Until
we meet again
By:
SarahMc - catwoman@merseymail.com
Genre:
General
Rating:
U, G whatever
Disclaimer:
I OWN NOTHING!!! NOTHING I TELL YOU!!! Pioneer and AIC own Tenchi Muyo and all
the characters.
Summary:
Ayekas thoughts before she says goodbye to Tenchi at the end of Tenchi
universe.
"Goodbye."
Why is it such
a difficult word?
One says it all
the time and never realises it.
"Goodbye."
No. Too short.
I've said
goodbye to him before. But I suppose that was different.
Then it was
just a vacation. Barely anything to think about.
And even then
it was a difficult word.
Just a
vacation?
It wasn't even
going to be a vacation. Just a short day trip. A distress signal from a
bungling galaxy police officer. But then, that was how I met lord Tenchi.
I met him, and
I knew, the second I saw him, that we would eventually have to say goodbye.
That was when the word changed for me. I didn't know this young mans name and I was already dreading the moment I
would have to leave him.
Even then it
was difficult but that was nothing to what it is now. Now it's several thousand
times worse.
"Goodbye!
I'll miss you!"No. It doesn't say anything like what I need it to say.
Lord Tenchi and
I have been through a lot. More than I ever dreamed I would go through with
anyone or if I did go through anything like it, I expected to go through it
with Sasami.
I suppose I've
not made a good impression on Lord Tenchi. Whenever I was near him, I didn't
know what to say. Whenever miss Ryoko was near him I didn't think what to say
before I said it.
My vacation. It
was wonderful, I lived in lord Tenchi's home - his home! I, and his other
guests, cleaned it every day while he went to school. It was all so idyllic. So
beautiful. So perfect.
"Goodbye,
Lord Tenchi." No.
And then, suddenly,
I was thrown out of my vacation, Jurai's monarchy was overthrown, I was a
wanted criminal! Everyone was there for me: Sasami, Miss Mihoshi, Miss Kiyone,
Miss Washu, Miss Ryoko and Lord Tenchi. Lord Tenchi... he's done so much for
me.
"Well, see
you Tenchi!" No. Too cheerful.
Lord Tenchi. My
Tenchi. A Juraian prince. It came as such a shock to me. Almost as proof that
he was meant for me. An omen, maybe. I'd never even thought of Tenchi as a
prince, I didn't need to - there was no way he could have been any more
perfect. This simply re-enforced my belief that we were destined to be
together.
"Lord
Tenchi, I'll miss you." No. Thats no good. There's so much I want to tell
him, thats no good at all.
I suppose it's over. It's incredible,
really. One second he was fighting Kagato and then, suddenly it came to me.
That feeling I had never felt before, never dreamed of. The Jurai Royal Power.
It surged through me like electricity - flowing through my veins, bursting out
in my fury. I had to save Tenchi somehow but had no idea how I could. It was
such an incredible sensation! The pain within me, the torment. My love for
Tenchi, my hatred of Kagato, an eternity seemed to pass between us and suddenly
it was there. Not a strong blast but capable of freeing Lord Tenchi. Then it
was like magic. The light hawk wings, Kagatos destruction and Lord Tenchi and
I. United at last. When he held me, that short moment lasted forever. it was
perfect. It was magical. It was love.
"Lord
Tenchi! Please don't leave me!" No. Too needy. I have to persuade him to
stay, not beg him.
I thought that
moment would last forever. I suppose, with a bond as strong as ours, it could
have. I have no idea if he felt it, too. Perhaps I imagined it. What I know is
true, is that soon I will be emperess of Jurai. No longer princess Ayeka.
Emperess Ayeka.
"Lord
Tenchi, I have no idea what to say to you." No. That is what princess
Ayeka would say. I must behave in a more appropriate manner from now on.
Whatever I say
to him, I must not cry. I can't, it would hardly be fitting.
But I know I
will. I always do.
"Lord
Tenchi..."
I'm not crying
now. My eye is just watering. I wouldn't cry at a time like this, I'm about to
be crowned emperess of my planet. This is the most wonderful day of my life.
Everything is perfect... This is no time to cry. I'm not crying.
How can it be
perfect without Tenchi?
"Goodbye"
He's coming in
now, I can hear the door opening. I dab my eyes, quickly and have the lights
darkened.
"Miss
Ayeka?" His eyes fill with compassion the minute he sees me. I look up and
smile. He is the only person on Earth who calls me 'Miss Ayeka'. I don't know
why that matters to me. I suppose its his nature, Lord Tenchi. Such a
gentleman. My handsome prince.
"Lord
Tenchi. " Trying to prepare what to say hasn't worked so I speak from my
heart, "lord Tenchi, I know you are leaving. There's nothing I can do to
stop you?"
He nods
silently. How can such a simple gesture tear my soul apart this way?
I smile, trying
to cover the agony I feel right now.
"The Earth
is a beautiful planet. Jurai is beautiful in its own way, but the Earth is
beautiful. I don't blame you for wanting to go back."
Perhaps if he
agrees I'll know it's the landscape he's going back for and nothing else.
"Miss
Ayeka, I know you want me to stay but," he pauses reflectively. Every
second I wait is like a dagger in my heart, "my entire life is on Earth.
Jurai is beautiful but Earth is my home. Please understand."
My heart stops.
Now is the time. Now I can tell him all I've ever wanted to. All I've kept
inside me. My love for Lodr Tenchi. My need for him.
"Lord
Tenchi," I begin softly "you mean everything to me. You're voice is
music to me. Seeing you is like seeing a glimpse of paradise. Ever since I met
you I needed you. My very being cries out for you. I love you, Tenchi. Please
stay."
He looks at me.
His eyes, those eyes that I have always loved, stare at me. Those eyes. Those
eyes that see into my very soul.
Finally he
looked up at me. Our eyes met. This was the moment. I longed to get off my throne
and run to him and hold him. The way he held me after the battle with Kagato.
His eyes betray
his mind, split into two and struggling to make a decision.
He finally
speaks. "Ayeka, I love you too."
I gasp with
delight. This is what I wanted, needed to hear. He comes up to my throne and
faces me.
I stand up, our
eyes meet. Our breath mingles.
"Lord
Tenchi..." he stops me. "I think you can call me 'Tenchi' now."
I smile, this
is wonderful. He's so close that I can feel his breath on my cheek. We aren't
touching but in my heart I know that since he first held my hand on earth, I
haven't let him go.
And then it
happened.
He leaned
towards me and put his arms around my waist. His lips brushed mine. My whole
life had been building up to that moment, I paused for a second and returned
the kiss.
It seems to
last a long time. Almost forever. When we stop, I look at him.
"Tenchi"
I begin, "you must stay here in Jurai. I cannot live without you."
"I'm so
sorry Ayeka, I live on Earth. It's my home, my life."
I feel the
tears pricking my eyes, "but Tenchi, surely after all we've been through
we should..."
"No,
Ayeka. Unless you want to come to Earth?"
I sigh and
return to my throne, "I belong here, Lord Tenchi. It is my responsibility.
My duty. My destiny is to become emperess of Jurai. If you do not stay, we
cannot be together."
He looks at me,
his face betrays his emotion. I should just forget it. He'll never stay with
me, he has his own life on Earth. When he looks at me my heart leaps, but I
need to think of what is best for Lord Tenchi.
"I cannot
ask you to stay." I speak slowly, as though someone elses words are comin
from my lips, "go back to Earth. Your family is there, your whole life.
How can I ask you to give it all up just for me?"
"Ayka, if
you want me to stay..."
"No!
Please, leave me!" Please go before you see me cry.
He turns to
leave, "wait", I call.
"Miss
Ayeka?"
I suppose now
is the time to say goodbye.
"Until we
meet again, Lord Tenchi, I love you. I always have and I always will."
He smiles, that
smile that pierces my heart. "I love you too, miss Ayeka."
He turns and
leaves.
I still don't
know if he heard me crying.
Goodbye Tenchi,
goodbye princess Ayeka, goodbye vacation.
**********************************************************************
And there it
is! I know I said in my last one that I was going to write a romance with a
happy ending but I couldn't mess with the plot too much! I already messed it up
without Ayeka going back to Earth or Tenchi staying on Jurai! Anyways, please
read and review ^_^
This story is
dedicated to Douglas Adams, a brilliant author who died very recently. Its
nothing to do with him but he deserves it! So long, DNA, and thanks for all the
fish *sniffles*