I do not own Tenchi Muyo or any of its characters. This is a real tear-jerker but trust me, it's worth reading! Please R &R!!!




I'll Never Forget


Chapter 3



Ryoko woke up an hour later to a clap of thunder. It turned out that the silver haired woman had fallen asleep at Tenchi's bedside, their hands still intertwined. She could see he was still quite pale, though the redness in his cheeks had lessened a bit, yet from time to time he shivered from cold and perspired from the imposing fever. Ryoko gently unraveled their hands and went to the window. The rain had let up sometime before, that much Ryoko could tell by peeking out through the window curtain. But now a much stronger, darker storm was developing…she could feel it in the marrow of her bones.

Meanwhile, Tenchi slept, completely oblivious and silent, all except his still rigid and forced breathing. "Tenchi, what happened to you?" Ryoko asked softly as her gaze settled upon his worn out form. She missed the happy twinkle of his striking brown eyes and the warm glow of his smile. The woman pulled herself from the window and sat back down again beside the sleeping man.

"You know Tenchi Masaki, I didn't think I could fall in love with someone like you. But how could I not…I saw you for the first time at a very young age. You were maybe 5, a little more a little less. But you so handsome even at that age, and I knew someday you'd grow up to be a wonderful, loving man. I didn't know when you grew up I'd fall in love with you," Ryoko laughed as she caressed his face lightly. "Meeting you was possibly the biggest mistake I ever made. I knew from the moment we forged our friendship; I was bound to this world, bound to this life, bound to you. I cannot walk away even if I tried. Even if I wanted to. That's how deep my love is for you."

Another clap of thunder sounded outside and suddenly the form beside her stirred. A tiny gasp escaped Tenchi's ever so slightly parted lips. Ryoko jumped almost and quickly leaned closer if he should need her. "Tenchi?" she asked in a whisper. A bolt of lightening illuminated the shaded room, and once the light had dimmed, Ryoko looked over to find Tenchi's eyes fluttering about the room.

"W-What's going on?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Tenchi!" Ryoko cried happily. She refrained from throwing her arms around him, but instead drew close and helped him sit up. "Are you alright, I was so worried!"

"Who are you?" he said with a fearful glint in his eyes. Ryoko felt a stabbing pain in her chest as he uttered the words. Her wide and now watering amber eyes turned to him sorrowfully.

"You, you don't remember me?" she choked out. Tenchi shook his head in confusion.

"What am I doing here? Where is here anyway?" Ryoko's eyes overflowed with tears and she shook her head.

"Oh Tenchi," she sobbed. "You don't remember anything?" The man shook his head and threw off the sheets.

"Who are you? More so…who am I?" the boy demanded as he stood. His vision was blurred and he was overcome by a wave of nausea. "Oh, I don't feel so good."

"Here, sit down," Ryoko exclaimed despite her tears and guided him back to the bed.

"Stop codling me! Now, tell me, who are you anyway? Where am I…who am I? Why am I here?" Tenchi shouted. Ryoko was taken aback by his demanding, angry disposition.

"M-my name is Ryoko, Tenchi. That is your name…Tenchi," the woman turned away to conceal her tear stained face. "This is Okayama…and this is your home."

"Why don't I remember these things! Who did this to me! Where is my family? Do I even have a family?" Tenchi rambled on angrily. Ryoko took his hand firmly and looked deep into his eyes.

"Even if you don't remember me…or anything that we shared-our friendship. Even if all I am to you now is a lost memory, I will still love you," she spoke searching his eyes. 'Please Tenchi! I cannot be the cause of your amnesia! You have to try! Try to remember!'

"Hey! Hey! Back off lady!" Tenchi shouted. His eyes were wild and wide, full of aversion towards his situation…but most of all confusion and fear. The still very ill boy glared at Ryoko and frowned. "I want to know what I am, who I am to others…where I belong!"

"Tenchi I-

"Stop it! Stop filling my head with lies! Stop it!" Tenchi shouted tugging at his hair. "What kind of monster are you…telling me you love me! I don't even know where I belong and you feed me lies!" Ryoko nearly died just then. His love, his friend, his sole purpose for living resented him. But why…why would he hate her.

'Lies…lies! He thinks everything I am saying is all a façade…he doesn't know!' Ryoko's mind screamed.

"Tell me!" Tenchi demanded as he grabbed Ryoko by the shoulders. He glared at her with infinite fury. He hated her. He hated the look in her eyes…the fear…the hurt. He hated who he was…whatever it might be. He hated himself. He hated her. Why did he hate what he did not know. Suddenly the boy recognized the desperate gleam in her eyes as fear and hurt. He saw that they must have been close, otherwise why would she be crying so much? Why was she sobbing so that her entire body shook wildly? Why did she love him? "I-I'm sorry," Tenchi murmured as he loosened his grip on her shoulders.

Ryoko looked back at him in betrayal, "You don't remember anything. Lies…you think I'm lying to you. Oh maybe it's better this way…without me in your life. You and Ayeka can be happy. But you told me…" she said numbly. Her voice was bleak, her heart broken, her life in shambles. "You were sick, and lost your memory Tenchi. The others are worried about you. I will send them in," Ryoko whispered as she closed the door behind her and sank to the floor. While Tenchi waited silently in his room, Ryoko cried uncontrollably outside his door in the hallway. She couldn't breathe…it hurt to much to do that. It hurt to think, to blink, to look, and to hear. Her life was ending. All on account of her own being.

'I'm sorry, sorry I didn't love you enough,' his voice echoed in her mind. It haunted her. Tenchi had loved her…and had fallen ill feeling that what he had given wasn't enough. A single smile from him lit up her world and now she'd even lost that.

"Oh Tenchi!" she wept, throwing her arms around herself and drowning in her own sorrowful tears. "I've lost you forever…"

*~*~*

Ayeka was rolled up on the living room couch, dreaming quietly. Even in her dreams, Tenchi's illness forced fear into her heart and soul. She couldn't lose him. He meant everything. He was the prize she fought Ryoko for. And because she was the Princess of Jurai, Tenchi was rightfully hers. Wasn't he?

"Ayeka, Ayeka…" Sasami whispered in her sleeping sister's ear. "Sister, wake up."

Ayeka's eyes fluttered open slowly as she awakened, "Sasami. Has something happened to Lord Tenchi?"

"He's awake now. Grandfather talked to Ryoko, he woke up a bit ago."

Ayeka sat up immediately and shook her sister by the shoulders, "Tell me! Sasami…is he all right?" Sasami's ruby eyes fell slowly. "Sasami?"

"He doesn't remember," Ryoko said from the window. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks tear-stained. "He doesn't remember a thing." The silver haired girl folded her arms and returned her darkened gaze back outside to the raging storm. The downpour had cast a dark fate on them, and it only grew worse with the passing of the hours.

Ayeka rose, her lips trembling, "He doesn't remember? But-how? Ryoko! You are the cause of this! What have you done to Tenchi?!" Ryoko did not answer and continued to stare outside. "Answer me!" Ayeka strode over to the window where the other woman stood and grabbed her shoulder firmly and whipped her around. Ryoko tensed and drew back. Only the past memories of Tenchi grabbing her so forcefully and meanly flashed through her mind. Tears welled up in her eyes as a result…to know the man she loved had turned violent upon her.

"Ryoko?" Kiyone spoke softly. She saw the hurt in her eyes and went over to her calmly. "Ryoko what happened?"

"Yes! Do tell Ryoko! Did you brain wash him and it backfired?! Did it? Tell me! I am the Princess of Jurai! He was to be my husband, he was my Tenchi…and now you've ruined all of it!" Ayeka shouted maliciously.

"The hell I've ruined it!" Ryoko shouted violently. A deep flare of rage flicked in her eyes as she approached the now silent Princess furiously. "How dare you! How dare you speak like that! You have no idea what happened at the mountain shrine and yet all you care about is me, and what I did to ruin your life!"

"Your defensiveness just proves your guilt. I always knew you were trying to steal him away from me!" Ayeka continued to shout shrilly. Ryoko suddenly lost control, and in her rage, drew back her hand and lashed it across the other woman's face. Ayeka clutched her red cheek in agony and shrieked. "Y-y-you monster!"

Ryoko glared at Ayeka with a dark glint in her eyes. Regardless of the just past events, Ryoko hated herself now, not only had she ruined her friendship with Tenchi although involuntarily and unconsciously, but now everyone believed she was the solitary cause of this whole fiasco. "Ryoko, please, Ayeka!" Mihoshi whined. The blonde cringed as she tugged at her ponytail nervously.

"Hush!" Kiyone hissed to her partner. "Ladies, please let's not fight. For Tenchi-

"For Tenchi…." Ryoko interrupted Kiyone in a whisper. "Tell me, Kiyone, how do you get back what you never had?" An intense silence followed her inquiry. The amber-eyed woman lowered her head, flung open the front door, and stepped out into the violent storm.