easy on me when she attacked me, but I was still upset with her and myself over the destruction of my school and the Great Seto bridge. Plus, I had Aeka, Sasami, Mihoshi and Washu to deal with by then as well. Her behavior was so outrageous much of the time that I didn't know what to make of it. One time, Sasami convinced her and Aeka to read Dad's manga collection for tips on romance. Now THAT left me confused, and bruised from getting kicked in the pants, tripped with a rope and such," he said as he smiled at the memory. "Now I have Noike to deal with as well. They're all so fantastic and beautiful; I still don't understand what any of them see in me."

Tennyo rapped Tenchi on the top of his head and said, "Stop being so dense! There are plenty of reasons for them to love you. You've risked you life for them. You work hard to take care of all of them. You're cute and kind and patient. You have the most gorgeous, brown eyes. I think you're going to be even more handsome than Grandpa in a few years; without his disguise, of course. You're too modest though. If someone like Seriyo Tennan had defeated Kagato, he'd be boasting about it across the galaxy!"

"Seriyo?" Tenchi asked. "Wasn't he that crazy guy with the pink hair I had to fight a duel with so that Aeka wouldn't have to marry him?"

"That's the one!" Tennyo answered merrily. "If you thought he was crazy then, he's even worse now. He's an excellent swordsman and a very poor loser."

"He shouldn't have lost his footing when Mihoshi splashed down then," Tenchi replied and laughed as he recalled how Seriyo had looked floating unconscious in the lake.

"That may be true," Tennyo agreed, "But he's developed quite a dislike for Earthlings as a result. I heard that he's been trying to make things very difficult for Seina Yamada."

"Seina Yamada!" Tenchi exclaimed. "You don't mean the bad luck magnet whose parents own the store in town, do you?"

"You mean you didn't know?" Tennyo exclaimed in turn. "Amane Kuanaq was delivering a package for you from our grandmother when she did a Mihoshi and crashed her shuttle into the lake. Seina happened to be close by and was nearly drowned. After Amane pulled him out of the water, she jumped to the conclusion that he was a cousin of yours that you were training and got him into the GP academy. All kinds of crazy things have been happening since. And get this. It turns out that Seina is a pirate magnet as well as a bad luck magnet. As a result, a large number of pirates have been drawn to him which allowed Lady Seto to arrest hundreds of them."

"Wow! So that's where Seina disappeared to," Tenchi said. "I'd heard that he had gone away to school but I had no idea that it was in outer space."

Brother and sister laughed for a bit; each remembering various disasters that occurred whenever Seina Yamada was around. Finally Tennyo looked at Tenchi with a serious expression on her face and asked, "What are you going to do now Tenchi? You'll be 18 soon. Grandpa won't need you to take over the shrine. You don't want to spend all your time farming, do you?"

"I don't really know what I want anymore," Tenchi answered her. "Before I released Ryoko, I thought I would either take over the shrine from Grandpa or become an architect like Dad. I've kept up my studies at home and Washu has been teaching me about galactic science, history and culture. Aeka's been teaching me about Juraian culture as well, but I haven't decided what I'll do after graduation."

"Why don't you enroll in the Galaxy Academy?" Tennyo responded. "As a member of Jurai's royal family, you're guaranteed acceptance. You're certainly smart enough to do well there. Plus, it will give you a chance to become accustomed to what life is like in the rest of the galaxy and you'll still be able to come back to Earth regularly. This planet won't remain isolated much longer. Pretty soon Earth's scientists will figure out how to enter hyper-space and to pick up transmissions from other worlds. I'm amazed at how much it's already changed since I was your age. I had never even seen a car, a radio, a television or a telephone before I left for the academy."

"You must have had an even greater shock than I did when Grandpa revealed his true appearance to me," said Tenchi with a sympathetic smile.

"You don't know the half of it," replied Tennyo. "I had never traveled more than a day's walk from home and suddenly I found myself traveling through space and having to cope with technology that I never even dreamed could have existed. I won't tell you what the Galaxy Academy looks like from space because I want you to see it for yourself but it's amazing! I must have been walking around the academy with my mouth hanging open for days. Then I took a series of aptitude tests and was told what kinds of things I would be good at. Get this! I was told that I was very gifted in mathematics and that I had a mechanical aptitude that would make me an excellent engineer. I always got good grades at school here, but my teachers never told me anything like that. I had become fascinated with the workings of space ships so I decided to take classes relating to ship design. The girls I went to school with here had no such opportunities; so much wasted potential. So, what about it?" Tennyo continued eagerly. "Do you want to go?"

"I don't know," Tenchi answered her. "I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with all the attention I'd get there. People there must know now about my ability to form the wings of the light hawk. At least here I can pretend to be normal when I go to town. I don't want people staring at me like I'm a freak or something."

"You don't have to worry about that," Tennyo told him. "Lady Seto and Washu fabricated a story in which you used an advanced ship designed by Washu to stop the Chobimaru's cannon from blasting the Earth. No one saw the light hawk wings. Very few people outside the immediate family have any idea that you're not a normal member of Jurai's nobility."

"What about what happened with Tokimi at the disciplinary hearing for Misao and Mashisu," Tenchi asked. "She talked..."

Tennyo put a finger to Tenchi's lips and said, "Don't worry about it! They don't know who or what Tokimi really is and they don't know what she was talking about. Of course the secret will eventually get out, but even so, you can't hide on the Earth forever. At least consider the offer. I could take you on a visit to the academy and show you some of my favorite places; that would give you an opportunity to see what it's like. If Seina can cope with GP training, you can handle that. Anyway, being normal is over-rated; just be yourself. You've been trying too hard to be perfect. What happened to the mischievous boy Dad told me so many funny stories about? According to him, you used to get into quite a bit of trouble with that curiosity of yours. Don't be a stick in the mud. Well, I have to be going now but I'll be back tomorrow. Think about it." At that she leaned over and gave her brother a quick kiss on his cheek. Then she stood up and vanished.

Tenchi continued to sit on the steps as he considered what Tennyo had said. He did want to see other worlds and the idea of going to the Galaxy Academy was exciting. And he could return to the Earth any time he wanted. If Washu could connect her huge lab to his house, she could probably make a connection to the academy as well. That might keep some of the girls from getting too upset when he told them about Tennyo's offer. Even Sasami was talking about going to school in town since Noike had started to help out with the cooking. He stood and smiled as he looked around at the familiar surroundings he loved so much. Washu had told him that on many worlds the stars couldn't be seen at night any more due to light pollution both on the planets' surfaces and from structures orbiting in space. The thought of that happening to his world was disturbing to Tenchi, but no matter how much he enjoyed his life now, he knew that change was inevitable. Tenchi stood and stretched as he noticed that the sun was starting to set and it was time to begin the long walk back to the house.

Author's notes: There's been a lot of speculation concerning what might have caused the death of Tenchi's mother, so I decided to do a story about it. I also wanted to deal with Tenchi growing up. In the first episode of TM, Tenchi seemed to be a fun-loving, curious boy who wanted to get into Ryoko's cave because he was told not to. Then he became real serious and responsible. He also seemed to be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. By the GXP episode "Seina and Tenchi [Getting Reacquainted," he seemed to have regained his own sense of humor and was more comfortable and in control of his life. He even did a little showing off to Seina.

According to one source, Tennyo was born in 1914 though it could have been earlier. It's unlikely that there were many cars in Japan when she was a young girl, and most places in Japan outside of large cities like Tokyo probably didn't have electricity. I could have written a lot about the changes that have occurred in the last sixty to eighty years.

Constructive criticism that will help me to write better stories that deal well with the characters would be appreciated. Thank you for reading.